--- title: "EveryBlock’s Lesson: Don’t Strand Your Users" id: "15859" type: "post" slug: "everyblocks-lesson-dont-strand-your-users" published_at: "2013-02-11T23:00:42+00:00" modified_at: "2013-02-11T23:00:42+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/02/11/everyblocks-lesson-dont-strand-your-users/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/02/11/everyblocks-lesson-dont-strand-your-users.md" excerpt: "How the abrupt shutdown of EveryBlock, a noted hyperlocal site, caught its users off-guard: Was there a better way? Also, why your blog should change with you." taxonomy_category: - "Learning" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "blogging" - "Content Management" - "digital strategy" - "Membership" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » EveryBlock’s Lesson: Don’t Strand Your Users It’s time to shut that old project down. You know the one. It’s been a stick in your organization’s craw for months, and you’re not sure how to fit it into your long-term strategy. But it has an audience—and *users*—to this day. Is there another way? Lessons from one site’s shutdown in today’s Social Media Roundup: ### Don’t Leave Users High and Dry > “News media in Chicago would love to have EveryBlock. It’s a force of nature in Chicago.” [http://t.co/jZc9cbyW (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/jZc9cbyW) > > — Nieman Lab (@NiemanLab) [February 11, 2013 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/NiemanLab/status/301059444169641984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Last week, a service called [EveryBlock (opens in a new tab)](http://www.everyblock.com/)** closed its doors. While it was under the radar nationwide, it was popular in some major cities because it offered community news by the neighborhood—down to the city block. When NBCUniversal shut down the service, many regular users ([along with its creator (opens in a new tab)](http://twitter.com/adrianholovaty/status/301033742460411905) , Adrian Holovaty) felt betrayed, as it was taken offline with little advance notice. Now, Poynter reports that the company’s chief digital officer, Vivian Schiller, [is having second thoughts (opens in a new tab)](http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/top-stories/203813/everyblock-could-still-be-sold-says-schiller-after-abrupt-closing-of-hyperlocal-pioneer/) , and NBC may consider selling EveryBlock. There’s a good lesson here about not abruptly taking services away from dedicated users. If you retire a service the wrong way, it reflects poorly on your organization. Is creating a suitable replacement an option? (ht *[@NiemanLab (opens in a new tab)](http://twitter.com/NiemanLab/status/301059444169641984)*) ### Your Blog Ages With You > You Change–Should Your Blog Change With You? — Mizz Information From [@maggielmcg (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/maggielmcg?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [http://t.co/Zb89rjru (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/Zb89rjru) > > — Janet McNichol (@jmcnichol) [February 11, 2013 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/jmcnichol/status/301082712826077185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **The thing about blogging** is that, ultimately, you don’t end up where you started. Your tastes change. Your opinions change. You become less (or more) of a stick in the mud, depending on how things go. That’s [why Maggie McGary’s most recent post (opens in a new tab)](http://maggiemcgary.com/blog/2013/2/you-change-does-your-blog-change-with-you) will speak to any blogger. Her take? You should embrace change. “Passion is what keeps people reading, so following your passions—even if they change over time—and writing about them instead of a predetermined topic, I would think, will keep current readers interested and attract new ones,” she writes. “Or at least will keep your blog fresh and keep it fun to write, instead of a burden and a chore.” *(ht [@jmcnichol (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/jmcnichol/status/301082712826077185) )* How do you keep your blogging endeavors exciting? What do you do different now compared to a few years ago? Let us know in the comments. (Top Photo Group/Thinkstock) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. 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