DC Blogs Noted
Free Yoga in DC? Apparently so, during DC Yoga week, which is April 12 – 18 according to On the Red Line. I see no evidence of a yoga explosion in everyone’s behavior here in PowerTown, but maybe the free classes will help with that.
Why all the bike blogs? And where are all the canoe and kayak blogs? Freewheel wants to know.
Caffeine inhalation has been getting expensive for a while now, according to DC Metblogs.
RudeCactus looks at the things he does to get ahead professionally, falling under the category of that great greeting card Chocolate Moose used to sell: “Hellish Job! Sometimes they make me do things I don’t particularly care to do!” Um, you’re an adult. Get used to it. That’s why they call it work.
Do you want to be in the movies without leaving the greater DC area? If so, see The Average Blogger’s request for movie fans to show up and become stars.
A little farther afield:
So it’s not written in English. You can still understand this post. A cute baby is a cute baby. The person posting the pictures thinks that this apparently Turkish baby is the cutest baby ever (they’re wrong: my babies were the cutest babies ever). Do you want to disagree with Ogulcan Sumbuloglu (or me, for that matter)? Doesn’t matter: cute baby pictures with Turkish descriptions. The baby remains cute, cute, cute.
April 3rd, 2008 at 8:45 am
Tons of local bloggers to choose from and you are linking to a site without a DC Blogs button that isn’t even in English????
April 3rd, 2008 at 9:51 am
Yup. I just couldn’t help myself. And what translation do you need. That’s one cute baby. (Like every baby in DC, apparently every baby in Turkey is cute. Who knew?) Do you think the text says anything that isn’t sort of like this: See my amazing baby? Some things we focus on locally can be pretty darn universal, y’know?
April 3rd, 2008 at 11:12 am
I know, but those links you choose to highlight can bring a lot of traffic to a blog. I come to DCBlogs so I can keep track of the local blogging scene, and support local blogs. One of the easiest ways to find out out about other DC Blogs worth reading is the links that you and the other editors throw up.
With so many DC Blogs out there, people don’t always get the benefit of that spotlight. It’s not really fair to those bloggers if you are using prime virtual real estate to promote a blog that isn’t local and doesn’t have the DCblogs button.
April 3rd, 2008 at 11:29 am
Well, maybe you should volunteer for DC Blogs and do your own promos. Me, I think people in this town can be (not are, but can be) quite parochial as to their own little corner of the universe and that’s why I throw out blogs from other parts of the world (I had an Australian blog listed previously and plan to add one foreign or non-DC blogger whenever I feel the urge). Babies are cute everywhere. Doctors writing about medical treatment are writing about universal problems. Our lives aren’t just what restaurant to eat at or where to shop for shoes. And I don’t just want to link to blogs on the live feed. I have linked to several blogs in the past few weeks that were local but not “DC Blogs” blogs. Maybe they’ll join up, not that it’s a movement or a cult or anything. Anyway, just read the first five links, and ignore the dangerously cute Turkish baby if that baby somehow is scary or offensive. And do volunteer and put your view forth.
April 3rd, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Even if I was an editor at DC Blogs, I’d still have a problem with what you are doing – use your own blog to promote other non-local sites, not the DC Blogs website. The live feed is a nice promotional tool, but nothing is as effective as these posts the editors run. Even if you stick it at the bottom, you are still being unfair to local bloggers who put in the time blogging and carry the button or th e link here to the websites.
April 3rd, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Ah, jeez, it’s one post, not a trend. Just take it as a one-off taste of whimsy and enjoy the other DC blogs. I see no unfairness here.
April 3rd, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Hey, if you don’t have the button, you don’t make the live feed. So why are people who don’t have a button get the benefit of something that can give a blogger more traffice than the live feed?
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:04 pm
“Badges? We don’t need no stinkin’ badges!”
There are larger issues here that I think are worth discussing if we can first get past the comparatively minor issue of the DC Blogs button. Plenty of DC bloggers choose to not display it for any number of reasons, myself included. It’s not a condition for live feed inclusion at present, and it should never become one.
