Home Improvement

Karl Katzke

22:01

@RebeccaChernoff We like telling stories. If you go all the way to the top, you'll see my tale of refinishing a friend's cabinets this past weekend. It would add a lot to the site if we had a place to post these besides chat or our own flickr pages. Therefore, we'd like a blog. We're curious how one would get set up and how it would work to get the word out about the site.

ChrisF

@SteveJackson Don't know. I think on the other sites they have separate blog editors.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@KarlKatzke @RChern And I linked to the meta post for reference.

Rebecca Chernoff

okies, so

Y'all are pretty much on the right track

ie, WordPress. (Blog Overflow is a single network / multi-site install)

Stack Overflow Blog: Blog Overflow

Posted by Rebecca Chernoff on June 23rd, 2011

Every Stack Exchange site starts with a Q&A site, made up of three pieces that help bring the whole community together:

bicycles.stackexchange.com, the main Q&A site

meta.bicycles.stackexchange.com, questions about community and administrative matters

chat.bicycles.stackexchange.com, the third place for real-time collaborations

But wait, there’s more?

A couple months ago, the Super User community took it upon themselves to create a blog run by the community. This effort has been so successful that a couple other communities floated the idea amongst themselves. Internally, we recognize …

Ah, that's linked in @AarthiDevanathan's post (:

So what we recommend is having a couple people as admins. Typically mods, perhaps a trusted user if mods aren't truly interested in spearheading the effort.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

Yeah I've been trying to link 'em where I'm usually linked, hahaha.

Rebecca Chernoff

q:

Then most people are the contributor role, which means that they can write posts, but not actually publish them.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

22:06

So, submitted entries enter a queue for approval?

Rebecca Chernoff

Some people as editors that help with scheduling, proof-reading, nagging people, etc.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

And then said mod/trusted user/admin accept or reject entries as correct? -- Oh! There's editors et al.

ChrisF

I think it would be good if "ordinary" users were more involved with running the blog. I'm great at reacting to stuff (flags etc.) less so at the proactive stuff.

Michael

Can a contributor update / add to / etc. their blog post once approved by moderators?

Rebecca Chernoff

So, using the Super User blog as an example here. They've got post categories like interviews, question of the week, crazy posts for Fridays, things like that. Then they have an "editor in chief" for each section.

Michael

22:08

assuming the changes are approved by moderators, of course

Rebecca Chernoff

Doesn't need to be the person that actually writes the posts, just kinda makes sure that the slot is filled by someone

Distributes things.

@Michael Ya know, I'm actually not sure about that.

I presume it would be pushed to the editors/admins of the blogs just like the initial post.

(Is this helping at all? (: )

Meta and chat are definitely things you can use to coordinate, Google Docs too.

Most of the sites that have blogs have a chat room for blog coordination, which I think is a good idea.

Karl Katzke

@RebeccaChernoff It helps, I think we mainly want to express our interest in moving forward on it. This site is small still, and having a place to store information would be very helpful to it.

Well, information that is not questions.

Such as stories and experiences.

Rebecca Chernoff

So you've seen the 4 steps in the intro blog post, right?

ChrisF

I think a blog might be useful to back up answers as well. We can link to a blog post that contains a relevant project or photos.

Rebecca Chernoff

Basically the idea is "convince me this isn't something that's going to be cool for the next week and then nobody is going to care".

Karl Katzke

22:14

@RebeccaChernoff What, my good looks and charm aren't enough to get past those pesky planning things? ;)

Rebecca Chernoff

q:

ChrisF

8

Q: Is it time for a Home Improvement blog?

Now that Stack Exchange sites can have a blog associated with them, is it time for an Home Improvement blog? Explanatory blog post Guidelines for getting started.

Step 1.

Michael

I think there's multiple different ways to implement it... way I was thinking would be (1) every user with 500 rep gets their own blog, (2) their posts would be moderated, and (3) blog posts that are deemed to be of high quality would be reposted on the main DIY.SE blog... either way would work... was just curious :)

Karl Katzke

As long as step 2 isn't "cut a hole in the box" ... ;)

@Michael I think people should have to request an account for the group blog from the editor.

