Blog Poll
First of all, thanks to all the guest bloggers for chipping in. I really enjoyed reading it. And it was a big help. But, what did you think of the variant hive-collective?
Remember, I do this to entertain me, not you.
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August 20th, 2007 at 10:08 am
[…] I actually voted “Not a fan” over at Uncle’s poll, even though I was one of the mentioned guest bloggers, because I’m actually kind of wary of the group blog concept. I’ve seen some people make the transition from solo to group pretty well, but I’ve seen other blogs head downhill fast when they went that direction. Group blogging can work if you have the right mix of people. I think Eugene Volokh has done a pretty good job of that over that The Volokh Conspiracy, but few people could replicate his enviable “staff”. […]
August 20th, 2007 at 10:12 am
I think the multiple blogger format works best if you can keep the blog focused on a small number of related topics.
August 20th, 2007 at 11:26 am
I dig it, but then, I did it.
August 20th, 2007 at 11:38 am
Glad y’all liked the term. It was meant as a funny…
August 20th, 2007 at 11:59 am
I liked it. I only wish Straight Arrow and Lyle would have joined in.
August 20th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
I voted that I liked it, but with some reservations.
I liked it because there was a lot of information available and I like the idea of a group of people working together on a set of topics.
What I wasn’t comfortable with was the required transition to another “voice”. Allow me to explain.
When I visit SU, I expect to read Uncle’s thoughts, written in his prose, hence, I read in Uncle’s “voice”. (Even though I’ve never met him.)
Similarly, when I read other people’s blog, I expect their writing.
I am fine with reading other people’s work, and I like it. But there is a minor, momentary transition that has to occur in my head when I begin reading and it isn’t Uncle’s “voice”.
Even with the author’s name right there under the title, it required a split-second adjustment. Which took me out of my “comfort zone”, if you will.
If you find other people agree with my sentiment, I recommend finding another – additional – method to distinguish the authors from each other. Perhaps you can use a different color for each author. Perhaps you can put a symbol at the start and end of each of their articles to allow the reader to identify each post in a certain “voice”.
Newspapers do this by having dedicated columns for their author’s work, along with a picture. I suggest something similar. Perhaps there is a blogging software that supports multiple bloggers in a similar fashion. (I know it isn’t a small task to change blog software.)
But if you really want the multi-blogger concept to work (and I suspect you do), I suggest you ask your customers what it would take for them to like it.
Good luck.
August 20th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Wait, you were gone? And others filled in? That explains why you suddenly seemed to be posting so much last week. It also explains all those “Thanks and good bye” notes over the weekend. Had me rilly confused there for a bit.
🙂
August 20th, 2007 at 2:00 pm
I’m sick of guest bloggers. Didn’t like it here, don’t like it at Ace’s place, not a fan of any posts on IMAO but Frank J’s, and even had a blog post written on the subject that I didn’t post because it was way too mean.
August 20th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
I think Volokh does a good job at keeping their posters identified. Then again, it’s been a group blog since I can remember.
August 20th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
I’m undecided. It was fun guest-blogging, but I can totally see how it would mess someone up to have to differentiate the different posters – I know I had to adjust when I began reading depending on who was writing, because of the different styles.
But if it’s every so often, and is previously announced, I think it could be a cool thing to have happen again.
August 20th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Thus far every blog that I liked which has gone to a group blog format, or expanded beyond the one or two contributors they started with, I have stopped reading; because they have become unfocused, inconsistent, poorly edited, or jsut plain crap.
Even with otherwise good writers, the group blog format seems to induce suckage.
August 20th, 2007 at 6:24 pm
#9 I appreciate the sentiment, but I don’t think anything was lost but my absence as a guest blogger. There were some pretty good ones, and I sometimes become a little caustic when confronted with intentional stupidity or willful cupidity. That would not make for a good guest blogger on Uncle’s site, as he has a totally different approach. I thought about it, but decided I wouldn’t be a good fit. I am simply out of patience with people that think emotional overdrive is a substitute for logical thought.
Guess I got old. But thanks anyway for the kind thoughts.
August 20th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
I’m sick of guest bloggers. Didn’t like it here, don’t like it at Ace’s place, not a fan of any posts on IMAO but Frank J’s, and even had a blog post written on the subject that I didn’t post because it was way too mean.
Well, gee… thanks Phelps 🙂
Actually, I agree with you. When I think of blogs that went down hill fast in the group format, I think of IMAO. It’s not that the guest bloggers never come up with funny stuff, they just aren’t as funny as Frank J. is. The reason bloggers adopt guest blogging, though, is because blogging is incredibly time consuming. Nonetheless, I’m of the opinion that starting out as a group blog is the way to go, if you’re going to go that route. I still think occasional guest contributors is fine to add as filler, though.