Many of you know Joel Cheesman and his blog Cheezhead.com (no, not a Green Bay Packer fan site). Many of you also know that the site is either shuttering the whole shebang or significantly altering its content at some point. For almost four years, it has been a daily, can’t miss read for myself. So as ERE and HR Tech came and went without hearing news and analysis from the Head Cheese himself, I started to wonder who is ready to step into this large hole he has left behind. A couple of ideas:
- Traditional Media Backed Blogger – I don’t know how traditional media can ignore the gap in coverage and how they could step in with a legitimate blogger on the subjects Joel covered and dominate the space. Of course, some of the appeal with Cheezhead was that it wasn’t a traditional product.
- RecruitingBlogs.com – Jason Davis has built a powerhouse of a community with a built in audience. Could a writer fill the gap left and still keep the independent corner that traditional media might not be able to sell?
- ERE – Fresh off their acquisition of SourceCon, could they aim to take over the space? Again, they have a built in community and a different set of voices that could lend itself well.
- You – Someone out there right now could be the one. Maybe they are thinking about starting a blog. Maybe they have one and they want to expand. In any case, their story could be similar to Joel’s. Start a small blog and watch it grow.
I left out one possibility: nobody. Maybe nobody can fill his shoes and we all end up sitting around a couple years from now wondering when we’re going to see the next Cheezhead like we sit around and wonder when we’re going to see another Michael Jordan.
On second hand, maybe I should have picked someone else to compare him to for all of our sakes.
But that is a distinct possibility: someone brings in talents so unique to a community that emulations fall short after they exit.
Who do you see filling out Cheezhead’s shoes? Anybody on the horizon that we should be aware of? And maybe the most important question: Was Cheesman a part of the trade that brought Shaq to Cleveland from Phoenix? Is he part of what Phoenix gets back in return?
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve been wondering that myself. It will be interesting to see if someone steps up. It would make a nice addition to some of the established blogs out there, I think.
Lance,
Joel is irreplaceable – will a lot of people try? Yes – but a lot of us have grown up in this industry watching him…not sure if someone can just jump in and replace that…
I have a feeling that the ERE’s, RecruitingBlog.com’s and others in the blogosphere will ALL participate in his ‘replacement’. Although his wit and advice may never be truly duped.
Duh, Lance, it’s you.
Good comments. Everyone but Laurie may be right about this one
“(no, not a Green Bay Packer fan site)”
Ahem. I take umbrage to that remark. (just kidding)
I hope your in-laws give you a good poke for that one.
Here in Oshkosh- CJ McD