Category: Blogging

Largely older posts, mini blog entries and memes from the past… a vault of dusty nonsense.

bookmark_borderOhh go on then

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Richard suggested I start the Scottish Blog Awards.

Shauny just said “blogmeet! blogmeeeeeeeeeeeeet!”

Richards idea has been floating around, between the two of us, for a while but would take more effort than I have the energy for at the moment.

A blogmeet isn’t so hard though. So bowing to public (Shauny) pressure I’ve started to organise another Scottish Blogmeet.

With a bit of luck THAT article might just have done me a favour as the Scottish Blogs site has added 24 new members in the last week alone.

Surely we can muster more than two people for the next one – that is if you don’t count the breakaway faction headed by Peter who claim a Blogmeet with three attendees. Hopefully this Blogmeet will finally end the feud* and bring both factions together in peace, harmony and Guinness.

* Just in case: I’m joking, we are a big happy family.

bookmark_borderBloggies 2005

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The results are in.

But before I pick out some of my choices I thought I’d take a moment to jot down why I’m quite interested in the results. Quite simply, I want to win one.

No I’m kidding (well kinda), despite all the easy arguments against this kind of thing I think it’s valuable to have ONE set of awards to represent this thing called blog. The Bloggies is where we should be pointing the journalists, where the focus should be, and whilst they are never going to be completely representative they do at least offer both a reasonably wide range of TYPES of blog but they also all have one crucial thing in common (for the most part).

They are all quite good.

They may not be the best of the best but they all meet at least a basic standard of readability for anyone new, something I think is fairly crucial given that blogs are grabbing more and more of the limelight from other media sources.

Enough of that.

Firstly huge congratulations to my friend with the WONDERBRA new design. Best European Weblog – Well deserved zoe, very much well deserved.

And then onto the recently married Shauna who, despite winning Best Australian or New Zealand Weblog is listed as a Scottish Blogger as she currently resides in Edinburgh.

Shoo-in award went to Tom Coates (Lifetime Achievement isn’t bad after only four years!) and he greedily nabbed Best British or Irish Weblog as well! Personally I think the Fairy was done on the latter one.


Best Photography of a Weblog justifiably went to Daily Dose of Imagery – search his site for some of the timelapsed animations, awesome stuff.

Most Humorous Weblog HAD to go to Heather, I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve spat my coffee all over my keyboard whilst reading the last tales of the chaos that is her life. I do think that Best Writing of a Weblog should’ve gone to Londonmark though, I just don’t know how he does it.

So not everything panned out as I’d hoped it would, particularly, ESPECIALLY given his recent output, that mike didn’t grab the “sandwich” award for Best Gay Lettuce Bacon and Tomato Weblog (well that’s what HE calls it). I do hope Peter still pays up with the prize!

Congrats to all the winners, and for once I’d both heard AND read most of the nominees this year.

As for 2006, well I’d like to officially launch my campaign – next year I want the Best-Kept-Secret Weblog Bloggie!

bookmark_borderPlum Line

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So, as she’s finally managed to figure out where the ON switch is (although I think quarsan might have had something to do with it) I can confirm that yes, I am the evil genius behind the new design over at My Boyfriend Is A Twat. It’s still under going some final tweaks, but it’s almost there.

Whilst the design is hardly ground breaking I think I probably got more out of the experience than Zoë did. It’s very easy to design a website for yourself, as you intimately know your own likes and dislikes. Designing for a “client” is, of course, completely different. Not only do their tastes sometimes clash with your own, but they have a certain way of working which, again, is usually completely different from yours.

It’s almost like getting the chance to wander round someone’s house. On one level everything is the same, they have a kitchen, I have a kitchen, they have a navigation section, I have a navigation section, but if you take in the detail you suddenly realise that it is ALL completely different – why DO they keep their knives in there?

I’ve read a lot of articles aimed at people starting out in web design, and I now start to see what the bulk of those articles were discussing. The need to set scope, the need to investigate and discuss HOW the site is used as opposed to how the client WANTS it used, negiotiating whether or not a certain feature is required, or whether something in the content could be changed to aid the design.

