I’m not sure the problem is #Journchat. Maybe it’s the medium. Many bright minds participate, but it’s hard enough to delve into deep, meaningful conversations in 140 characters, much less at the warp speed of #Journchat.

I like what #Journchat has done so far, but like so much happening in social media right now, it needs to find its second act.

I use P2 for my blog, and minus a few bugs, it’s a great platform. My main issue with P2 is that it seems to create random draft posts. I’m not sure why they pop up, but can be a pain to deal with on the back end, in terms of moderation.

That said, what a neat idea! Technically, you can open P2 up (or any blog for that matter) so that comments don’t need moderation and can flow like a long-form Twitter. However, the threading options of P2 are much more appealing than favoriting tweets, for example, to come back to later. Still, there’s a “vibe” or “chaos” (as one put it) on Twitter that I’m not sure can be replicated–even though the folks at #collegejourn, for instance, have tried with different chatting platforms, etc.

Your idea would certainly inspire more in depth conversation (which could be limited), AND be wonderful to come back to days later to catch up on or add more. It just wouldn’t require that people actually be there on Monday nights anymore. And that’s part of #journchat’s appeal.

Worth a shot, and I hope that Sarah at least tests it out. Maybe she can convince users to switch. Time will tell.

Good call.

I made sure that Sarah knew the post was being released – I have a great relationship with Sarah and respect for what she’s doing with #Journchat.

Thanks for your thoughts, appreciated.

I wouldn’t necessarily say that moving to a “bigger venue” would necessarily be detrimental. Look at the successful sports teams that have moved to a bigger stadium and enjoyed great success; or the small shop that becomes part of a mall and enjoys greater custom.

You can definitely highlight speakers but then that can also lose a lot of the other conversation going on. Which, as you mention, is the key reason for you being involved even as someone outside the “core industries” (which is another reason #Journchat has been so successful).

There are pros and cons to the current format, which hopefully the piece shows. I’m sure whatever the feedback in this conversation, and others like it around the web, Sarah will do what’s best for her baby – as she’s already shown.

Sarah, you do a great job. Anything that grows soon grows out of its original format.

My views:
The WordPress option may help.

I’ve noticed that there seems to be more people who are neither journalists, nor PR folks, engaging in the discussion. There are also varying degrees of experience; students looking to get their foot in the door, as well as seasoned journalists looking to figure out the new landscape, even as journalism business models (jobs) seem to be collapsing.

Might be time to split off into a couple of different discussions, based on participant goals.