Monday 11 August 2008

Sweeping The Cobwebs Away



I'm aware that of late, I have not been an exemplorary blogger...

Firstly, this blog has, by own admission descended into unsystemised chaos in terms of following any kind of schedule. The nearest we have to any kind of scheduling is Sunday night is liklely to be on Music, but the tight and regular scheduling that once existed has kind of...

disintegrated...

Series start, then drop off. Or start again in a few months.

And worst, I should be getting an award for the lousiest commentor known to blogging.

I could stand here and plead a lot of lame excuses.

One of which... well, no need to go into that. It's not an excuse any more :)

And the others? Well, they're mostly pretty lame.

So I have decided to at least TRY to have some kind of method to the general madness that is this blog, as once was the case.

From now on, one can expect the basic schedule to follow this pattern.

Monday- Subject to be debated, new poll in the sidebar to be voted on. We had this before but it- lapsed.

Tuesday- I think this probably a good day for personal posts. Life reminiscences, observations etc.

Wednesday- Keep free for anything immediately relevant. Or failing that, who knows? Could be anything.

Thursday- I'm hoping to make this a permanent guest post slot. But as things stand, that puts too much of a burden on existing co-authors (One every four weeks). A couple more volunteers, maybe???

Friday/Saturday, depending on circumstances- More time to write, so expect this to be kept free for series that could go on for weeks.

Sunday- Music/Film etc.

I think this is a good working plan, though of course, it's only a guideline. I'm not going to treat it as binding, should something pop up out of the blue that really gets my muse going on something completely different.

As regards blog visiting, admittedly, as I say, not really been a very good visitor lately. I intend to be a bit more organised about this. And find some new blogs as well.

And this ironically, brings me to the next bit of the post...

By a bitter irony, Cherie has awarded me this award for being a supercommentor. I can only guess Cherie measures this on quality, not quantity, and though I feel a trifle disingenuous accepting an award for something others far exceed me at- it gives me the chance to reward some exemplorary bloggers in terms of commenting.

What makes a good blogger?
Good posts?

Yes, but good comments too.

As I say in my comments section, the post is the subject, the comments the object. The post says what I think. The comments say what you think.

So, in deciding who I think is a supercommentor, the real question for me, is this.

Do your comments actually make me think about what you've said, return back to the post, and then formulate a response which shows a two-way dialogue is in existence vis a vis the subject of the post?

And that, I think, is the key to being a supercommentor.

Coming to a blog to engage in two way discussion, not just leave a one liner to show you've read it (sitemeter tells me that bit).



Now two exceptional commentors in this regard have to be Eve and jmb. But Cherie already awarded them.

So...

The Magnificent seven...

First up, has to be Crashie. Always a ray of sunshine.

Second up, I'm going to nominate Princess Pointful. A genuine Princess of the blogosphere who leaves pointful comments and must do some serious reading on her blogging journey, because she usually reads three posts at a time.

Thirdly, Helen, because her comments are pure gold dust, well thought through and often show a perspective one hadn't thought of. Helen is a thinker. I like that.

Fourth, X-dell, because he always pretty much has something to say. On a blog like this, which covers a multitude of sins, that takes some doing, I guess.

Fifthly, Nunyaa, because she is just a good visitor, period. And cheery with it, which is nice.

Sixth, is obviously Sparsely Kate, because she is always friendly and always seems to come across as smiling.

And Seven? Well the point about this award is it's for commentors. Good commentors.

So I'm actually giving it to someone who has no blog to display it on, but seems to be part of the family here these days- the mysterious Moggs Tigerpaw...

Moggs, you need to get a blog. So you can display your award on it :)

Right, well, I think that's pretty much everything said...

Oh yes, General Global Strike 2025.
Need to get that campaign rolling.

I have a few other ideas I'd like to get off the ground in the next year or so, but more will be revealed in time.

Oh, and last of all...

This week's big issue.

We did have an opinion poll on voting intentions round about this time last year.

So I thought we'd see if things had changed.

Who do you think would make the best PM?
Options in the poll in the sidebar.

Can I just take this opportunity to say I hope that soon Mutley will be able to take comments moderation down.
It's sad when a blogger feels he/she should have to do this to preserve their blog from unwanted visitors.

Well, I hope to be able to keep to the schedule outlined and hope it gives you an idea what to expect here in the future.
I hope those of you with an award reward those most deserving.

And I hope you all think carefully about which of the four choices on offer are the best man to lead this nation kicking and screaming into the twenty first century.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

You never fail to surprise me Crushed, I have been absent off and on for while now, but when I return I see this, thank you :) I had to vote for Mutley as PM btw lol .

Anonymous said...

Not surprising. I'm just wordy. Hypergraphia, don't you know.

Actually, blogging tends to go in and out of rhythms. It's difficult to keep up with the same intensity all of the time. And since there are no deadline pressures, slacking off every now and then becomes sensible. I say post when you want to. Don't post when you don't want to.

I can tell you have a lot to say. Most of us are in for the long haul, however. We'll be here for you to get it all out.

Anonymous said...