Specific example, I designed a template page for the photo gallery, Zoë didn’t want the navigation so I removed it as she thought it cluttered the page. In my book that’s a no-no as you lose consistency of navigation AND in this case branding as the site logo is gone as well but having looked at it again, I think it works better as it is now.

Client 1 – Would-be-designer 0.

Anyway, it WAS fun (honest Zoë!) and if nothing else the drunken emails – “oh YES – WONDERBRA! i think i’m pissed … he agrees and he’s not pixssed – it’s FANNNTABLOODYSTIC. i owe yoou several” – made it all worthwhile.

bookmark_borderSublime light

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The scene: A rather bemused man shuffles onto the darkened stage. He’s dressed in a bad suit, is carrying a few extra pounds (or 20), but seems like someone who you’d describe as “quite a nice guy”. He approaches the isolation of the spotlight, and steps up to the lone microphone.

“Er… hello” he says, not really sure where to begin. He pauses and peers out into the haze that envelops the audience.

“Well I see some new faces out there, so welcome. Emm.. feel free to have a look around… ohh and be careful where you step, but don’t worry, there’s nothing dangerous in here”

~

That idea worked better in my head.

So yes, hello, good evening and welcome to all the readers of The Scottish Sunday Times Ecosse magazine. Well when I say “all” I obviously mean the ones with better taste and the ability to use an internet browser. For all my regular readers (yes both of you) please forgive this rather blatant pandering to my fifteen seconds of fame.

I guess I should offer my thoughts about the article, but I have to say that it was “exquisitely dull”, but then it’s a bit like asking a Formula One driver how he enjoyed his drive to the local supermarket. I do agree with the closing statement though:

“… you suspect that the end-user is the last thing blogging is about”

Which is, of course, partially true. However, it’s the worst kind of broad, sweeping generalisation that stems from a lack of understanding of the finer nuances of a new medium. Let me offer a small quote, left in a comment on another site, which I thought summed up the “blogosphere” perfectly:

“Blogging in itself is stupid, really, and self indulgent (or perhaps that’s just my approach to it). But it’s a hobby, and we are a nation who love our pointless little hobbies. It’s no more corrosive than other hobbies. Or rather, it shouldn’t be.”

Quoted from sarsparilla.

Anyway, enough of this nonsense.

Here is the article in question, thankfully minus the photo of my leering mug (which included a superimposed screenshot of the Benway Bunnies website for some reason I can’t quite fathom).

UPDATE: Here is a photo of my photo. Viewer discretion advised!

Addendum: Peter offers his thoughts on the article.

bookmark_borderMeme: 60 Seconds

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In the last 60 seconds I:

Finished my cup of coffee, grimacing as I swallow the tepid dredges.
Paused to figure out why iTunes had decided to play a Neil Diamond track (Brooklyn Roads) right after The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots.
Rubbed my left eye, removed some sleep.
Opened a Word document.
Listened to the birds singing outside the window.

What did YOU do in the last 60 seconds? (BEFORE you read this)

bookmark_borderMeme Aid: The Bloggers' Disco

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That man mike is on a musical roll at the moment, and I’m LOVING this idea (I feel an MP3 compilation coming on!), and it’s all in the name of Comic Relief.

Imagine, if you will, the blogmeet to end all blogmeets. One blogosphere under a groove. A sea – nay, a veritable ocean – of “LOVE your work!” hugs, “Darling, you were ROBBED at The Bloggies!” air-kisses and “WHEN is someone going to PUBLISH you!” schmoozes, where tout le monde and their blogroll are getting royally rat-arsed on Vodka Red Bulls, and bopping around like maniacs to the sound of… WHAT, precisely?

So, which tune? Do I raid my hospital radio DJ past or go for something contemporary and über-cool? Do I risk becoming a social outcast for choosing a floor clearing track, or will plaudits be heaped on me for an inspired choice that will be THE hit of the night.

Ach, bugger it. I choose The Trammps – Disco Inferno (grab it while it’s there – limited time only! TOO LATE), Burn baby burn! – Burn that mama down!

Go on, join the fun!