Blog discussion

The handful of times that I've had something that might possibly be considered worthy of a blog entry, I've preferred to post it as a new thread in the hope that it will generate some conversation or debate. Being the argumentative person that I am, I find I get most enjoyment out of a topic when I can sit back and watch various arguments resolve themselves, and then pick one to support. Sometimes I don't even have an opinion formed, it's just interesting to choose a line and see where it goes. I can't see that fitting in with a blog, because it would require me to take a stance up front. I think if I did start a blog, it would end up a bit like a personal version of "what cheeses me off". Far too much negative energy down that path. So for now I will sit back and read others' ramblings and console myself that there are people out there who are bigger nutters than me. :)

OK - now we've had the blogs for a few months how are we going? I still can't see too many members using them - maybe we "are just a bunch of old farts". I've made a perhaps pathetic attempt at using a blot by making 2 entries but then I deleted 1. I've read a couple of dozen members bloks , some of the WIPs are OK but as for the rest . . . . . ????

G'day Ppl,

Just entered a couple of my Blogs,
The First one is from my Darker times,
actually a few are.

IS this what you see as Blogs?
Or have I just EMBARRASED Myself:doh::B

Nah!
They are all still true for me:rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by BobL

OK - now we've had the blogs for a few months how are we going? I still can't see too many members using them - maybe we "are just a bunch of old farts". I've made a perhaps pathetic attempt at using a blot by making 2 entries but then I deleted 1. I've read a couple of dozen members bloks , some of the WIPs are OK but as for the rest . . . . . ????

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I have to agree with you. I have done the same, a couple of blogs but I still feel the blogs take a lot away from the open forums where these WIPs and topics were up for open discussion. Now we have to go looking for some of these WIPs and topics and to be honest with you, I don't bother. Maybei its just laziness on my part but I preferred it when everyone saw the thread in the forum and could respond to the thread and offer opinions and comments on the article for us all to see.
Now we have to go hunting if we want to see some of these valuable threads.
I know I am probably missing something by not using the blogs but it seems to me just another tiresome effort when they would have been in the forum anyway had the blogs not come into being. I think the blogs will serve a purpose to a certain section of the members and they will use them but unfortunately many more members will miss out on their threads or posts that would have appeared in the open forums.

Personally I don't know if the blogs are a success or not but for me, they have taken something away from the forums. I use to love the bantering that went on in the open threads when posted in the forums but since the blogs a lot of this has vanished. I have also observed that many who use to post on these forums, no longer do so on a regular basis. I know there can be many reasons for this and may not be due to the blogs but it seems coincidental to say the least.

Nevertherless, having said all that, I am still a strong supporter of the WWF and love my daily visit to look around and share in the goings on here. Its a great place and I know that Neil and everyone else involved with it, do what they do to try and make it even better than what it is. I hope they don't take offence by my comments, they are purely my opinion and one thing I really appreciate in here is the freedom of voicing an opinion, whether it be right or wrong.

It would be interesting to hear what others have to say now the blogs has been running for a while.

Blogs have been good some have detracted from the main forum then again many forumites have their own blog site away from WWF many are great reading and viewing :2tsup:.

I venture and browse WWF blogs regularly enjoyed Dingo's tales and many others wip's.

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Originally Posted by wheelinround

I venture and browse WWF blogs regularly enjoyed Dingo's tales and many others wip's.

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But thats my point Ray, I enjoyed Dingo's rantings and ravings and WIPs too but now Dingo doesn't post much in the main forums any longer. If I want to read Dingo's stuff now, I need to go to the blogs.

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Originally Posted by munruben

But thats my point Ray, I enjoyed Dingo's rantings and ravings and WIPs too but now Dingo doesn't post much in the main forums any longer. If I want to read Dingo's stuff now, I need to go to the blogs.

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I guess now he is moving and had broadband connected (wait till he finds out he has to pay extra for moving his broadband connection it will be a blog to read) he wont get near the computer with all those female in the house.

I gave it a shot initially, and think their best use is as a neat archive place.

I will summarise projects that I've posted on them when I get some time, but that won't be for a while.

I'm talking about a double-up really, things that have already been posted in the forums, like the stool story, but this will give them somewhere else to sit, and will probably make them easier to read without the chit-chat, which in the forums is a very vital part of the whole deal!, but it can hamper searching later.

For me, the musing stuff is taken care of elsewhere, where I can keep track of comments and visitors myself (and I don't mean that in anyway to be disrespectful of this place). Like so many others I too update my personal pages sporadically and I thought about moving that stuff to here, but there's no real point, and some disadvantages. If anyone is interested in my stuff at bitingmidge.com they can subscribe to the RSS feed for updates, rather than having to log on each day/week and sift through all the others on the site.

Given the "more serious" nature of the entire site in latter times, I think I'd rather see the blogs as WIP or record threads, and keep the stories on a story thread where I'm more likely to see them on a regular basis.