April 3rd, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Mark: The administration of DC Blogs might want to weigh in here. If there is a requirement that any blog mentioned in DC Blogs Noted has to always (1) have a DC Blogs button (I do, button many who participate in the Live Feed don’t, and that’s okay), or (2) otherwise participate in DC Blogs or be on the Live Feed, that requirement has not been stated as such. If it has been stated to you, by all means, share the communication. DC Blogs noted is a round up of blogs of interest. Most of the blogs already are on the live feed or have buttons, but there are many, many great blogs that I would hope would want to join DC Blogs once they learn about it.
I also, and this is just my personal opinion, think that blogs connect us to a wider world. A world that I occasionally want to connect others with. If your concern is getting traffic through the DC Blogs Noted page, I think you’ve probably managed that for you blog at this point for today. If you have particular posts (anyone, not just Mark) that you think are your best work that you want included in the DC Blogs noted, I do the Thursday a.m. edition and am always happy to receive suggested posts for inclusion. Recommending other people’s blogs that are great is also welcome. Email me at foilwoman on gmail or email DC Blogs at the links included when you click on the Contact button. Hammer, feel free to email me as well.
April 3rd, 2008 at 2:02 pm
“With so many DC Blogs out there, people don’t always get the benefit of that spotlight. It’s not really fair to those bloggers if you are using prime virtual real estate to promote a blog that isn’t local and doesn’t have the DCblogs button.”
I don’t think getting into DC Blogs Noted is a zero-sum game. Foilwoman usually highlights a higher number of blog posts than the other editors, so nobody is really getting left out.
The way to build a sustained readership for your blog is to 1. have something to say, 2. comment on other blogs, 3. get other bloggers to add you to their blogrolls 4. update often.
I’ve been a “DC Blogs Noted” several times. While it does cause a spike in readership, it isn’t something that’s sustained over a period of time. It’s not like DC Blogs finds you at a lunch counter, and from then on you’re a star.
April 3rd, 2008 at 2:10 pm
I know it doesn’t make one a star, but a shout out now and then is appreciated. When I signed up for this I was under the impression there was supposed to be some sort of reciprocity. I am not looking for inclusion in the Noted section – I am merely pointing out that there are a lot of people that are on the live feed, have the button or link, but don’t always make the cut. It seems unfair to be highlighting the work of other people who are about as far removed from the local scene as you can get at the expense of local bloggers.
April 3rd, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Nah, I’m quite content to sit back, pop open a cold one, and enjoy my little vacation a bit longer. I just get a little concerned when I see batting practice being taken on the commenters. We may not always like or agree with what they say, but reader feedback is essential to this site, and we don’t really collect enough of it as is. If you’re going to call out a blogger who writes about workplace drudgery by telling him to “get over it,” one would hope you’d be prepared to follow your own advice when a little constructive criticism gets thrown your way.
Those of us who do roundups – a small club for now, but one that is likely to grow – must always be mindful of the unspoken trust that exists between ourselves and the many readers of this site. While the readers aren’t going to personally enjoy or connect with every single post that’s featured, there is a basic expectation – and I believe it is a valid one – that what does get featured meets a certain threshold of relevance to our online community, or at least a segment of it.
Was the last link relevant? Arguments could be made either way. Actually, it looks like they already *have* been. Since it’s a moot point now, what I’m taking from this moving forward is that we got some audience feedback today, and no matter what we think about it, we need to be receptive to it.
April 3rd, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Mark: I’m an equal opportunity DC Blogs Noted editor: anything that interests me is on the list. I save the last slot for something off the beaten track, but that’s just my approach. Anyway, feel free to submit anything you want to be in DC Blogs noted. If it seems like it fits with the theme(s) of the day (today’s was pretty random, I admit), and I like it, I’ll probably include it.
April 3rd, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Such an uproar over a link to Turkish baby picture blog. Put me in the camp of it not bothering me when one link for the day is a non-DC blog. I agree with Shannon too about readership when a blog post is noted on this site. I get a few more visitors that day, but as far as I know, my only constant readers remain my aunt in the midwest, my cousin in Potomac, and my parents when I remind them I’ve posted. It probably has more to do with my blog’s low quality, but I press on.
