Little did we know....

When the OurAnnaMaria blog went on line in May of 2009, the idea was to simply provide a convenient, unfiltered outlet for Anna Marians who really care about the future of our city. At the time, that was especially important for three reasons: 1) our heritage was being threatened by developers; 2) there was an election on the horizon that could prove pivotal to our future; and 3) The Islander and The Sun tabloids shared a monopoly on opinion and information.

Starting this blog was easy, with the help of Google, and it’s free. All that was needed was a title and a good sunset photo! So up it went.

The firestorm that ensued wasn’t expected. It started with the protestations of our mayor: “With all due respect...I wish you could find something positive to focus on to help the City and give us some encouragement as we try to move the city forward.” She didn’t say what she meant by “forward,” but right  then and there, we knew we had hit on something. Subsequently, the blog was blamed by both tabloids for creating a divisive atmosphere in the city; it was spawning a “We/They” environment that was not healthy. The nerve, the blog pointing out the glaring differences in the candidates!

The reactions to the blog, both positive and especially the negative, can be summed up in one word: Verification. Ain’t nothing like it. Overnight, the monopoly on opinion and information was no more. And every time the tabloids mentioned the blog, viewership grew, even among those who didn’t know what a blog was!

Readership of the blog has exceeded any expectations. The graph above is not a graph of our detractors’ blood pressure, rather, it’s a snapshot of the past 30 days’ readership. For a town our size, it’s impressive. (We don’t do the counting; Google provides an independent system for that.) Since the end of January, over 10,000 visitors have viewed over 40,000 pages! The numbers speak for themselves and show that more and more are relying on OurAnnaMaria for information more often.

As much as Bill Yanger doesn’t want to hear this, the blog’s success is primarily attributable to his editorial contributions. His journalistic acumen is at the heart of the increased readership, and for that we all are eternally grateful. The unique yet professional insights he proffers can be credited to the fact that he is both an accomplished attorney and a degreed journalist. Something you can’t get anywhere else--factual, professional, and at times very entertaining through his “Conversations” features.

Great job, Bill, and thanks from all of us. Kudos also to you, our readers and contributors; without your support, the blog wouldn’t be. “And,” as Bill says, “stay informed.”