 | SKIPJACK.NET |
In June, 2002, the Rural Development Center unveiled Skipjack.net (http://skipjack.net), created as "a unique portal to Maryland's Eastern Shore." The website aggregates information and links of particular interest to RDC partners in the tourism and economic development communities. It is also a popular site for a more general audience of people seeking to learn more about the area.
Background:
The use of the internet by both the private and nonprofit sectors for advertising, marketing, and other external and internal communication was relatively slow to take root on Maryland's Eastern Shore. At the turn of the millennium, the Rural Development Center sought to "jumpstart" this development by a) demonstrating the internet's potential for rapid, inexpensive information dissemination and b) supporting the fledgling efforts of select organizations and companies in the region.
With funds provided by USDA Rural Development, the RDC created Skipjack.net. Select organizations and companies were urged to become members of the "Skipjack.net network" to be listed on and linked to Skipjack.net. Those who chose to become network members had their graphic design and hosting services costs underwritten with Rural Development funds. Network members were encouraged to keep their sites up-to-date, and the RDC provided funds for modest improvements to the sites. An editor for Skipjack.net was hired with RDC funds to develop and update the main page, develop and organize additional links, and communicate with network members to encourage and support their efforts. With the introduction of a monthly feature article posted on Skipjack's main page and a monthly e-newsletter to Skipjack.net members announcing the arrival of each month's feature, members were encouraged to return to the main
page regularly and keep their own sites current.
Skipjack.net now exists as a robust and useful compilation of sites and information about the work of the Rural Development Center and those businesses and organizations it has worked to enhance. An archive of high-quality articles with photographs and illustrations about Maryland's Eastern Shore written with an orientation towards those interested in economic and tourism development has been created and is prominently featured on the site (http://www.skipjack.net/article_all.asp). Network member sites (accessed from the main page) are numerous and easy to find. As network members' familiarity with website management matured, some have moved to their own servers and/or developed more complicated sites for which they are taking full responsibility.