This page represents my ramblings on various topics affecting
marlin fishing and fishermen. Today's topic: our two most-often
asked questions ...
It's New Year's Eve as I write this, a natural time to
look back on the past year and reflect. Since SCMO was born
in July, of course, that shortens the process significantly.
But there is still a lot to look back upon with pride.
In the past six months, we've received a lot of email from
our visitors. Much of it is questions about fishing, or
comments about the site. Some of it is even junk mail. As
I review the mail, though, there are two questions that
are asked most often, and I'd like to answer them here.
The second most asked question at SCMO: Why? Why
SCMO? Why another fishing-related website? Aren't there
enough already? It's because of all the fishing sites that
predate SCMO that I was driven to create SCMO in the first
place. As a fisherman, I'm looking for timely, accurate
information. I'm not interested in buying anything, and
I don't want my precious bandwidth wasted with advertising
banner after advertising banner. Yet, as I looked at the
existing sites, that's all I saw. Sure, there were ones
that actually had some value, but they were so hard to find
it was hardly worth it. And even if I did find one of those
rare sites, I had to wade through so many ads that I gave
up in frustration. Their bottom line was obvious ... they
may provide some useful information, but their main purpose
was to sell product ... either their own, or the ones they
were paid to advertise.
We will continue
to strive to bring you useful timely information about big
game sportfishing, and present it in a setting that will
make you want to return, not cringe at the thought.
That will not be easy, for we are trying to compete with
the sites fed with those advertising dollars. We can do
it, but we will need your help. Which brings me to ...
The most-asked question at SCMO: How can I help?
What can I do to make SCMO a better place? There
are two things every visitor can do to play a role in the
success of SCMO ... one easy, one harder. The easiest way
to help is simply to visit the site and encourage others
to do the same. Each person who visits SCMO is a potential
resource to be tapped. Recently, I received a letter from
a new visitor who is a marine biologist at the Hubbs-Sea
World Institute in San Diego. I'm very excited to see how
we can use his knowledge and experience to improve SCMO.
Other visitors have provided wonderful ideas for features,
and have helped me with many projects. The more people who
visit, the more resources we have to offer.
The second way to help requires more effort, but it is
crucial. You can help SCMO best by providing additional
content for SCMO. Stories, tips, photos, questions, postings,
anything ... everything helps. The key to maintaining a
vibrant, useful website is the constant introduction of
new content. I can do all the programming, and can pull
a lot of information from my own travels. But I cannot
do it all by myself. Been fishing lately? Write me about
it. I'll add it to Tall Tales and
True Stories. Go fishing a lot? Become a reporter
for SCMO. Got a picture of the big one that didn't get away,
or just of a beautiful day on the water? Send it to me and
I'll add it to La Galería.
No scanner? E-mail me
and I'll send you an address where you can send it to me
and I'll scan it for you . Got a question, or just something
to get off your chest? Post it at the Marlin
Club. Found a new recipe you're dying to share? We'll
add it to the Galley. Are you
getting the idea? We need your help, and we won't survive
long without it.
Advertising is a resource. Commercial sites use this resource
to keep them going, and as long as the advertising dollar
comes in, useful content can be damned. To us, you and the
content you provide are the resource. As long as you keep
the content coming we'll keep going, and advertising can
be damned!
Until next time ...
Tight lines and blind strikes,
Check out some of my earlier musings ...
