So, why are you here? It's a question I used to ask myself during Plug One's first year of existence, especially when vistors finally began streaming through the site.
I would guess that a slight majority are looking for free downloads, and my site just happens to pop up in their search engines. (In other words, no, I'm not posting a zip file of Flying Lotus' Raw Cartoons.) Others are looking for basic information like Jay-Z or Kanye West's tour dates. Or maybe they've heard about Black Spade's To Serve with Love and want to read some reviews to see if it's any good. (Yeah, it is.)
A few find Plug One through links on Rhapsody (peace to Sam Chennault) and a few other sites, and visit out of curiosity. There are friends who like to stay updated on my work, and music biz folk who come here via a link in a signature on my email. Finally -- and this is the most maddening part -- there are those who visit on a regular basis because they think Plug One is dope. How can I get some more of those people?
I've been doing this long enough to realize that I need all of the above to keep Plug One flourishing. Still, I often wonder how I can increase Plug One's functionality and its artistry. I will never start posting several albums at a time just so I can run up my hit counter and start selling click-through ads. But I'd would like to post some MP3s, videos and other forms of dynamic content. I want people to have fun, not get overstuffed with pretentious essays on the "importance" of true hip hop, blah blah. I still believe that the site's true potential lies in its alternative perspective and its devotion to oft-ignored aspects of the culture, and there's many ways to achieve that without dumbing down the content.
Apologies for thinking out loud. I've been mulling over every aspect of the site, from the news posts, record reviews and Q&A-format interviews to the design and layout. I have begun initiating a lot of changes, many of which you'll see in the next several weeks. I don't want to give too much away, but I can say that I'm pretty excited with what I am preparing for you. Good magazines evolve, and Plug One is no different. And who knows? Maybe I can convince all you geeks searching for an advance copy of the new Madlib/Jackson Conti album to stick around for a while.
As always, I need plenty of writers and artists who want to get down for the cause. Holla at me.