Rebecca Chernoff

I forget who said it as I was reading the backlog when I entered, but someone mentioned a shortlist of "these are what the first few posts would be", I think that's a good and helpful with deciding the scope and purpose of the blog.

@Michael there's just 1 DIY blog. (or there will be just 1)

Karl Katzke

22:17

btw, I'm making a meta post right now about defining the scope.

Just so someone else doesn't beat me to it.

Or with it.

Rebecca Chernoff

If someone is interested in writing a post, then yeah, it should be as simple as posting on meta or in the chat room, or just somehow getting in touch with an admin of the blog to get added as a contributor.

codex.wordpress.org/Roles_and_Capabilities has more than you probably want to know about WP roles

Michael

okey :) i was just wanting to be able to post funny job site pics that would never make it onto the main blog :S

Steve Jackson

@Michael we could set up a chat for that I would think

Karl Katzke

BAM: meta.diy.stackexchange.com/questions/389/…

2

Michael

one blog is better than nothing tho :) not complaining :P

Rebecca Chernoff

22:21

one main thing (I know, there are a lot of "main things" q:) is that this isn't anyone's personal blog, it is very much a blog for the community

Karl Katzke

@Michael -- I dunno, I think "Jobsite tragedies" posts, aggregating like a week's worth of pictures into one, would be a wonderful feature.

There's a similar feature on one of This Old House's blogs about home inspection funnies that would be worthy.

err similar.

Rebecca Chernoff

I think there's a lot of potential in a DIY blog (:

and it'd be easy to do themes or a series of posts.

ChrisF

@KarlKatzke I've pinned the link for the meta post on the blog scope for now. I'll also tag it as "featured" so it shows up on the main site

Karl Katzke

@ChrisF Thanks!

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

So, the chat-cast closes in about a half hour. (aka, I'm leaving in about a half hour so deal with this.)

Michael

22:28

maybe just like a monthly "random pics" post would be cool :)

Karl Katzke

Heh, turning the lights out on us?

Michael

like if you were on a roof and had a laser thermometer that was reading 175 degrees Fahrenheit or something

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@KarlKatzke hahaha figuratively only, I assure you

Michael

an interesting picture... not necessarily a funny one :P

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

But! Since this is Project Update Thursday, where we're supposed to talk about things we've been working on either in-progress or completed, i'd like to talk about what's happened lately!

Karl Katzke

22:29

@Michael I'm not sure that would be noteworthy, but the picture of the roofed over soil stack that I found in my friend's house this weekend might be...!

BMitch

gotta head off. waves

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

/waves at @BMitch

So, we did the Young House Love giveaway that I mentioned earlier. Our metrics indicate we got, like, a bajillion (technical term) new hits from it. Which, you know, awesome. Lots and lots of new users/visitors, and a lot of unique pageviews. I'm quite happy with the result.

Michael

i can't talk about my projects :( probably get sued or something :(

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

I'm working with three other blogs/sites to see if we can do something similar slash get more exposure.

@Michael awww.

then commentate on ours! ;)

The other three blogs that I'm working on courting are: Make a House a Home, HCI, and One Project Closer.

Karl Katzke

@Michael What.. you don't live in a home? Or is it a case of "the cobbler's children have no shoes?"

;)

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

22:34

Of these, MAHAH and I have fairly solid plans to do something. the latter two and I are talking, and while OPC has said they'll mention us when they can, HCI doesn't seem really interested.

Michael

hmm projects i do around the home not really noteworthy :P i replaced the wood on a bench out front a few weeks ago? :P

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

I contacted Ask the Builder, but his rates were exorbitantly high.

Karl Katzke

@Michael I think that only SEEMS insignificant to you. Most people would stall on a project like that for weeks or months.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@Michael dude, you should totally talk about that.

