Because the Surly One had a go at me for missing out on the archaeology –
Archaeologists in Greece say they are examining the largest underground tomb ever found in the country.
UPDATE: Ack! Why did no one tell me the align on the picture made the front-page go all wiggly and ugly! Oooh dear, wish I’d caught that sooner…
You know when your blog is taking over your life when, as you are going to the grocery store, you are mentally composing a post, and you suddenly find you are halfway down the highstreet with no recollection of how you got there.
Yes, I walked right past Somerfields today, and didn’t even notice for a good two or three minutes.
It’s been an eventful week all told, for both blogging and personal reasons.
Now that I’ve got all that out of the way, on with the Sunday Roast:
Well, this is one less blog I have to check now – Russell Beattie has turned off comments. Now, all fairness to the guy, he’s lain out his reasons for turning off comments, and they are good reasons. I don’t have to deal with the volume of comments he does, so I don’t know how much hassle it might be. But, at the same time, part of what makes blogging worth putting up with the word ‘blogging’ is the fact it is a conversation. Two way communication, not one-way broadcast. Quite often, most of the fun happens in the comments. It’s not a hard-and-fast rule of mine, but if I stumble across a blog without comments, it makes me think twice about if it is really worth my time. This one, sadly, didn’t make it for me. Bye Russell 🙁
Following up on that, Darren asks if a blog without comments is still a blog? The answer for me is yes, it is still a blog (a blog being really just the back-end publishing system), but it is probably not a blog I want to read.
And now I feel sorry for the poor chap – Russell Beattie is drowning in a flood of nay-sayers after turning off comments. As he points out, it’s his blog, we should stop telling him how to run it.
Darren has a sobering reminder about the dangers of the Internet and stalking.
Full Circle has a great piece on ‘right speech’ and how it can facilitate dialogue. This sums up perfectly the philosophy I try to live my day to day life by, let alone how I try to act when I comment online. Note the word ‘try’ in that sentence…
I… I have nothing to say to this. Other than it foils half the fun of sleeping bags – having races with your brother to see who can hop quickest round the caravan awning. SELK’BAG Sleeping Bag – Gizmodo
GoogleBooks has fallen off my radar somewhat of late, but the bru-ha-ha is still going on.
Is the robots.txt file confusing ten kinds of crap out of you? Worry no more, because it’s Google to the rescue!
As a blogger and long-time student of all things online, this recent BBC article says nothing new exactly. It does, however, point to a slight shift away from the standard ‘blogs are evil’ stance of much traditional media. An interesting read.
TechCrunch has a preview of 3Bubbles, a dojamyflip that will add the ability to have realtime chat on blog posts. Tingle time again!
And Stowe has a bit more about 3Bubbles. Exciting.
I stumbled across
Go people, read her site, and glory in the wonders you will find therein.
And, just in case all that isn’t enough for you, there’s always the leftovers and assorted other fun bits to keep you occupied.
I’m a nice person. It’s official.
How important is it to you to know a little something about who is writing the blog you are reading? Am in the only one who reads the ‘about’ page automatically when I stumble across a new blog? In fact, it was a problem with his about page that got me talking to Josh in the first place. I am constantly tweaking my own, trying to second guess what potential readers might want to know, and what will make me sound interesting/intriguing enough to make them subscribe (or at least bookmark me for future browsing when they’re bored).
I found a site the other day – the author’s comment on another blog I read caught my eye, so I went clicky-clicky and liked what I saw, but… I find myself wanting at least something on an about page. From just reading posts, I have worked out he is a he, and I *think* he is UK based. That’s it. It’s added an extra dimension to reading his posts now. I can slowly piece together little bits till I know more. Reading someone’s blog can be a very intimate experience and… I think getting to know this author is going to be fun (in a non-stalker type way, I assure you). Still, if the first post I read hadn’t been the one it was, but the one before, I doubt I would have stayed around. Luck of the draw.
I’m not saying that the presence of an ‘about’ page would make me more likely to stay when content doesn’t grab me, but I can think of several instances when I’ve given a blog the benefit of the doubt because it looks like the person could have something interesting to say, even if they’ve not said it yet.
I can think of one site that recently linked to me in a very complimentary fashion. The site styled itself as a ‘blog’ with multiple authors, yet there was no about page – either setting the goals of the blog, or telling me about the individual authors. Added to that, all the writers strove for a impersonal style. Whilst there’s nothing wrong with that per se, it makes it a deal harder to pick apart who’s saying what, and to form valid opinions of their ideas.
In this age of splogs, an ‘about’ page can be a valuable clue. Not that it is a sure-fire test – there’s nothing to stop a sploger putting some fake blurb – but it is one extra piece of the puzzle. If a site fails to have an about page, I find myself asking what they are trying to hide.
It doesn’t have to be much, but I like there to be something. Something telling me about the person writing. Something telling me about why they write. Something telling me about their credentials… Something. Something that makes them not a faceless corporation or nameless scribe. Part of the beauty of blogs for me, and why I read them, is that they are personal.
Given the prevalence of blogs and websites out there, it’s hard enough to grab potential readers attention. I find that putting personality into posts is the best way to grab my attention. If I wanted straight news I’d go to a newspaper. I come to blogs for the news filtered through individual perceptions.
As a writer your voice is unique. Let it shine. And let me see something about you. I’m not saying give me your whole life story – but a little something to make you stand out from the crowd would be nice.
So, dear readers, do you read ‘about’ pages? What do you expect or want from them? Does their absence make you think twice about a blog if you weren’t sure in the first place? Do you prefer blogs where the personality of the writer shines through, or more impersonal unbiased blogs/sites? I’m genuinely curious here.
(If you’re one of those people who reads something and hears the authors voice as they read it, please bear with me whilst I sound incredibly croaky. I’m not just hoarse – I’m the entire bloody farmyard right now.)
Yesterday RIB got himself a special badge because he named the penguin (Mr Flibble, in case you missed the announcement).
Today I would like to welcome one more Minion to the fold – Josh. Whilst he’s a relative newcomer to Bright Meadow, he’s put in sterling works in the comments, and has forwarded on to me some very thought provoking articles, more than one of which has found its way into the weekly ‘Roast. Oh, and he’s made me smile on more than one occasion, which is always a plus.
Congratulations Josh – I would like to award you with your Minion Button, your place in the Blog Minion Hall of Fame, and this virtual cup of tea. 
Now go, take your button out into the world and proudly proclaim to one and all your Minion-hood!
Endnotes:
*1*For those new to Bright Meadow, Blog Minions are the special people who bring something back to the conversation. I adore all my readers equally, even you lurkers who never say anything – my Minions are the people who make it that little bit easier to bring you Bright Meadow 🙂 If you want to find out how to be a Blog Minion, or who is a Blog Minion already, simply go to the Blog Minion Hall of Fame.
*2* And no, it isn’t a derogatory term. I mean it in a nice way.
The polls are now closed. I hope everyone who wanted to managed to get their vote in on time.
First, the runners-up (in reverse order) are:
It brings me great pleasure to announce the winner of the Name That Penguin competition.
Drum Roll Please!
The Bright Meadow Penguin is now called…
Mr Flibble.
I’ll leave RIB to explain the full meaning behind the name (if he wants to), but for me it brings back many happy memories from the Terisia and Castle of Fun days over at WotC.
It’s a great name RIB, and it gives me great pleasure to present to you this special button:
What you do with it now, well, that’s up to you. I just felt the naming needed some recognition 🙂
Thank you everyone who voted and took part. Now will everyone please stand up, say hello to Mr Flibble, and make him feel at home.