April 3rd, 2008 at 4:45 pm
If it was one Turkish baby picture I wouldn’t have thought anything of it. As noted by the Editor, however, this isn’t the first time this has happened.
The discussion on the thread makes it sound as if she is making up editorial policy on the fly. Given the name of this website, and all the local bloggers involved (whether or not they link here), I think some justification is in order for what makes the cut. Cute baby pictures are a dime a dozen – all you have to do is a google search. Finding interesting local blog posts is a little more difficult, and that is one of the important functions of an editor, to highlight local subjects of interest that might get lost in a Google search.
As a reader and a contributor to the live feed, I want some clarification as to the rationale behind what gets put in the “Blogs Noted” section, given the fact that it has a higher visibility than the live feed.
April 3rd, 2008 at 4:50 pm
I’ll agree with Mark on that one…how are the blog posts selected for the Noted section?
April 3rd, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Hammer: Rude Cactus’s post was a favorite of mine. Since snark seems to lead to higher readership, that’s the tone I used. I think it beautifully expresses the dilemma we all face when we discover we’re not going to rule the world but instead write memos and attend meetings. I don’t know how much readership spikes with a Blogs Noted mention, but I’m pretty clear that it spikes more with a snarky comment than with a “Oh, how true” sincerity ooze.
Rude Cactus: My apologies for the snark. I do hope it got you more readers.
Mark and Shannon: I don’t know what Hammer’s policy is, or what DC Blogs main editor’s policy is. Mine is: Catches my eye, is interesting, moving, funny, important, or something worth sharing and something I can come up with something to say about. I look over the live feed, I poke around blog rolls, I check out the blogs of interesting commenters, and I just see what’s there. I definitely look over the live feed first. Anyone can email a post they think is good to DC Blogs (check the contact button) or to me (on Tuesday and Wednesday I’m preparing the Thursday post) at Foilwoman on gmail. There’s a fair amount of hunting. Hammer will have a different answer, I’m sure. This is probably something everyone at DC Blogs should discuss.
Hammer: I’m not seeing batting practice. I’m seeing a discussion and explanation. I’m not hurt or offended, I’m just explaining my perspective.
April 3rd, 2008 at 7:56 pm
One comment about people in the live feed vs. those not. I think including random bloggers who have not actually decided to shamelessly promote themselves here is a GOOD thing. I skim the feed once or twice a day and will read something that looks interesting. But that doesn’t mean that there’s no other source of fun reading out there, and I can’t think of any reason why this site ought to say “we’re only going to note people who’ve signed up.” It’s about DC blogs. Not everyone is bothering (or even aware) to be signed up here. It’s easy to skim the blog feed, but pulling in something harder to find sometimes seems an added perk because most of us never would have found it.
As far as the random non-DC content, I don’t care at all. It’s like anything else. If you don’t care, well, don’t click the link! The notion that someone’s getting passed over because of that makes no sense, since in any given day there are usually between 5 and 10 blogs noted. It’s not like there’s a slot being taken up by it, and it’s certainly the exception rather than the rule anyway. To make a “rule” that the editors absolutely cannot post something non-DC relevant seems unnecessarily draconian and opens a whole can of worms about what technically qualifies. Does it have to be a DC proper blog? DC Metro? Does Baltimore count? Does the post have to be relevant to DC? Half the call-outs are random dating and personal blogs anyway, and the post may have nothing specifically to do with DC. So are DC blogs, but non-DC specific content going to be out? Well then it would pretty much be a local politics blog, which would suck.
I like the way it’s working now, and have found the selections to be usually of high quality. Let the editors keep doing their jobs. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
April 3rd, 2008 at 8:00 pm
If memory serves correctly, I seem to recall that KOB wanted to expand a little bit beyond DC Blogs and reach out into the larger blogging communities around the nation and the world. I think FoilWoman’s inclusion of the baby blog was in that spirit. If this was a regular, every-day occurrence, I could see the concern, but it’s so infrequent, I wonder what the brouhaha is all about.
