The Wardman Wire

“Scots Tory Boy” (who is only two of those - I think - and I’m not telling you which) has been a few months away from blog reading. As a follow-on from last week’s Free For All Friday question from Mike Rouse, he has kindly contributed an article about finding the rhythm again.

A walk in the wilderness

Last year I was without a computer and internet access for six months so when I was back online it was great to start catching up with favourite blogs, see which ones were still going/gone and find new ones to ponder on.

A return on the wild side

They’ve all had six months of continuity. By which I mean (I feel a Rumsfeld coming on: ‘There is ongoing continuity which you live, there is continuity by the victors, and there is continuity that has not yet been written and of which we know nought’) that most blogs have running themes and, whilst posts may be tagged, three or more different topics can justifiably be under the same tags.

A La Recherche du posts Perdu

Then you try to catch up with six months of posts. No chance, short of taking another six months to do it.

And sometimes the well can become poisoned

Some posts are riveting, others not - but for me it is the overall feel of the blog that keeps me there or loses me, e.g. one particular blogger whose
output I supported unconditionally, wrote a post which struck me as outright
bigotry (ed: hope it wasn’t me about Bonnie Prince Alex).

I have been back twice but I now have such a biased view of him that
despite his otherwise common-sensical views I find him difficult to take seriously
because I have no idea where or when he will revert to type. But what is his type - therein is the problem - we can think about anything I post before I publish but
in vino veritas I may publish and regret a post. Was the dodgy one posted “having drink taken” or is he usually tipsy and a bigot when sober?

In a moment of wishful thinking did the blogger say where exactly they wish their beliefs will lead. Either way, this guy lost me at that point - and he is trying to start a serious political party.

A Firehose of Articles

One blogger, Mr. Bretwalda, I had to email for links because he is so prolific that I could spend the rest of my life trying to find his other related pieces.

So, can you catch up on blogs?

Yeah, if you have no other life and sleep 3 hours a night. Otherwise, google and get a resume from somewhere and if it is really important email the author.

And Returning to the Wardman Wire?

I do not visit for a few days and you have fifteen posts to peruse, one of which, the new Scotch political roundup (Gold Star for Mr Macnumpty), I thought was one of the better ones I have seen because the time was taken to explain the background and players.

And comments on blogs as a whole

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes ?

In design yes, and mostly for the good. Better layout and fonts, clutter cleared and faster loading. Most bloggers have a style which is attractive (otherwise why go back?) and changes can grate - going from deep to a mix of deep and human interest - has to be carefully judged or your audience may quietly evaporate.

Better to be as Matt and start out with a variety of topics, or like Iain & Guido and have ‘gossip’ in your header which is a lovely catch-all as a fall back than to try to change.

Guests

Equally, if you make the same mistake I did thinking you are reading the usual blogger - only to find there is guest poster, there is that unique nuance of each blogger that soon lets you know you are not reading the usual author. Normally for me this is a WTF? moment until I realise my mistake.

Give your guests top billing, folks, put that ego on the back burner for five minutes and make your guest feel good and your poor reader less of a twat (yes, yes, I know some readers are twats I only have to look at some of the comments I have made, see in vino veritas above but humour us, do.).

Spats

The other obvious change has been the willingness of bloggers to have a go at each other and the partisanship displayed by third parties to the spat(s). I’ve found this both strange: life’s too short, people, and amusing: to us outsiders they come across as that rather annoying person we all know who has to have the last word.

Quality

There is a high and consistent output from the good bloggers which amazes me. MSM columnists, apart from the obvious few, have a weekly column to fill, you guys have an at least daily post.

I’ll forgive off days because I try blogs for a while if I find them initially attractive, so no problem.

Changes

The consistent awareness of the need for change but not just ‘cos you can, no it’s the little or large tweaks that make the experience just that bit better which are appreciated. Conversely….can anyone explain how two bloggers can change their sites to have lots more pictures and one remains fast to load but I find myself blocking the pictures from the second because it now loads slower than a sex crazed sloth?

Less often = More enjoyable

I also did a couple of other things that make me appreciative of bloggers in general. The first may seem counter intuitive: I stopped reading some of you as often.

Why? Some of you are more of a magazine than a daily necessity so can be enjoyed at leisure. Others, the more political ones commenting on the moment, are what I am looking for from that blog.

Secondly, I gave up newspapers.

Why? I had been getting gradually bored with them and one day I decided not to buy and then question if I had really missed anything. Now I invariably find that I know most of the news before it appears on MSM (The added bonus from a stereotypical viewpoint is I saved £25 a month; more than enough to pay for my broadband & phone.) in greater depth and without the bias.

Columnists are invariably online anyway and I found I only missed some.

Wrapping Up

Was it good to get back online surfing you guys?

It was like being let back into the adult conversation, satisfying, challenging and blood pressure raising.

(Ed: There are some interesting reflections here that I’ll be responding too - especially the idea that providing easy ways into the way that content has developed can hel returning visitors re-engage. I see that as being related to the idea of making archives well-organised and accessible).

Tags: stb, scots tory boy, reading blogs[tags]stb, scots tory boy, reading blogs[/tags]