Michael

lmao

i measured the bench, i cut would, and i put that wood into the bench with some nuts and bolts... not much to it :P

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

22:36

Aside from the blog promos, I'm also working on getting swag for the community/for promotion. And having this chat become a regular event was one of my to-do list items. I am, in general, trying to coax more chat activity at large.

@Michael As a DIY novice, all I heard was "WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH WAH." #CharlieBrownSounds

Michael

i'm probably going to install one of those solatube things at the neighbor's house tho :) that might be worth a blog post... idk tho :)

would = wood.... oops :)

Karl Katzke

That'd definitely be worth a blog post. I think the thing that is most lacking on the internet are clearly written instructions with the steps laid out for things like replacing wood on a bench.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@KarlKatzke for wood in general

this is the biggest wood site i've seen around: thewoodwhisperer.com

Steve Jackson

My last project: Installed hinges in wrong place, moved them, cursed, thought hard, moved them again, victory dance.

Stupid geometry

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

Oh, geometry.

Karl Katzke

22:39

Steve, I wish I could upvote your last project. I laughed.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@SteveJackson A+, would lol again. pics or it didn't happen.

Steve Jackson

I can take a picture of the hinge. The cursing would probably require photoshop

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

yaaaay photoshop

did any of y'all have any questions about my promo efforts? (Slash, the things I'm calling my DIY projects?)

Karl Katzke

No, sorry, @AarthiDevanathan, I don't know much about what's helpful with that kind of marketing. I know that there's a lot of art and science to it, but it's really not my area.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@KarlKatzke no worries. I realize it's not a hammer-and-nails kind of job, but I figured if y'all had any questions, this would be the easiest way to field them.

Karl Katzke

22:45

Yeah. I have a hammer, but it does not seem to be the correct tool for attracting users to the site.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@KarlKatzke i dunno. if you're really beefcake, we could attract a whole new demo.

Steve Jackson

It really depends on the kind of user. I think the flyers would go a long way to help the fellow DIYers become aware that there's help out there. Part of the reason I love diy.se is because anytime I (as a nerd) googled for problems it rarely was useful. So these are good step for bringing in content consumers.

Karl Katzke

@AarthiDevanathanΨ You OBVIOUSLY did not look at the flickr gallery.

Steve Jackson

As for the experts, we keep dancing around that there is a problem, but no idea how to solve it. It's not a natural match like SO.

Karl Katzke

@SteveJackson I dunno, Steve, I think our answer rate has been really high.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

22:49

@SteveJackson but i think exp'd home reno professionals count as "experts" the same way a self-taught, battle-hardend programmer is.

Steve Jackson

These are good points

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@KarlKatzke you had clothes on, and I don't judge.

Steve Jackson

I was thinking along those lines as well, we do have a solid core of sharp, experienced people. I guess we can worry about the question overrun when it's an actual problem.

Karl Katzke

I'm not a home reno professional, but I am experienced, and I've been in more homes than most people have ... personally, there are two bathroom guts, the just-completed cabinet refinish, and my flooring project running now that I'm helping with.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@SteveJackson this. As for @Karl, that's the YHL blog position, and if they joined our site? fluff, I'd about die.

Karl Katzke

22:51

I could build a business out of it, but I'm a crappy estimator and I want it to stay fun, which means (in my little psychological world) never ever taking money for it.

@AarthiDevanathanΨ If I hadn't had clothes on, the camera would have broken. I like me some beer after my home improvement tasks.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

@Karl lolololol point taken

All right, I'm calling it.

Karl Katzke

Alright, y'all, I'm gonna put the laptop down and maybe take a nap before my work maintenance window tonight. Please upvote or provide a different answer for the meta/blog thread.

Aarthi Devanathan Ψ

Thanks so much for joining us for Project Update Thursday. We'll see you next week, same time! Same place!

aaaaand with that, i'm off the clock

peace, everyone!

/waves~

Steve Jackson

Adios!

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