Cheers,

P (in a moment of introspection)
:wink:

Cool Blog there bitingmidge some excellent photos anyone would think boats area past time

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Originally Posted by munruben

Nevertherless, having said all that, I am still a strong supporter of the WWF and love my daily visit to look around and share in the goings on here. Its a great place and I know that Neil and everyone else involved with it, do what they do to try and make it even better than what it is. I hope they don't take offence by my comments, they are purely my opinion and one thing I really appreciate in here is the freedom of voicing an opinion, whether it be right or wrong.

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Well said!

Maybe it's just me but most of people I know personally who maintain detailed blogs are already so full of it that the blogs appear to be yet another way of spreading it further. Worse still, when I (unfortunately) meet them physically they can't understand why I can't quote chapter and verse about the contents of the blog - surely I read their stuff, and when you say no they proceed to tell me about it !!!! (apparently the previous couple of sentences are the sorts of thing you are supposed to blog!)

It's probably like when I first discovered bulletin boards and command line email in 1990 and everyone else thought it was just a nerd thing and would never catch on! I remember a boss asking me why I bothered and hadn't I heard of the telephone and fax?

Thanks Wheelin'! :wink:

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Originally Posted by BobL

Maybe it's just me but most of people I know personally who maintain detailed blogs are already so full of it that the blogs appear to be yet another way of spreading it further.

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Absolutely! The great thing about them is that you're not forced to read them.

In our case, we use them as a way of communicating among our family and friends in various parts of the world. If others get a kick out of them, well good for them, but don't draw any conclusions about what they really mean!

As a good if nearly ancient friend of mine remarked recently:

Life is like a garden, you can choose to let it become overgrown with weeds, or you can fill it with beautiful flowers. If you want to have the biggest roses with the best scent, you have to really look after your garden, and the to do that, you have to spread a LOT of bullpoop.

So, don't bag the gardeners. If you don't like the smell of bull doodoo, go inside and watch tele!


Cheers,

P
:D:D:D

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Originally Posted by bitingmidge

. . . .
So, don't bag the gardeners. If you don't like the smell of bull doodoo, go inside and watch tele!

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Also well said! but, BM - I also can't imagine you would be the sort of person who would drag me out into the garden to take a whiff :D

Nope, I just bring the stuff with me!

P
:D:D

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Originally Posted by munruben

Personally I don't know if the blogs are a success

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I looked at them in the beginning but not anymore as they don't interest me sufficiently.

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Originally Posted by munruben

I have also observed that many who used to post on these forums, no longer do so on a regular basis.

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I come here primarily for the woodworking and as the board now has so many non woodworking subjects there is not that much to interests me, so I post less.

Also very often the answer to questions posed could be found by a simple search. We don't need to reinvent the wheel everytime and repost the same answer.

Also if I see too many sick jokes :(( in the new post search result I switch of and go elsewhere.


Peter.

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Originally Posted by munruben

But thats my point Ray, I enjoyed Dingo's rantings and ravings and WIPs too but now Dingo doesn't post much in the main forums any longer. If I want to read Dingo's stuff now, I need to go to the blogs.

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Sorry John not quite right ol son... Ive not been posting anywhere period for the past week or so in fact Ive spent very little time on the net at all... even with adsl the nets been boring the hell out of me for some time now :roll: so getting the enthusiasm up to post anywhere has just been a bit of a drag and with so many other things happening Ive just slowly trickled it down to an occasional post here an there as something grabs my attention or if I have time enough to respond.

I enjoy the whole ubeaut forum experience... although I still havent quite worked out what the blog area is actually for... I mean to post a WIP?? Not bloody likely! :doh: A WIP goes in the area of the forum MOST appropriate so people can find it and comment!! Where others can offer help assistance commentary other options etc as it progresses THATS where a WIP is meant to be! ...I sorta take the view that the blog is an area that we can use to blow off the excess energy or increadible life yarns we all have to share ASIDE from the forums... and we ALL have them!... Imagine if young chrome domed Christopha decided to regale us with his "yarns from Bidgey" :o ... thus by being in another area of the forum they dont blog up the forums themselves :q ... no need for the mods to use the dunny paper to clean up so often eh!! :2tsup:

But no I havent posted much at all of late... mmm must do somethin about that eh? :;
Cheers
me!!! :q

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Originally Posted by Wild Dingo

But no I havent posted much at all of late... mmm must do somethin about that eh? :;
Cheers
me!!! :q

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Look forward to that my friend. Welcome back.:)

I don't believe some of the comments here. This one for instance:

"I come here primarily for the woodworking and as the board now has so many non woodworking subjects there is not that much to interests me, so I post less."

The same forums are here that were here in the beginning, only now there are a heap more woodwork related forums. Sure there are a lot of others, but that doesn't detract from the fact that the woodwork forums are all still here, not only that but they are now getting more posts than ever before.

Apart from the top few forums you have to scroll down past 48 woodworking forums before you come to the first non woodwork forum - Metal Work.

