Blogger Profile: Kyle With, Blogging from the North
byIt’s been about six months since I last featured a “Blogger Profile” although this is one I have been meaning to put together for quite a while. Kyle With is originally from Yellowknife, NT but is currently based in Fort St John, BC.
What is your website/url?
l write YkOnline.ca, which I assume you want to know more about, but I also write a personal site KyleWith.com and a more techie/internet type blog WithMedia.ca .
How long has it been around?
“I started YkOnline.ca in May 2009 when I started to realize that I was writing a lot about my hometown Yellowknife, NT on my personal blog.”
What is your role/involvement (developer, owner, blogger etc.) ?
“Originally I was the only writer of YkOnline.ca, I got the occasional contributor, but it wasn’t very often. Then in August 2010 I was offered a unbelievable job in Fort St John, BC, where I am currently. The job at the moment is only a 6 month job, but may become permanent. So while I’m away I have opened up YkOnline.ca to anyone. Anyone can register and write anything they like.”
What does your site do/what is it about?
“I call YkOnline.ca, Yellowknife’s Community Blog. It is a local or hyperlocal blog. The city is only 20,000 people so it wasn’t much work keeping up with the going ons. I would write about upcoming events, past events, food reviews, business/people profiles, cover big breaking news and generate discussion around news stories. Then since I had worked in the tourism industry so much I started to become an online source for those looking at, traveling or moving to the area.”
What can people see, read, and do when visiting your site?
“The site became a source for those within Yellowknife and those looking to come to the area. Within Yellowknife readers go up to date and sometimes live information on event as well places and things to do and see. Then those outside of the city looking to come to it could use it as a place to learn about the city. At one point I was producing a weekly podcast about things to know about the city and what is within it.
It was something very new and different in town. It was really the only site using Twitter, Facebook, Video, Podcasts to relay information about the city.”
What is the ultimate goal for your site, how would you like to see it grow?
“It grew rapidly in the last 6 months and became a very known source, and I would love to see it stay that way. I have a strong passion for Yellowknife, having grown up there. One of the ideas of the site was to point out the positive in the city, and showcase it. It would be great to see more people contributing and engaging. Another thing would be to see it become sustainable, financially. I realize I wouldn’t be able to make a full time living out of it, but some return is always good, especially as I started devoting a lot of time to it.
I must confess though, I haven’t been keeping up with it lately. Like I mention I get offered a job in Fort St John, BC which I couldn’t turn down although it was difficult to leave what I loved so much, even just for 6 months. I haven’t left the local website industry though. Part of what I am doing now those is help build and evolve a community website. In a couple months we will be relaunching the site which will become a news source, community blog, all in one using all kinds of new media, video, podcasts, etc. If nothing else, what I have learned is that I have just as much a passion for community where ever it is, as I do Yellowknife. Who know what the future holds.”
You can follow Kyle on Twitter and Flickr to keep up to date on his various media projects.
