tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983386.post3571357127563465168..comments2024-03-12T04:51:46.468-05:00Comments on Blue Gal: A question for my fellow small-bloggersFran / Blue Galhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18293627981248346055noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983386.post-61512157692415963722007-03-01T15:13:00.000-06:002007-03-01T15:13:00.000-06:00Yeah, Organic, you're right, you're right. I don'...Yeah, Organic, you're right, you're right. I don't have to read Americablog, though, any more than you have to smoke cigarettes. I can let go of the anger, which, really, I have, without remaining with an abuser, to mix too many analogies.<BR/><BR/>The inside Baseball thing is all too true. My motivation here is to help FFF. To repeat, they have had much more success with small blogs who have a passion for what FFF stands for, than with larger blogosphere outlets. Asking my readers how to continue that success has yielded some fantastic ideas here and through emails to me and FFF. Thanks all.Fran / Blue Galhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18293627981248346055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983386.post-38683729885175023772007-03-01T13:20:00.000-06:002007-03-01T13:20:00.000-06:00Sigh. Okay Organic, you force me to show my hand....Sigh. Okay Organic, you force me to show my hand.<BR/><BR/>I have NOTHING against Markos. I've said so here before. He deserves his success. He's done exactly what Bill Gates did: made it easy for the clueless masses to do something exciting and new. Good for him.<BR/><BR/>There are also some great writers at kos. There is no Spoon and Dood Abides are just two of my favorites. <BR/><BR/>I also cross post there occasionally. Nearly always, however, I am disappointed with the dull, kneejerk, know it all, we are here on high attitude of Kos commenters, particularly those who do not have their own blog and rarely if ever even publish a diary. All they have "time" for is criticizing as if their opinion is valuable BECAUSE they are a Kossack. I'm not impressed.<BR/><BR/>John Aravosis of Americablog routinely bans and then, at least on one specific occasion I can prove, because I am good friends with the person involved, personally emailed a commenter on his blog to call her an "asshole" and tell her she was banned from his site and that if she wanted to apologize to him she might be allowed back in.<BR/><BR/>Because she disagreed with him about Israel. Unfortunately she had a lot of facts at her disposal because, ahem, she was born and raised to adulthood in Israel. She's also a hebrew translator, one of the leading hebrew translators in the world. This made John upset.<BR/><BR/>This commenter does not swear. I mean, she really does not. She's one of those. As you know, I do. So there was NO call for Aravosis to do what he did. <BR/><BR/>The blogosphere is littered with refugees from Americablog, (I personally know four) and I have it on good authority that Aravosis has lost a great deal of traffic due to his belligerent way of dealing with those who disagree with him. <BR/><BR/>He is gay, and has a great deal of street cred on gay issues, but on other issues he has shown himself to be an intolerant bully.<BR/><BR/>The other (more stupid) big deal going on between A and B listers is that Eschaton deleted his entire blogroll and started over calling it "amnesty." It was amnesty for him, no one else, but apparently being on his blogroll meant something to some small bloggers. I'm not involved with that because I don't read big blogs as a general rule. Exceptions are Crooks and Liars, Shakespeare's Sister, and Driftglass. Sometimes I read Jesus General. That whole issue seemed very high school to me and a lot of others, but it has led me and others to some good jokes at Eschaton's expense. <BR/><BR/>This "aren't we all on the same side" "let's just have charity towards all" sounds good, but it allows jerks and criminals, crooks and liars, as the best blog says, to get away with their crimes.<BR/><BR/>Is that enough soap opera for you? Sorry.Fran / Blue Galhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18293627981248346055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983386.post-64521449539307197072007-03-01T08:32:00.000-06:002007-03-01T08:32:00.000-06:00The dealio is, there ARE two tiers of bloggers. Th...<I>The dealio is, there ARE two tiers of bloggers. Those who are impressed with Club Washington, and those of us who aren't.</I><BR/><BR/>Sorry, but I place Kos in the first group.Big Daddy Malcontenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04725748546162709868noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983386.post-67649451970533560032007-03-01T06:15:00.000-06:002007-03-01T06:15:00.000-06:00We can, whig. And we can even have real conversat...We can, whig. And we can even have real conversations. What I will avoid until my death is self-serving ego masturbation sessions with bloggers who do not, um, reciprocate.<BR/><BR/>Oooh kay that didn't go where I thought it would.Fran / Blue Galhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18293627981248346055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983386.post-20008518135646093402007-02-28T14:27:00.000-06:002007-02-28T14:27:00.000-06:00DC is such a "1-Company" town, I cannot help but t...DC is such a "1-Company" town, I cannot help but think there are probably tons of bloggers there covering all sorts of insider baseball, as it were. But I also think they probably are wrapped up in partisan divides. <BR/><BR/>It's a cliche, probably, but I doubt very much that DC bloggars care much outside their 1-issue... so, I suggest FFF find (no, I do not stammer) people who are passionate about any of the single-point causes and see if they would be willing to participate in being "under the umbrella" of a first amendment group.