I am super excited to share that EveryBlock Chicago is back!!

If you don’t know what EveryBlock is, their blog says: “We want EveryBlock to be a place where people gather to share information and ideas on how to make their neighborhood an even better place to live, work, and play.”

I loved it because I was able to chat with people from communities that I have never been to even though I’ve lived in Chicago all my life. You could find crime statistics; new stores opening in the community; and events. It was pretty cool.

The site abruptly closed down early last year and I was heartbroken. According to this Tribune report by Robert Channick, “NBC News shut down the site on February 7, 2013, citing ‘considerable’ financial losses and the lack of a strategic fit with its digital portfolio.”

If you look at how the site is made up, there was no way to make money because there weren’t ads (if there were, I didn’t pay attention to them) and EveryBlock wasn’t selling anything.

Thankfully, Comcast has brought it back. I, for one, am SUPER excited about it.

Shorty’s Soapbox

Allow me to share my opinion about hyperlocal and community sites. I think there are great opportunities in these sites although I don’t know profitable they are.

Think about it. Large media companies care mostly about profits, not people. So, if you have any source that’s catering to the community, they will get community support. Yes, we have channels 2, 5, 7, 9 and 32, but the only broadcast station that comes close to caring about and connecting with the South Side, in my opinion, is channel 9. I think that has a lot to do with Ms. Merri D., an icon in broadcast and Chicago history.

Radio stations are the same. I think talk radio has topics that are of interest to their listeners, but they are still about the money.

Bloggers, on the other hand, have their pulse more on the communities they serve. They tend to focus on very specific topics and communities. They do it because they care because most are working their blogs as unpaid part-time employees. If you see a community blogger, thank them, will ya’?

Essentially, I think Comcast has done a great deed by bringing EveryBlock back. I fully support it and I hope you will, too. So, stop reading here and go sign up for EveryBlock Chicago!