On this page, I set out what I believe should happen with this website over the forthcoming years. I’m not saying my ideas and thoughts are fixed in cement. They can be changed and any input would be welcome.
Update: this page is not saying I am stopping writing. I just need to make sure the core pages are in good shape for the future. I will write news stories when I think they are interesting and will interest others and perhaps generate a dialogue.
There comes a time when you pretty much run out of topics to write about. Excepting news sites, all websites end up with this problem. Surprisingly, many of the popular cat websites simply recycle what is already on the Internet either in video or in words. I am not the sort of person who can do that indefinitely because I do not see much point in it when another site can do the job better than me or they have sourced information on the ground rather than on the Internet.
My intention, as this time, is to spend more time consolidating the popular, core pages on PoC and expand on them where I can and, also, present them in a slightly more visible manner so the website becomes about these core pages. PoC is strong on the wild cat species and ancillary matters surrounding them, particularly conservation. This website is also quite strong on essays for students, which present information in a simplified and reusable manner which is digestible to anybody. These are examples only. There are other pages that are visited often.
PoC has always been very much rooted in reality. It is not a website which consistently paints a pretty picture of what is going on in the domestic and wild cat world. Most of the popular cat websites tend to focus on the nicer aspects of the domestic cat world. For me, this is not entirely satisfactory because it does not tell the entire story. In addition, we have to ask ourselves what is more important; to entertain ourselves with nice cat stories or address important welfare issues surrounding domestic, feral and wild cat species. I have always been more interested in the latter but the public, in general, is more interested in the former.
What I’m saying in a roundabout way is that PoC is not doing as well as it could have done if I had focused purely on entertainment rather than real and important issues notwithstanding that they are sometimes a little unpleasant and described by one visitor as “negative”. I don’t mean to be negative in my writing. I love to be positive but personally I find it difficult to write about anything other than the real issues. This is a personal trait which I cannot avoid.
Therefore, at least for the time being, I will be writing a little less while spending more of my time consolidating the website with the intention of making it more like an encyclopaedia about the domestic, feral and wild cat species. This does not mean I will not be writing news stories and such like because I still enjoy doing it. The site will be published for the foreseeable future. There is no intention to alter anything other than how new content is added.
I will always welcome articles by others especially about their personal experiences so please come forward if you would like to write for this website. In addition, I always like comments which allow people to express their opinions and pass on their personal experiences. Please continue to do so.
Thank you, too, for all your great comments and contributions to date.
Michael, I’m wondering if these two things might help with your website standing:
1) Becoming an affiliate for cat related products. (Even if you don’t make much money, your site would be seen and clicked on by people who may not see if otherwise.)
2) Posting as a guest on other cat related sites. Again,
more exposure, more hits, higher ranking.
These two things would increase exposure to benefit everyone.
I like the name “Panorama of Cats”, and it keeps the POC initials.
Correct, Sandra. The name is misleading.
Some years ago, Michael considered a name change for the site and asked us to submit suggestions.
My opinion is that the best suggestion, “Panorama of Cats” submitted be Ruth AKA was the best.
Perhaps Michael will consider a name change again.