Last week a coworker of mine sent some links from a new blog called CU Soapbox, brought to the web by Credit Union Journal and Digital Mailer. They use the tagline, “Stand Up and Shout,” and have this description posted on the front of their site:

The CUSoapbox is a new resource for professionals in the credit union industry. Whether its pressing news or a bone of contention, the CUSoapbox is the industry’s sounding board.

The Soapbox has plenty of great content, all being served up by Ron Daly, including a townhall meeting page where visitors can voice their thoughts on recent developments in the financial industry. The goal behind the townhall page is that credit unions and employees in the trenches can grab the attention of CUNA, NCUA and NAFCU with a centralized discussion.

The “CU Journal” Soapbox

As “the industry’s sounding board,” I’d love to see more content from the rest of the industry as well, maybe even including guest posts from individual credit union employees or other figures in the industry. However, comments are flowing in, especially in the town hall discussion section.

Don’t Link It If I Can’t See It

Although I am happy to see more credit union blogs popping up, what frustrates me about the CU Soapbox is their links. Many of Ron’s stories have links to news articles posted on the CU Journal website, but I can’t see those stories. Unlike the CU Times, which has a free online version, the CU Journal requires a subscription (1 year for $129, 2 years for $199) before you get access to their content.

Part of the power of blogs is that the author(s) can link out to a large number of resources that they follow and are interested in, which usually are things visitors have missed or would also be interested. But when you’re linking to content behind a closed door, that link isn’t really providing value.

Final Thoughts

All in all, I am happy to see more people joining the online conversation, something many have been cheerleeding for quite some time. If you haven’t been to the CU Soapbox yet, stop over and sound off. Just remember to keep it clean.