<BR/><BR/>I'd suggest opening it up to other communities close by, too.<BR/><BR/>Regards,<BR/><BR/>TengrainAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983386.post-89211509435809320082007-02-28T09:02:00.000-06:002007-02-28T09:02:00.000-06:00No no no, Organic. There are some big blogs I jus...No no no, Organic. There are some big blogs I just love. Shakes, John Amato, Drifty. <BR/><BR/>A friend just emailed me to think about Think Progress which is a DC blog. That's a great idea because that's a bigger blog with a lot of cred in the small blogosphere.<BR/><BR/>Part of what we're looking for here, admittedly, is results. FFF gets better results from a smaller blog with a passion for church/state issues than a big blog just making a mention.<BR/><BR/>BTW you know that Crooks and Liars, with the "holy crap" feature at the blog round up, does more than just a passing mention of the religious right and their crimes against humanity. <BR/><BR/>But they're in California. DC is what we're after in this instance.Fran / Blue Galhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18293627981248346055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983386.post-12033954514612661392007-02-27T22:10:00.000-06:002007-02-27T22:10:00.000-06:00Crap! My Grand Marnier ran out before your rum!I ...Crap! My Grand Marnier ran out before your rum!<BR/><BR/>I just edited out Aravosis name from the post. I just don't wanna draw that kind of fire right now. But I linked over to Wampum so if someone wants to find out who it is they will.<BR/><BR/>Your comment is EXACTLY what I needed to hear. Thanks. FYI the FFF people (internet acronym overload! IAO! LOL! TMI! LMAO!)<BR/><BR/>the FFF people have told me they've had MUCH better response when a small blog mentions them than a big one. I've been afraid of being too much of a one note violin on the FFF stuff, but as you say, I'm passionate about it and it shows.Fran / Blue Galhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18293627981248346055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8983386.post-17878495883885679112007-02-27T22:03:00.000-06:002007-02-27T22:03:00.000-06:00Hmmm...I think you've explained HOW they reach out...Hmmm...<BR/><BR/>I think you've explained HOW they reach out. They have people like you with an interest and they make contacts. As for nailing down local DC bloggers, that may be a different story. <BR/><BR/>It all depends on the "bent" of the blogger and whether they actually buy into the group in a meaningful way. A group like FFF, (which I think is terrific), cannot expect a blogger or a group of bloggers to provide unwavering support unless those bloggers have a distinct interest in making that "the" or one of "the" themes of that blog. (If I'm getting really boring here, feel free to move on to the next comment and I'll keep writing until the rum runs out.)<BR/><BR/>The risk a blogger takes is becoming typecast when perhaps she/he was hoping for a wider scope. Others may find it a niche which fits with the style and character of the blog. <BR/><BR/>I'm not so sure that "conversations" with bloggers is terribly useful. The best thing about the blogosphere is that we can all take a global view without leaving Gopher Hole, North Dakota or Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. <BR/><BR/>I <EM>do</EM> agree that such organizations should steer clear of the big dogs. They have an agenda that extends beyond comment and advocacy. (YEAH! You John!). A far better exposure would be through a larger group of small blogs and that means introductions will have to be made. I delete emails from a lot of advocacy groups unless I recognize the name. (I also redirect penis enlargement offers to the guy in Nigeria who says he will share $10 million with me.)<BR/>But, a group of smaller blogs will reach a more diverse audience, each of us having that bit of difference in our readership which provides extension. <BR/><BR/>The blogosphere loves to feed off the absurd. The FFF is attempting to combat the absurd by fighting off a theocracy. Hell, all of us reality-based types want that. Given what they do, if there is enough information out there demonstrating the absurd and how they're fighting it, it will only take a few small bloggers to spread the word. <BR/><BR/>I knew nothing of the FFF until I came to read your blog daily. Now I have them bookmarked and I check in regularly. If they become a valuable source of information, they will attract bloggers. If it spreads across the smaller blogosphere, the larger blogs (Yeah, you Markos... for now) will, out of pure unadulterated jealousy, start linking to interesting, controversial or well-written stuff. <BR/><BR/>I don't know if that has even answered your questions... or even one of them. <BR/><BR/>However, if you have enjoyed this comment, please vote for me at longcommentsRus.com. If you did not enjoy this comment please forward it to the New York Times so I can at least get paid for they typing job. <BR/><BR/>Cheers<BR/>Dave@the Galloping Beaver.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03203592149876300192noreply@blogger.com