> Firstly, this blog has, by own admission descended into unsystemised chaos in terms of following any kind of schedule
One only recognizes chaos if one can visualize order. I'd never have thought of planning posts according to the day (although it doesn;t seem a difficult thought). I think I must have a pretty randomized mind...hehe

< As I say in my comments section, the post is the subject, the comments the object.
Very well said. *thoughtful*

Mogs has an interesting name and profile... would be nice to see more, like if she took up your offer to blog ;-)

> It's sad when a blogger feels he/she should have to do this to preserve their blog from unwanted visitors.
That one seems to be my fault (since he said I'm one of them). Sorry bout that, Crushed :-)

Anonymous said...

Great post!!




...oh alright I am rubbish at comments. And I dont have any system at all I just post when I have the time and energy. Sometimes I am a good blog visitor, sometimes not.

Anonymous said...

A plan, good. But you know what they say, life happens while you are making plans. Just go with the flow.
I think you deserve the supercommenter award because you always answer your own own commenters well, with politeness and at length. There are many who could take a leaf out of your book. Golly two, or even three clichés in one comment. I'll be losing my award.

Anonymous said...

Actually, when I followed the link to Cherie, I did not get the award anyway, it was for the one above, Brilliant Blog. Need glasses do we?

Anonymous said...

Why thank you Crushed. I am touched, and just a little flattered (however this does not guarantee I will put out for you)

An award for commenting. I do feel a bit of a fraud though, as all I do is respond to what you wrote, sometimes disagreeing at that.

I have thought of doing some bloggy stuff, but I figure it is a lot easier to respond to a post that to write one. JMB even kindly offered to host anything printable I could come up with. Mostly though it is just that I spend what little spare time I might have used for blogging in sl instead.

I am not sure you need to organise yourself to the point where you do stuff on given days… Like, “I always wear a puce short sleeved shirt and have cornflakes for breakfast on Wednesdays…”

Keep the spontaneity but harness some of the chaos.

I like the ‘mysterious’ It conjures images of a slightly dangerous femme fatale who moves in the shadows... Maybe a svelte, sexy, nimble nemesis of evil. I shall do my best to think of myself as ‘The Mysterious Moggs’ from hence forward.

Eve thank you.

Oh, I voted for Mutley, but if I am honest, will probably actually vote for whoever has the best chance of getting the current government out of power and is marginally less awful.

Anonymous said...

I am way to disorganised to keep up with that sort of schedule!

I like your choices and agree that Moggs needs a blog :-)

Anonymous said...

Nunyaa- Call it precognition, then :)

Hope you had a good break!
And were good!
Or at least careful...

I think Mutley might win by a landslide...

X-dell- There's something to be said for a certain consistency. I'm my own worst critic when I dislike a post. Very occasionally I pull them completely, and I think so far there are about ternty odd more posts in drafts than there are in published.
At times I'm tempted to go back and edit past posts, etc, but I feel almost that is too much like mutability of the past.

Yes, I think I'm in for the long haul now. One way or another there will be at least six posts a week here.

Eve- I started to use this as a basic template schedule last year, but it kind of- well, it slipped.

I just think in the long run it actually makes it easier for me. You must remember in my head, I'm way ahead of schedule, postwise. I usually have several unwritten posts in my head, so simply organising when I post them, gets me in to the pub earlier of a night time.

I don't think it's your fault at all, no.

I do have an opinion.

Mutley- Your comments here have often shown a very different, thinking Mutley, which has sometimes been almost moving- it's nice sometimes to see you drop the mask a little.

I try to set aside a regular time slot to post- obv on weekends its a floating timeslot. Though sometimes, keeping that time slot means I get less time to visit.

jmb- Yes, going with the flow is good. As I say, its a fluid schedule, but its best to have a framework to work round.

I do try answer commentors on every point they make, if I can, simply because I think it's not only polite, but in fact, part of the point of posting, is to get other views on something. I probably spend as much time answering comments as do writing the posts- after all I know what I'm writing for the post, answering comments needs more thought.

Ah well. Help yourself to the award then. My bad :)

Moggs- Well, bland agreement isn't strictly speaking the object. I think there is a huge wide plain of debating land between the forests of agreements and the swamps of the offensive troll- and I hope that is where the average reader is to be found- otherwise I might as well write comments to myself.

Well, if you want to do the occasional guest post, let me know I'll send you an invite.

It won't be that rigid- it's really just a guideline. But I think the basic principles are a good idea.

You can't vote the current government out- it's like Chelsea football club- it has two first teams, they just have different coloured rosettes.

CherryPie- Well, it will be rolled out slowly and not overly rigidly. It's meant to be a structure, not a set of rules. And anyway, rules are made to be broken. :)

She does.

Anonymous said...

Try not to serialise.

If you can't get it in one post don't write it. This is simply because it puts too much pressure on you and readers might not pick up the thread later which would be a shame.

Anonymous said...

I was close not to commenting just to make a statement that u chose the wrong blogger ;)

but thanx crushed!!!

Anonymous said...

Thank you crushie!! I was rather chuffed to think that you appreciate my comments and that I have a smile on my face....I do try and be a cheery sort and not leave mean comments around the place. :)

Anonymous said...

E-K- On the occassions when I've done it, I've always provided backlinks.

They're often more for my benefit than anything else- with the ultimate objective that one day, all being well, it can be used as material for the book I want to write.

Crashie- :) As you say, why be difficult when you can be impossible?

It would be hardly be in keeping with your stalking duties though...

Kate- Sunshine is good- it turns the trolls to stone...:)

I picture you as the sort who'd never forget to offer someone a cup of tea :)