Happy Birthday to Us! 5 Years of Exit133
Five years ago today we started down the path that would become this website. There was one writer. There were no comments. And, at least for the first few weeks, there were no readers.
Exit133 seems to be in a different place now. We’ve had nearly 6,000 posts, nearly 30,000 comments, and now have thousands of regular readers. The hyperlocal news scene has taken off in several cities. Many of the folks that have written for us have gone on to great roles in the community. Erik Hanberg is now a Parks Commissioner. David Boe is a City Councilman. Whitney Rhodes is president of the Downtown Merchant Group. Daniel Blue is … Daniel Blue.
We’ve been doing a lot of soul searching as our fifth year came to an end. My life is very different now versus when this adventure began. I swapped out a ten year corporate gig for the roller coaster that is self-employment. I finished my MBA. I’ve had changes in my personal life. I launched a new company with old friends.
What’s next?
We have a new Exit133 in the works. We’re burning this site down to the ground, picking up the pieces we like, and relaunching it on a new platform with a new design and several new writers. Our goal will continue to be the enhancement of the civic dialog in Tacoma. We are also launching a new site that is complementary to Exit133 and based on some of the ideas you’ve enjoyed here over the years. All this work should come together in early June.
To support all this work we are continuing to look for a few more writers, maybe an intern (or three) to help with some data migration throughout the summer, and advertising sponsors. Let us know if you have any interest in joining us.
All that said, thank you for reading Exit133. Thank you for supporting us over the years. Thank you for being here.
Filed under: General
10 comments
R RR Anderson May 12, 2010
Told ya the vacuum head trophy was good luck. High-fiv3!
S sara montour May 12, 2010
Happy Birthday!
E Erik B. May 12, 2010
Nice.
R Roxanne Auge May 13, 2010
I love this site – I’m a little sad to see it change.
S Seamus May 13, 2010
De-lurking to say “big ups” for your tireless dedication! Thanks for making Tacoma a better place. Can’t wait to see the changes.
P Pedsnurse May 15, 2010
I love this site! I look forward to seeing the changes. Keep up the good work!
M Morgan May 16, 2010
Congrats! Keep up the great work Derek (and gang)!
D Dave_L May 23, 2010
E133 came at the right time for Tacoma and for many of us personally. In this half-degree-of-separation town, friendships were (and continue to be) forged as a direct, and indirect result of this blog. I wish you success as you adjust to the ever-changing nature of this environment.
And may the statement in this photo never come to pass:
A Altered Chords May 23, 2010
You are up to quite a lot Derek and crew. Thanks for Exit 133!
J Jesse May 24, 2010
Thanks for this site! Certainly one of my faves over the past few years!