well said

Hi Cheryl, This is a blog post post, not an article by a reporter. Our blog platform is open to all business owners and community members alike.

Hi Cheryl, yes, you may post your bake sale on Patch on our events calendar. And our announcement section is open for readers to post information, as well.

Reposting your last comment, I hit delete instead of reply (I apologize): "So Kelly, if I hold a bake sale in my front yard I can post it on Patch? Or if I have a broken-down bicycle I can try to get rid of it on Patch? I don't think so. You have scads of "professionals" creating "articles" that are really all about promoting their business interests, and I think that readers of Patch should view them as what they are: advertisements. And thank you, Lori, for your support."

Keli, for my bake sale do I get my own article like Cece Shatz has done for at least 20 advertisements on Patch?

Hi Cheryl, yes, all blog posts appear the same way on the site, though it may not always appear on the home page. Blogs are labeled as "Local Voices" at the top of the post to differentiate them from articles posted by staff editors and/or freelance reporters. Blog posts that are not found on the home page can be found under the "Local Voices" tab at the top of the page. Bloggers are not paid, not do they pay to post blogs on the site. The platform is free to use for anyone who would like to share their views, expertise, business insights, etc. just as they might on other blogging platforms such as Tumblr or Wordpress. Bloggers are welcome to publish posts on Patch as often or as little as they'd like, which is why some bloggers' posts are seen more frequently on the site than others. If you would like to submit a blog post, follow this link to get started, it's quick and you can post right away: http://stpete.patch.com/blog/apply

Keli, what are the qualifications for getting on the front page other than knowing Linda or some other person aligned with Patch? That's a real question, not a hypothetical one. I look forward to your answer.

Sure, Bobby.

Bobby, try it and see what happens, if anything. Then report back to the readers of Patch.

So what is it, Keli? Can I post my front-yard bake sale and can pikehunter get a business added or not? What exactly are the qualifications for advertising items of a commercial nature on Patch? Is it some kind of good-old-boy/girl network, or can ANYONE in the community post on Patch, whether they're homeless or mayor of the city? I think that Patch makes up the rules as they go along.

Hi, pikehunter. Sorry you had a delay. Reach out to me directly and I can help. My email is Chris.Taylor@Patch.com. I'll be happy to send you my cell phone number if that's easier.

Chris, you are being disengenuine by pretending that pikehunter "had a delay." You're covering up for the fact that some people's advertisements are posted and other's aren't.

Chris, why did you offer pikehunter your cell phone number but you did not offer it to me?

Hi cherylwithac. I'm sorry you're upset. You are welcome to blog about anything you like on Patch. You, or anyone can just go to this link: http://stpete.patch.com/blog/apply and get started. I'll be happy to assist if you run in to any issues.

If I can help in any way, please feel free to email me directly: Chris.Taylor@Patch.com.

Chris, you didn't answer my question. Does Patch at least pay better than McDonald's for recent "journalism" grads? Don't you feel duped by the university that graduated you?

Hi cherylwithac. Cece is a positive and remarkable speaker on Divorce. And it amazes me to read you post. She has a terrific support group and a radio show helping others. Life is about helping others especially in a time of need. Thank you Cece and Patch for promoting positive and helpful links. I know Cece personally and she is not using Patch as her free advertisement as she has a radio show she can advertise in a broader area. She is posting to help others in this time as we all are struggling with some type of issue through the holidays. Cece and My Friends Connect are a wonderful support group that helps one another cope with many kinds of loss during the holidays and everyday life. This article was to remind anyone feeling loss that they are not alone. Holidays are hard enough without feeling alone or troubled. So before you judge maybe research what it is that you feel so strongly about before you voice any negativity. She has been through many hours of schooling and has been there in real life. Maybe to you this is over posting/advertising. But to us that are readers and members of her support group. Many thanks to this awesome lady and her valient efforts, we are not alone this holiday season and yes we do have alot to be thankful for. Thank you Cece and Patch for allowing us to see that small glimmer of hope in this busy and forgotten time. We all need a little support once in a while. Thank you!!!!

Chris, what happened to pikehunter? I have yet to see that he's been given an entire article like Cece has been given. Or did Cece pay for her space, and if that's true, why won't you just reveal what is going on with Patch?

