Can I make a confession, here?If I turned around and said “I’ve got two of them, you know,” you’d want to know what on Earth I was on about, wouldn’t you?Just for the sake of clarity, if nothing else! So Iʼll be frank, I’m talking about Blogs, rather than anything else. Which has possibly left you none the wiser, hasnʼt it? Iʼd better explain ...You see, blogs — ʻblogʼ is short for web-log, so you know — are basically an online diary: but usually one that doesnʼt necessarily stuck to the basic facts of what its writerʼs done at work, or had for dinner.They also tend to be themed. They’re about something.And I happen to think theyʼre some of the most powerful things on the net.»»·««Now ...These are fairly recent things, blogs.After all, I only started my first one — Nik Nak’s Old Peculiar — back in September of 2008.Mostly as a way of advertising the pub quizzes I was running at the time.I figured starting a blog would be a handy cheap advert for the quizzes, AND giving other pub quiz masters the questions I’d used — after Iʼd finished with them. I’d noticed there was a SERIOUS lack of freely availably quiz-question for others who, like me, were on a budget, and needed checkable questions they could copy, paste and print out.It was also a handy way for the winners and losers to see their names in lights, even if the actual prizes werenʼt stunning.But my original one has sort of evolved over the years: after all, itʼs now covering the films I and my friends have managed to catch, albums Iʼve listened, the ODD bit of technical stuff, the state of the local roads, AND some of my favourite TV shows.Which is what lead to my second blog, I should warn you: An old friend, Grub, and I, recently started Nik Nak & Grubʼs Who Peculiar. Mostly to give ourselves the chance to air our opinions about our favourite TV show: and about any other bits of interesting science-fiction that happens to come our way.Geeky, I know, and the Who Peculiar has a lot of competition. But my word, itʼs fun, if only for the arguments about punctuation, and the exact placing of an ellipsis…»»·««Now, I said, earlier, that blogs are important?Yes, I think they are.Now, Iʼll admit, my two blogs are relatively trivial: unless youʼre looking for a source of quiz questions — I post a free 60-question set every Friday — want a brain teaser — the Daily Teaser gets posted first thing in the mornings, and my regular commentors keep coming back for more — or two armchair critics talking about their favourite shows or DVD releases.But Iʼm also very aware that blogs, and bloggers, come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and covering all sorts of areas.From the assorted fan sites, arts and crafts blogs, celebrity blogs — Stephen Fryʼs is VERY good — through to various causes — Rethink has a very good multi-author one on mental-health, as an example — and various current event ones and the political.But one thing that many of these blogs have in common ... ? Is that many of them are written by the likes of us.Whatever our reasons for writing a blog — showing off a recipe, talking about the match, or just asking tons of silly questions — we have something to say.And given that starting a blog is as easy as accessing Facebook? We have the perfect place to say it.
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Wednesday, 7 December 2011
Reader Writers … !
3 comments:
I love it when someone comments. But, having had anonymous comments I feel may be libellous, actionable or just plain offensive, over the years?
I’d appreciate you* leaving your name — with a link to your website or social-media profile†, for preference — before you post a comment.
Should you choose to use a pseudonym/name, I’d appreciate it if that name were to be polite and inoffensive. I’d rather you kept it clean, and relatively grown up. Comments left with a pseudonym will be posted at my discretion: I really prefer a link.
Contentious, actionable or abusive posts left anonymously will not be posted. Nor will comments using offensive pseudonyms or language, or that are abusive of other commenters.
Thank you.
* I know many value their online privacy. I respect that. But hope you respect my wish to see who’s commenting on my blog: and my wish for you to introduce your self to me, and to your fellow commentors.
† Your Facebook, X/Twitter, Blogger, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn profile are acceptable. I also like seeing folks webpages.
I think the picture has been air brushed to make you look "Slim".
ReplyDeleteTrevor
Oh, I wish, Trevor … !
ReplyDeleteBig congrats! :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd you did a nice job of writing the article. Well done! :)