All entries for Monday 18 April 2005

Stop posting your online quiz results

Writing about an entry you don't have permission to view

Would be I think the best way to improve Warwick blogs. At first it was interesting; oh look I'm the colour mauve how exciting! I can see how people were lured in. I can see the compulsion, for I too fell into its trap at least once. I don't mind if you still do these online quizes, but please stop sharing them with us all. I know I have developed quiz blindness when browsing recent entries these days. One has to sort the metaphorical blogging wheat from the chaff that is the online quiz result. It slows me down and encourages a lack of thought in composing a blog entry that is worth sharing.

Otherwise, I have to say that reports of the death of Warwick Blogs , have been greatly exaggerated. Like a fine wine, the community has matured, there is a much greater plurality of voices now. Unlike in the beginning with the few blogging giants and the zing and kapow of the mythical Hot Topic. Sure there is an AUP which stops us from saying things like; 'f**k the system' in our entry titles, and keeps the personal attacks to a minimum (Though personal attacks on bloggers could be better insulated against with some form of IP banning for persistant anonymous comment abusers perhaps?). I think that some people are inevitably always going to find the restrictions, whatever they may be, too harsh.

There is however an upside to warwick blogs which will keep people coming back.

To analogise for a moment.

Your own personal blog is like having your own little island. Your island your rules, you can dance naked and fire off cannon, woohah! Eventually however, it gets a little lonely out there. You try getting people to sail in on ships but then you have to keep having interesting parties to keep them coming back because its a fair way out of their way and they have to make a special effort. Soon you find yourself standing by the palm tree, with a few people you knew anyway, talking about work.

Meanwhile Warwick Blogs is like arriving late to someone elses really huge wedding reception. Its not your wedding and maybe there is a bossy uncle who tells you where to go and sit; but theres so many people here. There's that crazy aunt who stands up and rants about fox hunting and europe, the chinese group of the family who the rest of us can't understand most of the time, in one corner somebody seems to be forming a band in another there's a man being beaten by hordes of teenage girls. No matter where you turn something is happening, your friends are all here and loads of people who could be your friends. You all have something in common though and thats the bride and groom.

As long as there are students and staff at warwick they'll hang around on these here blogs, because this is where the other students and staff are at. What we have here is a community, and for every blogger there are another four or five silent readers who pop onto blogs every now and then, to check out the reaction to a gig, or see what is going on in the minds of their fellow students.

I haven't, so far, seen a more successful attempt at bringing together all the people of the Warwick Bubble under one roof, accessible to all (Except you Carter).

Thats probably why it keeps winning awards.

: 18 Apr 2005 22:53 |  Comments (7) |  Close comments |  Report a problem