Bobbie, to me it's over people who post "articles" (e.g., Cece) that are really attempts to further their business prospects. I personally would be wary of someone like Cece who purports to "help" people. I would like to know Cece's credentials. Does she have a Ph.D. in psychology, or is she just someone who has set herself up as an "expert" in grief? My guess is the latter. Jim Jones had followers, too, and they all drank the poisoned Kool-Aid when he set himself up as some sort of spiritual leader. Be careful who you follow.

Thanks, David. I'm glad you're enjoying Safety Harbor Patch. Jeff and his team are amazing. If I can ever be of an help to you, please let me know.

David, what is "tacky, bad taste or bad form" is for Patch to post advertisements in the guise of journalism. Now, if Patch wants to notify readers which articles are paid advertisements (as newspapers do) and which articles are journalism, I'd be fine with that--but Patch continues to blur the line. That's NOT okay.

David, opinions and thoughts are different than commercial advertisements.

Jeff is no doubt as wet behind the ears as all of the other amateurs who run Patch.

David, thank you for noting that you meant Cece who is "tacky" and has "bad taste or bad form" and not me.

Bobby, let me know if and when Patch ever allows you to post anything but a brief post. When you are provided an entire article like Cece Shatz has been allowed at least 20 times, please let me know. Of course you can post in response to an article. The question is who is provided with real space and who is not? So far, you have not and Cece has. I'd like Patch to explain the answer as to who has real access and who does not.

If Cece is paying for her advertisements, I'd like for Patch to notify readers that they're advertisements and not journalism (as valid newspapers do). But so far, Patch continues to blur the line. My question: ARE ADVERTISERS PAID BY PATCH, AND IF SO, WHY WON'T PATCH TELL READERS WHICH POSTS ARE ADVERTISEMENTS AND WHICH POSTS ARE JOURNALISM???

David, I was likely reading your blogs as you were writing that comment. I like the wide range of topics you're writing about on Patch. I was reading your posts about the Bucs blackouts and the list of things we can learn from our dogs. Wag more, bark less. Nice.

True blogs are great. Advertisements (i.e., Cece's posts) are not.

David I love your blogs too! We can tell you are having a great time and I greatly appreciate your efforts. Thanks again for the support David!

Cece, David's blogs are a whole different animal than your advertisements that are intended not to help other people but to promote yourself.

Cece, your article was clearly intended to help yourself, not others. Please be honest with yourself and the readers of Patch rather than blaming me for your bad judgment in posting a sad missive under the guise of helping others.

Cece, keep doing your thing--- you go girl. we need more positive messages like this one... loved the advice and sound wisdom. now if you want to see an advertisement checkout www.inspiretampabay.com

Right on, sister!

Thank you to Cece for her blog, which by its very nature is an expression of the writer's experience or opinion. I do not know her, nor do I have a need for her services, but I welcome her insight based upon her background and work history. To me, it makes perfect sense that a blog about life experiences would be written by someone who works in this field. It's no different than today's fishing blog written by a boat captain or the blog discussing "Brain Drain" that is written by the owner of Bailey's Naturals Herbal Apothecary. People write about what they know. It adds credence to their essay. If I read a blog and feel the writer is knowledgeable about their topic, I look at it as an opportunity to learn something. I may even decide to schedule a fishing charter with Captain Bill or drop by Bailey's Naturals to pick up some fish oil based on the information they shared in their blog. It may be considered advertising by some; but it is probably more accurately described as public relations since there is no call to action in the blog and the blogger does not pay for its posting. Either way, it should be clear to most that a blog is not a news article.

I have to admit I'm having a difficult time relating to cherylwithac's aversion to this blog and her attack on Patch's ethics and the credentials of its journalists. Personal attacks only serve to make the attacker appear callow.

Lori, your ignorance and naivete amaze me. I asked for Cece's credentials long ago, and the only information that I received from her brother and friend is that she's a great person. That is not a credential. I want to know what she studied, where, and the degree that she earned. Without that information, I can only assume that she might be like Jim Jones, whose followers drank the Kool-Aid. They thought that he was a really fine fellow, too, until the moment they died. We always need to be wary of self-appointed gurus, and since Cece has set herself up as an expert on grief, I want to know her credentials, if any. So far, she has not responded as to her bona fide credentials to get a front-page article on Patch except that Cece used to work for Patch. That's cronyism, not a credential.

