My 2 Cents About Blogs

Published on April 26, 2004 By JillUser In Blogging

I have seen a lot of advice given lately regarding what to/not to blog about, when to blog about it, blacklisting, etc. The way I see it, it is your web log. Write about whatever you want whenever you want. If you are going to be knowingly offensive, restrict your audience. The only "don't" is don't put another blogger's name in your title unless it is complimentary.

You might want to take advice from others if you are worried about points, but otherwise, do your own thing. Your blog is your house here on JU. You have to abide by the neighborhood bylaws but other than that, it's your call.

Now, commenting is another story. Since you are then the guest at someone else's house, you need to mind your manners. I tend to stay away from blogs of people I know set me off. It is kind of like blacklisting myself

I try to stick to the subject at hand but have been known to get caught up in defending people that I am in agreement with or people I think are being wrongly attacked. I try to be careful about it and know that the blogger has every right to delete anything I say that isn't on subject or simply rubs them the wrong way.

Well, that's my 2 cents at least. Blog on!

Comments (Page 3)

JillUser

on Apr 27, 2004

I didn't realize until just now that this got featured. I really don't care about points. That is not to say I don't enjoy being in the top ten and getting to hear what others think of me

I don't pay attention to points. I go with my gut and have been enjoying the results.

KarmaGirl

on Apr 27, 2004

Muggaz, to get featured, you just have to write about something that looks like other people would be interested in. There have been many featured articles by people that I have never heard of. I think that Jill gets featured more than some because her articles have substance to them instead if the "journal" type articles that a lot write. Journals are fine, just don't think that they will get featured. You don't have to "stir the pot" to get noticed- you just have to write substance.

And, if you come here to be in the top whatever, that's just wrong. Those lists are there to give new people a starting point, and to easily locate authors and sites that get a lot of traffic. Most of the people in those spots don't even care that they are there.

MasonM

on Apr 27, 2004

Well put Jill

Dan Kaschel

on Apr 27, 2004

I think the tastes of those "high up" are dramatically different than the average person who stumbles upon JoeUser.

~Buddha

Muggaz

on Apr 27, 2004

Insightful Dan...

Karma... I dont know about you, but i am here pretty much every weekday... and it's the same people over and over again... I used to care big time about points, but the little clique that surrounds the owner of the site, have the monopoly of his attention... as the owner it is his right, but if you think the decisions on what is featured is because of what the audience wants to see, rather than what Brad wants to see, you are very naive indeed.

I just blog for the sake of it, and I was happy with the 2 feature articles I have had... I just think there are some that I and many others have written that Brad would have never even looked at because it had a little 'Muggaz' or whoever in the author title... I may be bias, and a touch arrogant, but judging on what I see regular basis from the people i currently read, and the articles i write, they are a damn site more popular and relavant, and even artiscly better than some of the rubbish that gets featured.

Look at me - Sitting at number 8, because I have a regular audience, and I am part of the community, no assistance from Brad at all... do you think I have this audience because I include people in my titles? Do you think I comment too much? I would like to think I have this audience because I am a good writer, and I write about interesting and important stuff... feel free to argue otherwise.. these are just my thoughts on the matter...

This is stupid, because it sound like I care... it's his site, he can do what he wants, I would just like him, and you to realise that what is featured is still purely subjective to his opinion, not what everyone else wants to see...

Maybe you should actually do some looking into this Jill... check who has how many points for what reasons... and then come back to me...

BAM!!!

Muggaz

on Apr 27, 2004

God, dont worry about it... I just looked at the feature page again, and I just realised I am the idiot here.. I am just blogging in the wrong community.. its almost like we are not wanted...

BAM!!!

JillUser

on Apr 27, 2004

Muggaz, who are the "we" who are not wanted? Also, I already stated, I don't care about points and have no advice for anyone who does. Of course what gets featured is up to Brad's opinion. I don't feel I need to get back to you about anything. Maybe you could give me an example of one of your articles you thought should have been featured and I could let you know what I think. Again, it would just be another opinion. If your opinion is you are in the wrong community, I don't have anything to offer you. I like it here.

Muggaz

on Apr 27, 2004

Dont worry Jill.. I didn't expect you to understand anyway...

BAM!!!

wnx_decoy

on Apr 27, 2004

Can you explain for me, Muggaz, what you meant by not being wanted?

