Filed under: Blogging
When I first discovered blogging back in the summer of 2005 I knew I had to get one.Finally a chance to write and engage with others,in real time and on a planetary scale….
Awesome,fucking magnificent I thought.
Anyway my latest blog,’Engaged Spectator’ will be one year old as of April 16/08,well would be….
But I have decided to pack it in….
Just can’t get motivated anymore.indeed my interest has been waning for quite some time.
So rather than blog-on….
I have decided to explore this whole blogging/alternative media/citizen journalism thing from a different angle.One I believe will be fairly unique to the Cnd scene,but definitly relevant and useful.
Indeed I must admit l’am fairly excited.
All in all I have pretty much worked out the over-all concept,that has been percolating in me head in one form or another for quite some time. But more importantly I now have a clear idea where I wanna go and what I’m shootin for.
Although my ideas are not overly complicated and should be fairly straight forward.Getting hosted,logo,web page design & the mechanics there of,are a bit beyond my present capabilities.
All of which means that I will need some outside help,paid or otherwise.
Therefore the time frame,from now until up-load,is still rather vague.
But that said…
I’ll be back….that’s a definite….
…[drop me a line if you are into web-page/blog design and layout,will pay within reason]-dirkstir at shaw dot ca
Definitely goes to Dave,over at “The Galloping Beaver“.
I am also uncomfortable with categories which are so nebulous that by their very definition they pit two opposing political ideologies against each other. Those become political pissing contests and provide nothing in terms of assessing the actual quality of a blog. They depend solely on the type and political leanings of a particular following. Research, source material and diversity are not accurately reflected – at all.
That said,Dave goes on to talk about Blog Awards in general.While also Mentioning “The (Canadian)Lefty Awards“….
Perhaps it’s time to expand the Lefty Awards along the same line as the Koufax Awards. The right-wingers can find their own materials and their own stars. It would keep the peace and it would give readers more comfort and choice. And, given that “left-wing” awards would almost certainly include a “Best Feminist Blog” category, right-wing feminist bloggers would actually have a place to show their stuff.
Clearly illustrating that Dave and the other ink-stained Galloping Beavers are under no illusions as to the merits or lack of merits.When it comes to “Blog Awards”,Canadian or otherwise.
At the same time I have to thank Dave for not only mentioning “The Lefty’s“. But for also being one of the few to understand the reasoning behind,as well as the potential value of such undertakings as “The Lefty’s“.
I will be definitely looking at expanding the Lefty’s for 2008.
In that I hope to add a few categories,and also open the “awards” up. By allow both bloggers & readers to nominate & vote in a 2-3 stage nomination/vote process(at present “The Lefty’s” are peer reviewed).
A Canadian,“Koufax type” blog “award” was pretty much what I had in mind when I first came up with the idea(07) for “The Lefty’s“.
P.S; anyone interested in being a part of the “Lefty’s” or just helping out,[ideas/suggestions would be much appreciated]drop me a line .
Seems there is a bit of a controversy building over at the, “Canadian Blog Awards“
With some of the nominees raising questions as to the value of such “Awards“.Particularly in regards to the category of “Best Blog“.
The questions are valid.
Particularly when freeping will in all likelihood skew the results,as they do in most such “Blog Awards”,rendering them rather meaningless.
the winners will be decided by the online voting having the shit freeped out of it. And, after a while, that starts to get a mite tiring. But there’s actually more to it than just that.
Specifically, the concept of an overall “Best Blog” award just grates on me, for a fairly obvious reason. It pits a number of quality Canadian blogs from the Left against an equal number of lying, hypocritical, piece of shit blogs from the Right. You think I exaggerate? Consider that the nominees for “Best Blog” already include both the stellar “The Galloping Beaver” and the execrable pile of dreck “Small Dead Animals.”
I would agree the “Best Blog” category makes little sense,and should be ditched.
That said I also believe the “Awards” would be better served ,by keeping the categories as representative as possible.This would also help to minimize “freeping”.
This can be done by adding 2 more categories….,Best Liberal,& Best Environmental alongside the already existing categories “Best Conservative” ,”Best Non-Partisan” & Best Progressive.
Anyway go here and here to read more on what’s causing the “fuss”.
Final results for the first Annual 2007 “Lefty Blog Awards” have been posted.
Please support the Awards by adding a blog badge to your blog.
According to the Canadian Association of Broadcasters(CBA) diversity is alive and well.Because we bloggers are picking up the slack when Broadcasters drop services.
At least thats the argument the CBA is using to justify/downplay further consolidation of Media outlets into fewer and fewer hands.
The CRTC launched the hearings after concerns were raised about consolidation because of CTVglobemedia’s $1.7 billion take over of CHUM Television, which resulted in the layoff 281 news staff and the cancellation of several local newscasts across the country.
The big media companies are trying to convince regulators that reductions in local news coverage is being offset by bloggers or videos on YouTube.
Utter nonsense of course…
Mary Agnes Welch, president of the Canadian Association of Journalists, scoffed at the idea that the Internet was diversifying voices at a local level during her appearance before the CRTC.
Seems this self serving argument of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters misses or ignore certain facts…
“The internet can’t be relied on yet to fill any voids in local coverage created by horizontal integration or cross-media ownership,” she said.
“There are few local internet sources that provide the same kind of original, accurate, fair and balanced independent news content offered in more traditional mediums. Blogs or internet news sites haven’t, to any great extent, provided a critical mass of original local news gathering, at least not yet.
On a personal note,I would like to say to the CAB.That most bloggers are just reacting to the stories and commentary published by the mainstream media outlets.Bloggers can never hope to compete with the MSM nor should they be expected to.
I fail to understand how limiting diversity of ownership even further helps matters.Other than the broadcaster’s bottom-line of course.
