Comments on: B4L, and personal posts http://wongablog.co.uk/2006/06/29/b4l-and-personal-posts/ like balloons, only with dancing Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:01:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Andrew http://wongablog.co.uk/2006/06/29/b4l-and-personal-posts/#comment-4092 Andrew Thu, 29 Jun 2006 22:38:34 +0000 http://wongablog.djcounsell.org/?p=1924#comment-4092 Thanks for the reply! I'm glad you think of B4L as a social network rather than a political storefront - I hoped that was the case. It's also a great quote to hit critical commenters with :-) Thanks for the reply! I’m glad you think of B4L as a social network rather than a political storefront - I hoped that was the case. It’s also a great quote to hit critical commenters with :-)

]]> By: B4L http://wongablog.co.uk/2006/06/29/b4l-and-personal-posts/#comment-4091 B4L Thu, 29 Jun 2006 12:37:47 +0000 http://wongablog.djcounsell.org/?p=1924#comment-4091 This issue gets brought up occasionally, but I agree with the post and comments here. While it's interesting to read the political posts, it's clear that when 200 bloggers are in political mode, that's more p. than most people can handle. This is just one reason why we cherish the variety of topics, as well as the variety of approaches on a particular topic. Plus we're a social network, not a think-tank or a political shopfront. When I have thought about this in the past, using categories/tags to find the political posts did seem the most obvious way of doing it. The increase in RSS 2.0/comment-enabled feeds in the last year has made this more feasible, but even now perhaps only 20% of posts are categorised and, as our own Tags page shows, people are very specific in the categories they pick. As a result, only 18 posts in the past 5 days (out of a total of 800-1000 posts) have actually been tagged as "Politics". I would probably have to ask bloggers nicely if they would use add a special tag ("HideFromB4L"?) rather than add lots of complex rules. Anyway - none of this figures in my current plans: (a) I'm very happy with what people are posting, and (b) why should that bother you anyway? :-) This issue gets brought up occasionally, but I agree with the post and comments here. While it’s interesting to read the political posts, it’s clear that when 200 bloggers are in political mode, that’s more p. than most people can handle. This is just one reason why we cherish the variety of topics, as well as the variety of approaches on a particular topic. Plus we’re a social network, not a think-tank or a political shopfront.

When I have thought about this in the past, using categories/tags to find the political posts did seem the most obvious way of doing it. The increase in RSS 2.0/comment-enabled feeds in the last year has made this more feasible, but even now perhaps only 20% of posts are categorised and, as our own Tags page shows, people are very specific in the categories they pick. As a result, only 18 posts in the past 5 days (out of a total of 800-1000 posts) have actually been tagged as “Politics”. I would probably have to ask bloggers nicely if they would use add a special tag (”HideFromB4L”?) rather than add lots of complex rules.

Anyway - none of this figures in my current plans: (a) I’m very happy with what people are posting, and (b) why should that bother you anyway? :-)

]]> By: Gert http://wongablog.co.uk/2006/06/29/b4l-and-personal-posts/#comment-4090 Gert Thu, 29 Jun 2006 11:43:48 +0000 http://wongablog.djcounsell.org/?p=1924#comment-4090 Thanks for your help on del.icio.us. I guess I am one of the least 'political' Bloggers4Labour. I first came across his blog in the run up to the General Election when he appealed for Labour supporting people to get together. I regard myself as Labour supporting (22 years membership and 8 years a councillor...) so I signed up. I think people can usually guess from the first few lines of a post whether it's political or not. I have never been a fan of blogs that sit and give uninformed views on newspaper headlines, like most of the US political blogs. I also avoid giving opinions on matters too close to the Govt. Dept. where I work (and is always in the news) - I don't want a P45. But politics is about more than simply elections, it's about life and society, so when I write about language, or about how the mass-media tells us what to do/wear/think, or about bad customer service, I think it's political with a small 'p'. Thanks for your help on del.icio.us.

I guess I am one of the least ‘political’ Bloggers4Labour. I first came across his blog in the run up to the General Election when he appealed for Labour supporting people to get together. I regard myself as Labour supporting (22 years membership and 8 years a councillor…) so I signed up. I think people can usually guess from the first few lines of a post whether it’s political or not. I have never been a fan of blogs that sit and give uninformed views on newspaper headlines, like most of the US political blogs. I also avoid giving opinions on matters too close to the Govt. Dept. where I work (and is always in the news) - I don’t want a P45.

But politics is about more than simply elections, it’s about life and society, so when I write about language, or about how the mass-media tells us what to do/wear/think, or about bad customer service, I think it’s political with a small ‘p’.

]]> By: Andrew http://wongablog.co.uk/2006/06/29/b4l-and-personal-posts/#comment-4089 Andrew Thu, 29 Jun 2006 11:15:21 +0000 http://wongablog.djcounsell.org/?p=1924#comment-4089 Yeah, there is that. I'm sure there'd be a way involving text-based tags, but that could put people off...I imagine Andrew could figure something out :-) I wasn't particularly saying I thought that was a good idea - like I said, it's up to Andrew. Yeah, there is that. I’m sure there’d be a way involving text-based tags, but that could put people off…I imagine Andrew could figure something out :-) I wasn’t particularly saying I thought that was a good idea - like I said, it’s up to Andrew.

]]> By: Jo http://wongablog.co.uk/2006/06/29/b4l-and-personal-posts/#comment-4088 Jo Thu, 29 Jun 2006 11:06:19 +0000 http://wongablog.djcounsell.org/?p=1924#comment-4088 But what would all the blogger users do? Apart from switch to a far superior blogging platform? :P But what would all the blogger users do? Apart from switch to a far superior blogging platform? :P

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