Capt. over and out!

Draginol

on Apr 27, 2004

Muggaz - I don't feature personal journal articles normally. Virtually all your recent articles are about you and your various experiences which are great for you but not necessarily something that is really meant to be featured.

wnx_decoy

on Apr 27, 2004

Hey, that might explain it. Now I kinda understand why my favorite articles and/or bloggers don't get featured. Thanks for the insight. I just never though abou tthat for some odd reason.

Capt. over and out!

P.S.~ I guess I'll never get featured then.

Muggaz

on Apr 27, 2004

Ok - whatever... please go through the feature articles and tell me how many of them are related to people personal experiences, If there is not one there, you can personally slam the pie in my face.

I, and many others have written articles that are relevant to the whole community, and they are thought provoking... i.e. Lollypop lady one... and even the Role models one... but yeah, you run the site, so you are ultimately correct whatever my opinion is...

BAM!!!

Muggaz

on Apr 27, 2004

a quick scan counted about 15 in the last 5-6 pages of feature articles....

BAM!!!

Dan Kaschel

on Apr 28, 2004

"a quick scan counted about 15 in the last 5-6 pages of feature articles...."

Just a couple additions:

1) Before the recent upset, most of my articles were (and are beginning to be again) personal experiences either told in such a way as to be interesting or at least relate to other people, or told as a foundation for a concept that I then presented. There are some blogs that would have very little meaning on the feature page, like a "this is how my day went" or a highly personal article from Dharma that regular JoeUsers understand but nobody else would; but many personal articles are written with the intention of being accessible to someone not intimate with the JoeUser community, and I agree with Muggaz in that these articles are perhaps overlooked in favor of technology and political articles.

2) Yesterday, there was an article about a printer on the feature page. A printer. There were 2 comments when I checked last night, and it had been there for a while. It was just common sense to me that about as many people care about a printer that you like as care about a day in the life of the average Joe, littered with occasional colloquisms and JU Jargon. That's a good example of a feature that easily could have been replaced with something more worthwhile- something that wouldn't scare off a potential blogger.

~Buddha

KarmaGirl

on Apr 28, 2004

Reply #35 By: Muggaz - 4/27/2004 9:14:30 PM
Karma... I dont know about you, but i am here pretty much every weekday... and it's the same people over and over again... I used to care big time about points, but the little clique that surrounds the owner of the site, have the monopoly of his attention... as the owner it is his right, but if you think the decisions on what is featured is because of what the audience wants to see, rather than what Brad wants to see, you are very naive indeed.

I think that you are the naive one (or, maybe just ignorant). I know a whole lot about this site. Have you ever looked in my profile? I don't hide my email address. What is the domain? Considering that I have worked with Brad for almost 9 years, I can tell you that he isn't paying attention to a "clique". He didn't grow a company this large by being an elitist.

People don't always comment on things that they read. Don't confuse comments with interest. You would be amazed at how many people are interested in business tools. A fast $1,000 printer is interesting to a lot of people.

By scanning the current articles, I can't see how anyone can say that their are only "favorites" featured. I don't even recognize half the people on the featured page.

But, in the end, if you are here to be "featured" or to be in a "top" list, then you are here for the wrong reasons. This is a *free* blog site put here to allow people to post articles for *free*. It's not a democracy here. You don't have rights since you don't actually *pay* for anything. If the way it is run bothers you so much, go find some other blog site that suits your taste better.

And a better question, can you point out a site that is totally unbiased? Hell, nothing is completely unbiased, it's not possible. I mean, you have Dan here, who hasn't quite figured out the hypocrisy in calling himself Buddha, whom created a fake name, said nasty things, got caught, and now posts "Brad is a God" type crap whenever possible to try and make up for it. Do you not see how transparent that is? Do you think that the owners of this site are even going to bother reading most of your stuff after that type of behavior? You could say "I should get another chance!" Sorry, but that usually doesn't happen in the real world. Is that slightly biased? Probably. But, I think it is also justified. Also, whom *you* see as the common blogger may not be who the common blogger is. Just because a handful of people read your blog (you may see the same names over and over again, but that is only a small fracture of the actual users) does not make those people the "common" blogger.

Bottom line: thinking that you know more about what should be featured than somebody who has been in online communities for almost as long as you have been alive is pretty arrogant. Don't like it here? Nothing stops you from moving on.

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