February 27, 2007

sticks in a nutshell

tommy permalink | tags: tampa
by tommy @ 2:52 pm

My name is Tommy Duncan. I am the lead singer in a local rock ‘n’ roll band (JGLB), and owner of Sticks of Fire: A Tampa Website. The band plays in clubs all around Tampa Bay from St. Pete and Clearwater to Ybor City, and the website covers news, politics, events and media in and around Tampa Bay.

I began reading blogs about various things in 1999. By the turn of the century, I had found a couple that were based in Tampa, but none that were about Tampa. After looking for years, I realized that these blogs were being written by regular knuckleheads with computers. Being a regular knucklehead and having a computer myself, I thought I should quit looking, and just create one. So I did. I made the decision to start my blog about Tampa in early 2004, and the first post was made with Blogger/Blogspot on February 6, 2004. In the middle of 2005, I switched to WordPress, and my own url, http://sticksoffire.com.

From there I asked if anyone in the area wanted to show off their writing skills at Sticks of Fire on a regular basis. The response has been wonderful, and there are now more than a dozen excellent writers contributing to the website.

The overall experience has been a lot of fun. I still have not made any major faux pas, although I’m sure there will be. As for favorable experiences, there have been a number.

The Tampa Bay area is one of the few in the country lucky enough to still have two daily newspapers (Tampa Tribune, St. Pete Times). I was lucky enough to beat both of them on some development news in 2005. The St. Pete Times covered the story of how “some knucklehead with a computer scooped both daily papers,” which prompted both dailies to start following blogs a little closer. In 2005, editors at the local “alternative” weekly Creative Loafing (formerly known as Weekly Planet) named Sticks of Fire the “best local website.” And Sticks of Fire was voted “best local blog” by readers of Creative Loafing in 2006.

Because of Sticks of Fire, I have been on various panels such as the Stetson University Media Law seminar, as well as Blog Orlando in 2006. I will be on a panel at the Florida Scholastic Press Association convention, and just this morning was on a panel questioning candidates running for city council.

The very best part about starting the blog is I have gotten to meet a large number of great folks who live, work, and make their home in Tampa Bay. Whether in person or through various electronic communications, I have found this place to be full of wonderful people.

We all know that a “community” is nothing but the people in that community. From the writers on Sticks and the readers who leave comments to the lurkers at local schools, city hall, and all of the news media – Tampa Bay is as great a community as you would ever want.

Come join your community at Sticks of Fire.

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