Joining the gainfully unemployed

Adam, I'm sorry to welcome you into the unemployed journalists club. Hope you have severance. I'll join the chorus here that says the Globe would scoop you up if they were smart, but I have a feeling you could definitely turn UHub into more of a moneymaker.

I'm sorry Adam, that's terrible. I'll keep a lookout for anything that may look like it'll work.

Good luck turning this into a profitable venture. If anyone can do it I'm sure it's you.

I am so sorry to hear this Adam! It has not been a good time for those of us in the media, and I have to admit I am surprised you got a pink slip of all people. Let's hope we all find work soon... I am hoping for the best.

Sorry to hear about the layoff, Adam! But you're in good company with the rest of us who were laid off!

Adam--

Very sorry to hear the news.

Ross

I truly think you're better off that sinking ship. Hang in there and find something worthy of your talent!

Like so many other folks have commented, this site is just too important not to grow. You have so many dedicated readers who are your biggest fans (OK, your family probably likes you more) and we would do anything to help. As yet another unemployed writer of many many years, there are freelance writing jobs out there that could keep you busy, but give you enough time to grow this site into a real money maker. My guess is, you have enough traffic to get some big advertisers lined up.

Worry more about you than us as far as creating revenue is concerned. We'll all be OK. But we want you to be OK as well. And just ask if you need anything. Someone out here in UHland will be able to help.

I think there's definitely a business model for a site like UH to provide for a full-timer. If I were in your position, I would absolutely pursue this as your main source of income.

I think you'd have to grow it to be more of a hyperlocal media thing, beyond just the valuable aggregator it is now, but I think your background might be a good fit. I hear that myballard.com (a hyperlocal news site for a Seattle neighborhood) is doing well, might be a model to look at.

I've got more ideas, and some resources, if you ever need to bounce ideas off of anyone, my email address is in this form!

Good luck, Adam!

I'd love to think you could make a living doing UH. You certainly work hard enough at it. Best of luck!

Adam, sorry and stunned to hear this. Thought they'd keep their best folks up to the end, but guess not. But I really do think this will be a good thing in the end, with you winding up in a Real Good Place. It worked out that way for me, and for several others I know who were jettisoned by that mother ship, and we don't have your fan base and loyal network:)

Are you sure it wasn't because you were spending all your time on UH, and not on your real job? Did the IT guys finally sniff enough packets to justify termination?

And to a family member I really like and respect.

You have been so kind to me and mine, please let me know if the little one needs anything.

Adam —

I am so sorry to hear about your layoff. I've always thought that if you could give UH your full-time attention, you could turn it into something people would emulate across the country. But now is not the best time for that.

So, yes, the Boston Globe should hire you as quickly as it can and move Universal Hub onto Boston.com. We all know the Globe is shrinking, but it needs a strategy for the future. If it's not going to have as many reporters, then it's got to offer some intelligent aggregation of what's already out there.

What about it, Globe?

Sorry to hear Adam,

I'll make sure to disable adblock for this site until you find a new job, or UH acquires the globe.

With the way the globe trotting, you might be able to pull that last one off sooner then you think!

Adam,
I am so, so sorry.
We've seen it often enough through the years. And we've actually seen good come of it. I am absolutely sure you're going to fall into Category 2.
But it most assuredly doesn't feel good right now.
Particularly when the message is skills, brains, experience and a good attitude don't equal job security.

Having been through similar experiences (several times), I have been fortunate enough to always eventually land in a better situation than the previous one. So I'm sending my positive thoughts your way. And if I may say, this site is probably the best "resume" you could desire.

Adam,
did you see it coming?! I am so sorry to hear it.
Rhea

So sorry to hear this, Adam! But as many have said, perhaps this is just a blessing in disguise presenting the opportunity to segue your hobby into your means of income. I'm also disabling my ad-blocker for this site; please consider the Amazon link and Paypal suggestions and in the meantime, put your feet up, have an Irish coffee and be glad you at least don't have to commute today in yet another snowstorm. And if there is anything any of us can do, please don't hesitate to put it out there.
From one of your countless loyal readers,
All the best,
Shelly Giordano

So sorry to hear it, Adam! I agree with all the others who think that the Globe/Boston.com ought to scoop you up and fast.

Sorry to hear that.

And, FYI--you're doing a great job here that we all really appreciate. It's hard imagining getting through a day in & around Boston w/o the centralized information you provide . . .

Hang in there!