We get this question from time to time, and we would like to think that we created a strong enough business model to be able to answer it. Our one redeeming quality is that we took two words that are often used together and crammed them into one word. Look it up, we invented the word "watercooler." But what about the content? Well, that explanation is not quite as cut and dry.
I decided to tackle this topic now, over a year into our existence, because things might start changing around here. We want to add new audio and video content, and we intend to unleash our Shenanigans on people in the very near future. As a matter of fact, we are pretty damned proud of the potential Shenanigans has to be something everyone can enjoy. I have a strong interest in developing audio stuff like radio serials and short comedy bits, and Craig is having way too much fun writing historic articles that challenge everything people think they know.
But what is Niagara's Watercooler? Initially, it was set up as a place where Craig and I could publish our stuff for you guys to read. Movie reviews, historical articles, and a bunch of stuff Craig writes have become pretty popular. We get thousands of hits every week, and we appreciate it. But at the same time, we know that we could get more attention if we would just stick to one genre or the other. Are we a literary site? No, not really. Are we a news site? The only news we publish is the occasional local public interest story. Other than that, we do not do news. Are we political? We try not to be, but sometimes I cannot help it.
Then there are the live hockey game broadcasts. Are we a sports website? We both love sports, but we only make it a part of what we do. So what are we then? We are an all-purpose website that likes to deliver information but, more importantly, we like to try and get people to think. We realize that the things that are important to us are not necessarily important to everyone, but that does not mean that we cannot put the questions out there and get some people to try and come up with the best possible answers.
We could just break it all down to me and Craig, but there is much more to the Watercooler than just us. Wendy Bacon writes the occasional gardening and home column, and then there is Howie. Trying to explain Howie would mean taking the time to understand Howie, and Howie is a complicated guy. But he is an excellent writer, and we are happy to have him around.
I guess you could say that we are the area's premier sports, opinion, occasional local news, review, and history resource. Although, I am not quite sure how you would put that into a couple of words that would fit nicely at the top of the page.
We continue to explore the things that interest us, and we continue to look for other people who want to share their experiences as well. We have tried a lot of different types of columns and features here, and we will continue to experiment. In the meantime, let us know what you think. What would you like to see on the Watercooler? We would love your input as we rarely hear back from you guys. In the meantime, we hope you keep on enjoying the ride as we figure out exactly what we want to be when we grow up.
George N Root III is a Lockport resident and professional angry old man. Follow him on Twitter @georgenroot3, or send him a message at georgenroot3@gmail.com.