35°Quick links: Boys ranch moves assets • GU basketball • WSU basketball • Kendall Yards plan • Swine flu
Huckleberries Online isn’t finished with its metamorphosis. Sometime this summer (if everything goes according to plan), Blogmeister Ryan & Co. will break HBO off into its own Web site. 
Which’ll give me far more flexibility to move stories and posts around on the page, to give them better and longer play. We’ll use more RSS feeds to keep track of the latest posts by HBO Blogosphere bloggers. And they’re be a number of other bells and whistles that the current site — as superior as it is to the old one — doesn’t have. My personal goal is to continue to build an online community here while providing as much news as possible from various cooperating media. Also, I will continue to provide an alternative voice to North Idaho media owned by Duane Hagadone — and a place where individuals can express opinions re: the community without fear. I’ve compiled a Spokane blogroll and will add a blogroll for bloggers whose goal is to provide news from their communities, like Pecky Cox (Priest River) and Frum Helen Back (Hauser). You’ll be introduced next week to Bayview Bob and a woman who just launched a blog to cover Blanchard news. I got to figure out a way to get an accurate reading from you re: what works here and what doesn’t. I don’t need to waste time on things that don’t work. We’ll discuss this later. Now, enjoy a nice Easter weekend.
Question: What three things are most important to you at Huckleberries Online? What is one thing that you could absolutely do without? What’s the best way to poll people re: HBO content?
D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.
999 W. Riverside, Spokane, WA 99201
P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210
Main switchboard: (509) 459-5000 • (800) 338-8801
Newsroom: (509) 459-5400 • (800) 789-0029
Customer service: (800) 338-8801
© Copyright 2009, The Spokesman-Review
Arch_Druid on April 11 at 8:43 a.m.
I am looking forward to the new HBO.com. Perhaps Ryan will also do the following: allow (i), (b), (strike through), (u), <character> buttons as well as text color. They exist at Blogger, Wordpress and etc. Plus, it would be nice to upload images which can also be found on other blog sites. Upload from the PC actually as opposed to “from the web.” Esp. if the photos are strikingly beautiful or news worthy. You might consider it, Dave and pass the word along.
Flag as inappropriate
JeanieS on April 11 at 11:03 a.m.
I'm with AD - I want fonts and characters and life added to my plain old text. (that's 3 things) I'm looking forward to this!
Flag as inappropriate
Brand X Ranch on April 11 at 12:34 p.m.
This is where I get ALL my local, national, and world news….plus all the wierd stuff that makes the day go by smiling. this is where I learn about gov't issues, and am able to see both/all sides of the story. It is also where I am able to meet people and maintain these relationships. These are my top 3, in reverse order…. it's the people that matter.
Flag as inappropriate
JBelle on April 11 at 12:38 p.m.
I'm thinking, I'm thinking. Could you leave this thread out for a couple of days?
Flag as inappropriate
Transplanted Texan on April 11 at 7:51 p.m.
Wow, that all sounds great! I look forward to it all! :D
Flag as inappropriate
HonestGeorge on April 11 at 8:47 p.m.
Important things I like include articles on regional politicians and community news-makers - I love those stories. Especially when they are 'fleshed' out by the comments of your great blogger buddies. Also, of course, I like the 'creme-de-creme' pieces - the story behind the story - those factual gossipy pieces.
Spencer - Lewiston Tribune - should be a guy on your payroll for covering the Boise Pols. He be a great adjunct (?) to Betsy.
Sometimes the resident half-dozen seem to go into auto-pilot and take up a lot of white space with 'insider' type stories which leaves many of us outside - but I guess that pays the rent.
Something about your old format struck me as more homey compared to this more sterile open format.
Flag as inappropriate
Escapee on April 11 at 9:05 p.m.
Is the S-R separating itself from Huckleberries? That's the very first thing I thot when I read this. In this age of cutbacks, businesses, well, they Cut Back. Is Huckleberries now going to be a Totally Independent operation? I find this quite ominous…
Flag as inappropriate