Sound and fury, signifying nothing?
April 3rd, 2008 at 8:01 pm
Foilwoman: Folks aren’t used to seeing snark in the roundups and so it’s probably still a little disorienting. I imagine it will become less so over time.
Mark, Shannon, and anyone else curious about what gets picked: My understanding from our head guru is that the roundups are intended as a holistic and diverse sampling of posts and articles that tell us something about our town, our lives, and the times we live in. (And occasionally also blogging and social media in general.) This sampling is mostly DC-metro-centric, but not exclusively so.
Probably the biggest misunderstanding about a roundup is that there are still a lot of folks who think it’s meant as a “Best Of” from the last day or two. It’s really not, even though it sometimes reads like one – it’s a varied sampling with an eye towards featuring fresh voices and perspectives while still giving a nod to the more established bloggers in this town who consistently produce a steady stream of content. And yet there’s still more to it than that because although the final product is digital, I assure you the process is surprisingly organic and serendipitous.
In order to find the fresh voices and perspectives, you absolutely have to go beyond the live feed. That for me is the most time-consuming part. And yet, you find some absolute gems sometimes, including new DC bloggers who’ve only been at it a month or two and have no idea that this little enterprise of ours exists.
In the end, I think that although individual roundups (including my own) all have their flaws, on a long enough timeline the process is ultimately (and as a liberal it absolutely pains me to say this) “fair and balanced.” If all this sounds a bit vague and nebulous, it’s because it is.
That being said, could we do a better job of soliciting feedback and criticism? Hell yeah we could. In fact I think we need to.
Whew. Or to quote Chevy Chase in Christmas Vacation, “Hallelujah. Holy shit. Where’s the Tylenol?”
And with that, good people, I begin my April vacation in earnest. Keep the comments coming, have fun, and try to do like your grandma said and play nice!
April 3rd, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Mark, Buff, Hammer, Shannon, B(ridge) & T(unnel), Jamie: Thanks everyone for commenting. I emailed DC Blogs, not that Pat’s going to be unaware of the debate, but if there is a policy or a policy change, I’m sure we’ll all know soon enough. However, my inclination is not to impose rules, but just to encourage participation. If anyone (DC Blogs participant or not) thinks they have written (or have read and want to promote) a post that would be of interest to the DC blogging community, the best way to draw attention to the post is to tell us about it. Really.
Each editor will have different posts that grab his or her eye. I’m looking forward to seeing Hammer’s next picks, as well as Pat’s. And if anyone else wants to throw their hat in the ring, well, I’m not on the selection committee for editors (I think it’s the omnipotent Pat, but I’m not sure about that), but you certainly will have a lot more say on the whole who’s in DC Blogs noted issue if you’re the person writing that post.
April 3rd, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Thanks all for these comments. I don’t know what more to add beyond what was said …. more to echo ….
Regarding links, buttons: As was pointed out, there has never been a reciprocal requirement on links or buttons — there’s no condition for being in the feed other than being a DC area blogger. (Please see FAQ) We may ask for people consider linking to us as well, but that’s about it. The people who display icons help with the traffic — thank you for that.
Contributing editors are free to make their own round-up picks. Aiming for quality, as one writer pointed out, is the goal. I personally believe highlighting blogs from outside the area may help, over time, to expand exposure of local bloggers. Over the years there have been many posts by local writers that, in my view, are among the finest written anywhere but there is no way to give these writers anything other than local exposure. By highlighting bloggers in other cities, perhaps an idea might develop from it.
Contributing editor volunteers are welcome to complete a noted column on either a regular basis, semi-regular or one-time. Having a mix of thoughtful roundup contributors, like Foilwoman and Hammer, brings in new perspectives, ideas and enriches the experience. This is a non-profit operation that doesn’t cover server expenses. We haven’t sought donations to avoid any hint of bias in picks. It exist only because of the dedicated volunteers who really believe in helping local bloggers to find one another. If you are reading this and are interested, just write.