What should be the mission statement for The Super User Blog and how to promote/explain Super User with it?

Question

The Super User Blog Post Factory has been steadily running for a while now, producing awesome and interesting posts for all you Super Users out there!

Now is the time for the mission statement definition phase, and from you Super Users out there we would like to know: What should the course of the Blog be in the future according to you?

Things to think about:

• Should we continue doing random posts about all kinds of stuff, pretty much like we're doing right now?
• Should the Blog "replace" some of the Community Faqs so the posts can be referenced to in your answers?
• Should we attract external visitors mainly and make the Blog a Blog by Super Users for the world to read? Or should we just keep it internally mainly?
• Anything else you can think of?

The mission should be able to be composed in the following manner or similar. Don't let this stop you from letting us know about other things that might be relevant though!

We, the authors of The Super User Blog created and maintain this blog to the purpose of...

The Blog has been set up to the core purpose to popularize Super User for external users and we wish to continue striving to achieve this regardless. So secondly, we would like to know: How should the blog relate to Super User?

How can we make clear to externals what the StackExchange and more specifically Super user philosophy is through the Blog? How can we let externals realize how pretty darn awesome our community is?

Answer 1

From the brief glance at the blog, it looked to be another form of broad "super" knowledge. I think keeping it that way is the best course.

I think addressing a popular question with more information including detailed graphics in some posts would be a good idea.

I think some kind of community involvement, in addition to the current involvement from the moderators, would be great. The "user of the month" should post a blog post about some "super" computer issue, etc.

I love the links and layout currently.

In the about page, I'd add info about the above-mentioned awesome things about Super User. I say, feel free to toot your own horn.

Answer 2

Some thoughts of mine:

I would say we mustn't forget that the site is community driven and should therefore blog about the community itself and how it evolves.

I've stumbled across a few users who were really friendly, really eager to become active, came to to the chat and even immediately thought about writing their own blog posts. We should give those (new) people an outlet to tell us more about themselves and how they intend to make the site better.

Also, it would be nice to address current changes, for example the "free downvotes on questions" and how the change impacts on the dynamics of the site. At least I'm very interested in the social behavior around the whole SO network and we at SU have the advantage of a smaller community. I really liked posts like How to get your questions answered? and their likes. Discussions on meta are a good read, but they're not that public. And I came to SO/SU for this very system.

Answer 3

Should we continue doing random posts about all kinds of stuff, pretty

much like we're doing right now?

I think this is what blogging is about. Just writing our hearts out about whatever we want from our technological lives.

Should the Blog "replace" some of the Community Faqs so the posts can be

referenced to in your answers?

The FAQ was very useful to me as a new user, I think its fine currently.

Should we attract external visitors mainly and make the Blog a

Blog by Super Users for the world to read? Or should we just keep it internally mainly?

Spread the word! What would be wrong with letting the world know our story? It's a great idea in my eyes.

Answer 4

note: I'm an editor and therefore my answers are somewhat biased

First my vision of the mission statement:

We, the authors of The Super User Blog created and maintain this blog to the purpose of:

First and foremost, to bring a broader audience to the Stack Exchange sites through diversifying the content presented to the internet world. Our main goal is to encourage YOU to become more active at Super User and other Stack Exchange sites through the content that we present here.

As an extension of the Super User main site, we elaborate on questions and answers that are more difficult to address fully on the main site through product reviews, in-depth how to guides, and general Stack Exchange site practices.

Finally, we make sure to bring the same fun, spirit that is abundantly found within the Super User site. We encourage the freedom of teaching and learning for all, while enjoying that process.

We the authors of Super User Blog are a community, the community of Super Users. We the authors of the Super User Blog, are you.

Second answers to your questions:

Should we continue doing random posts about all kinds of stuff, pretty much like we're doing right now?

YES! I love doing those posts, and enjoy having the freedom to have a little bit of 'techie fun' while learning.

Should the Blog "replace" some of the Community Faqs so the posts can be referenced to in your answers?

Absolutely not! Community FAQ's are there to be order to Super User through connection of multiple questions. While a user may have one question, through using the communitty FAQ he/she might find an answer to a completely different question they didn't even know they had.

Should we attract external visitors mainly and make the Blog a Blog by Super Users for the world to read? Or should we just keep it internally mainly?

I thought that this should be a pivotal part of what we should do. After asking on MSO I now disagree. "If we Blog it, they will come." (as has been seen recently) This doesn't mean we don't go out of our way to share with those that are around us, including the big leaguers, but this shouldn't be a focus of the blog.

Answer 5

Our existing Q&A is very much "just the facts, ma'am", and that's totally status-bydesign.

The blog lets Super Users have a bully pulpit to write about broader, discussion-y, possibly opinion based topics that are forbidden on SU.

It's an important outlet for editorial content, the discussion/opinion "yin" to the "yang" of our strictly business Q&A.

Answer 6

Should we continue doing random posts about all kinds of stuff, pretty much like we're doing right now?

Yes.

Should the Blog "replace" some of the Community Faqs so the posts can be referenced to in your answers?

No, CFAQS should remain the same - blog post can be perhaps an abridged version of CFAQS.

Should we attract external visitors mainly and make the Blog a Blog by Super Users for the world to read?

We should continue the focus on content like we always have :-) visitors, whether external or internal will follow :-)

Anything else you can think of?

I had mentioned this earlier, but now we have a post pumping out everyday and thereby this expectation is set. I hope this can be sustained :)