I meant Valerie, not Lori. And I have yet to hear from pikehunter, who would like the opportunity to publish a front-page advertisement as Cece has done.

Wow cherylwithac. Remarkable that you have nothing nice to say about Cece. How do you know her and why are her posts so offensive to you??? What is wrong with you??? Yes suicides do go up!!!! We have lost a family member to suicide so you need to back off!!! This posting of yours is uncalled for!!! You should be ashamed of how you are carrying on..If what you see on Patch bothers you so badly maybe you should not go on it!!! Just a thought...tell Jodi that this isnt the way to go about things ;)...

Bobbie, overall, suicides go up during SPRING, not during the winter holidays. You are also making assumptions about me that are not true. Let's just stick with the topic: whether Patch should post advertisements and pretend that they're journalism. Cece herself is not the issue.

At the risk of further providing a forum for your bitter tirades, cherylwithac, I am neither ignorant nor naive. I am able to read a blog on a website and differentiate it from a news story. I can also determine, based on the comment by Linda Hersey, that Ms. Schatz was a blogger for the St. Petersburg Patch. That does not mean she worked for Patch.
What I am not able to comprehend is why this particular blog or blogger causes you such angst. I'm beginning to believe you have a personal reason for attacking Ms. Schatz or anyone else who feels she has a right to share her thoughts on the feeling of sadness that some experience at this time of year.
Ms Schatz offers practical ways for people to become more aware of and thankful for all the good things in our lives. There's nothing radical about keeping a journal or appreciating a beautiful sunrise. In fact, there is nothing whatsoever in this blog that asks anyone to do anything other than to be grateful for their life and have hope for the future. Why would she need to give you her credentials for that? If you want to continue to be angry and spew negativity, perhaps you should start your own blog. In the meantime, I suggest you take a look around you and see where you can help someone in need rather than spending your time attacking others. To repeat Ms. Schatz' ending comment: "May this Thanksgiving holiday be the one which will give you peace in your journey of life!"

Aha--there IS a reason that Cece's articles are posted and others have a hard time getting anything accepted: you personally know Cece. So it seems that to get an article published on Patch, one must personally know someone who works for Patch. THAT IS EXACTLY THE PROBLEM. It's not Cece per se who is the problem; it's Patch's lack of ethical standards. I will no longer view anything on Patch ever again as journalism given that you routinely confuse it with advertisements.

Bobbie, so you're Cece's sister. I'd expect you to support her.

lol

truer words could never have been spoken--- salute!

Bobbie, you've missed the point, which is that Patch indiscriminately posts journalism and advertisements as though they are the same thing. They are not. Cece may be the most wonderful person in the world. That's not the point. The point is that advertisements are not journalism, and Patch has a serious ethical problem presenting them as though there is no difference between the two.

Bobby, you just don't get it. Advertisements are not journalism and should not be published by Patch unless they are labled as advertisements. Also, it appears that to get a front-page advertisement published, you have to be a former Patch member or know someone on Patch. Those are unethical standards.

David, Cece may be the most wonderful person in the world. But that's not the point. The point is that Patch purports to be a journalistic enterprise when it prints advertisements under the guise of journalism. And now we learn from Linda that Cece used to work for Patch, and that's why her advertisements are presented as local news. That's what's wrong with Patch, as I pointed out in my very first post on thie subject. Advertising does not equal journalism.

CeCe:
Liz is absolutely awesome, a woman to be loved. Honored too. I be the far luckier one, tis true! She offered her assistance great in helping heal the many self-inflicted wounds on my lonely and torn apart heart -- took my hand and then led me on a journey to a much brighter day. Tis true! Each day in wonderment, I marvel --that one person could be filled with so much goodness, kindness and capacity to care. If I were a "miner for a heart of gold" then when meeting Liz I really hit the motherlode, tis true! And now you know why too, that, I love her so -- because she knows. Tis true!

Hope you liked my ode to Liz, she is a truely a special woman. She likes my ability to have lots of fun and see the humor in any situation. Granted, sometimes; too soon? I've taken to saying "life is good, it's too good." --The past is the past is the past, the living is for the now, the trick is to live the now right so the future takes care of itself-- <>David Conkle<> :--} Roger wilco, over and out!

Why are they catching guys named John in Clearwater? Is that now against the law too? How many John's did they catch? Were they beaten or tortured just because of their name? This is outrageous, I'm contacting my State Representatives immediately!