"I preferred it when everyone saw the thread in the forum and could respond to the thread and offer opinions and comments on the article for us all to see."

The blogs are there for all to see, they can be answered and commented on and opinions can be offered, if the blogger allows it. There are a lot of posters who have never come back after their first few posts because they were chased away by over bearing self opinionated bullies. At least now a person can post a blog (if the wish) without the fear of being browbeaten, bullied or made to look a fool.

I use to love the bantering that went on in the open threads when posted in the forums but since the blogs a lot of this has vanished.

Loss of banter has more to do with the BS (Blokey shed) than the Blogs, it mostly went over there, to the good of the forums. We lost literally thousands of worthless posts a month and for that, most of us are eternally grateful.

I have also observed that many who use to post on these forums, no longer do so on a regular basis.

BS again. Not the Blogs. I say again.... We lost literally thousands of worthless, pointless, mindless, posts a month and for that, most of us are eternally grateful.

"I know there can be many reasons for this and may not be due to the blogs but it seems coincidental to say the least."

The coincidence is that the BS and Blogs both started at around the same time and so did the lack of constant drivel, hijacking of threads, mindless and worthless posts, etc. It's not that there are less posts in the forums, we are getting more than we have ever had before . It's more the fact that they're much better quality posts, with more genuine answers, without all the rot, making it much easier to follow threads without having to wade through a sea of mindless drivel to find an answer.

"I hope they don't take offence by my comments, they are purely my opinion and one thing I really appreciate in here is the freedom of voicing an opinion, whether it be right or wrong."

No offence taken munruben, quite the contrary. I personally welcome and appreciate everyones opinion. I may not agree with everyone just as not everyone will agree with me but at least it gives a chance to comment, inform or explain, our feelings and opinions to others. Without it I get no idea what others think.

I always appreciate feedback, whether good bad or indifferent, without it the forums wouldn't continue to go from strength to strength as they have so far.........

Hang on! Yes they would. We haven't had too many bad calls made in the 8 1/2 years they've been running.

We're now averaging around 16.5 million hits a month. Up by 5 million a month on last year and a whopping 9.5 million on 2005. Posts are up by around 27% on what they were 4 months ago when the blogs started and the drivel stopped.

Personally I'm not sure if the Blogs are good for the forum or not. From what I've seen they are, but whatever, they certainly haven't hurt the forums and will definitely be staying.

What we need to do now is divert some of members energies into a heap if WoodiesWiki entries and we could end up with the worlds best resource and knowledge base for Woodwork and other allied crafts, etc

Cheers - Neil :U

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Originally Posted by Ubeaut

What we need to do now is divert some of members energies into a heap if WoodiesWiki entries and we could end up with the worlds best resource and knowledge base for Woodwork and other allied crafts, etc

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mmmm a Woodies wiki eh? methinks one couldst contribute mightily to such a thing eh wot!! :2tsup:... if its anything like some of the bs Ive read on the actual wiki site then ooooh brother Niel can I give you some friggin entries to make yer hair stand up on end!! :o all wood related of course! :;

So ol chap how does one find such a thing as a woodies wiki? is it in some mysterious corner of the forum that I havent found yet or am I just wondering blindly about... as usual :doh:

ahem... dont worry... I found it... arruummm eerr I think I shalt leave thus area to the more intellegencia amongst us such as Derek and Christopha for tis for the serious side of nature an thus not for one such as I... aah nay laddiebuck dinna take me tha wrong way noow tis a foine thing ye do tis true indeed an rarely canna man find such a thing as tha Woodies Wiki thing... an thus tis a fine thing to have access to... but not for the likes of me I be the type of peanut tha asks questions rather than searches deep into the bowels of a word... a hammer be a friggin hammer after all eh wot? many a different type a hammer fer sure me boyo but still an all a hammer is a lump of metal on the end of a stick that yer whack the billio outta somefin wif!!

Cheerio an tallyho ol chaps!!

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Originally Posted by Wild Dingo

So ol chap how does one find such a thing as a woodies wiki? is it in some mysterious corner of the forum that I havent found yet or am I just wondering blindly about... as usual :doh:

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its up the top - next to your user cp:wink:

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Originally Posted by ss_11000

its up the top - next to your user cp:wink:

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Thanks for that Stirlo, Ii didn't even know they existed.. Will definitely be looking through there.:2tsup:

nah John dont do it son... cruel acedemic stuff in there :doh: :U

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Originally Posted by Wild Dingo

nah John dont do it son... cruel acedemic stuff in there :doh: :U

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Yeah, but you know what they say Shane, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. :D

I inserted and entry into the wikifor chainsaw mill just to see how easy it was. We have wikis at work but I hate it when other no-nothings change my perfecly goot espression rond and mess up wot I'm tryin to sayee!

Nice entry Bob. :2tsup:

Nice one Bob :2tsup: all we need now is a few hundred more entries..... a month.

Cheers - Neil:)