BS: Is Mudcat a 'Blog'?

Subject: BS: Is Mudcat a 'Blog'?
From: Johnny in OKC
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 12:49 AM

Hello fellow Mudcatters.

I'm not sure what a "blog" is. I have heard about
them on the radio, but they never describe how it
works. Something about messages on the internet.

I suspect Mudcat might be a "blog".
If this isn't a blog, what is?

Love, Johnny in OKC

Subject: RE: BS: Is Mudcat a 'Blog'?
From: Amergin
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 12:51 AM

it's a web log...where people who think othr people give a shit write about every inane detail of their lives...this is a message board.

Subject: RE: BS: Is Mudcat a 'Blog'?
From: Johnny in OKC
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 01:00 AM

where people who think othr people give a shit write about every inane detail of their lives

Amergin, that is REALLY REALLY FUNNY ! THANKS!

Subject: RE: BS: Is Mudcat a 'Blog'?
From: CarolC
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 01:13 AM

I've blogged here in the Mudcat a few times, although I didn't know it was called 'blogging' when I first did it. In a way, a 'blog' is sort of a diary that anyone can read. I kept an on-line diary of a trip to Canada I took a few years ago, and I did a little bit of blogging about our stay (me and JtS) in Michigan this past summer, in threads here in the Mudcat. I think Naemanson's Guam thread could be considered a blog.

I don't think everyone who does it cares if others give a shit about what we write when we blog. Personally, when I do it, it's mostly for my own enjoyment (because I enjoy writing), and I guess I have a slightly exhibitionist streak in that I sometimes enjoy doing it in a public place (like the Mudcat). And sometimes it's nice to get feedback from people who read it from time to time. And the best part, for me, is being able to go back and read about my experiences long after they happened. It's sort of like I'm using the Mudcat as a part of my brain.

It's difficult to explain why it's sometimes more appealing to do that sort of thing in a public forum than just in a word processing program, or on a piece of paper, except that for me, a forum like the Mudcat is a living breathing thing. And that makes it nicer.

Subject: RE: BS: Is Mudcat a 'Blog'?
From: Amos
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 01:59 AM

Most voices sound better when heard, I submit.

No, the Mudcat is not a Blog, although some of the threads like "Life in Guam" and "Marion's Busking" are close.

Blog is short for WeB LOG, and it is a site where one person writes a daily or intermittent series of entries recording thie rlives or thoguhts or escapades or whatever.

Here, for example, is a blog written by an Iraqi correspondent named Raed which is widely known.

Hope this helps,

A

Subject: RE: BS: Is Mudcat a 'Blog'?
From: Cluin
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 03:11 AM

I used to think a "blog" was what ended up in the kleenex when I blew my nose.

Pretty much the same thing, actually.

Subject: RE: BS: Is Mudcat a 'Blog'?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 04:42 AM

No Cluin, that's a 'bogie' or 'booger'.

A blog is what happens to your nose when you have a cold, thus producing bogies.

Thus: 'By dose is blogged.'

There are bloggy aspects about some of these threads but on the whole, the 'Cat is a message board.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Is Mudcat a 'Blog'?
From: paddymac
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 09:29 PM

So, is "streaking" a 3-D (or maybe 4-D) version of "blogging" ?

Subject: RE: BS: Is Mudcat a 'Blog'?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 09:37 PM

The "faint of heart" may wish to censor the following post, or at least some of it.

The blog probably started mostly with kids who thought it was "cool" to have their own web site, and then couldn't think of anything to post. The concept has been picked up by some real nuts, and a few more serious "bloggers," and seems to be getting to be pretty popular. Although a majority of blog sites are pretty inane, and some outright lunatic (you pick which is which) some companies have actually encouraged employees to creat blog sites, as a means of "keeping people in touch."

One example of a fairly useful one can be found at Jim Louderbeck's blog. Louderbeck does a weekly "whats new" e-column, and much of the stuff at his blog site is just copied from there, but you do get some "little extras" with stuff that's opionionated, trivial, or just curious – but doesn't fit in the column. Jim has said "they made me do it."

eWeek has a page linked from their "Microsoft Watch" with "A List of Current and Former Microsoft Employees Who Blog:" at Microsoft bloggers. These are listed by the name of the blogger who runs the page. Pick a favorite enemy and see what he/she is talking about. If you know the right ones to watch, you can sometimes pick up some "what's happening" info, but it usually takes more time to wade through the trivia than the little bits are worth. The list is "impressive" in its extent, but you make your own evaluation of the blog content.

Censor from here down, if needed.

The "new" phenomenon is the "photo-blog." While they violate the criterion that one blogger should "own" the blog site and be the source of all the material posted, there are several sites where people with "phonecams" can take a picture (with their digital telephone's built in minicamera) and have it immediately transmitted and posted. Pictures can only be sent from a "phonecam," so you can't "fake your way in" from a computer. One of the first, and possible the only still "all free" ones is at mobog. (You can click on the "Censored" at the top to "uncensor" and see everything, but it doesn't really matter because it only "censors" what the "submittor" tags as objectionable.) Perhaps encouraging for a brief look if you think your photos are a little amateur or inane, but be warned that this stuff seems to be most popular with the "young and h…ny." NOT for children, although there are several other similar "technology" sites that might be.

One that amounts to a blog, at Obscenely named site was started by the same guy who runs mobog when he got ticked off at similar sites that purport to tell you what companies you should invest in. This one tells you what ones have f…d up and are about to "tank" – in his opinion. He does have a "credible" scoring system, and you might get useful information here, although the "format" is borderline.

NO RECOMMENDATION IS MADE that anyone actually use any of the above.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Is Mudcat a 'Blog'?
From: Amos
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 09:43 PM

John:

'S awright, man -- the link's 404d out anyway! :>)

A

Subject: RE: BS: Is Mudcat a 'Blog'?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 09:43 PM

I should pretend I messed up the links above on purpose, but just so you don't have to read the source:

The "new" phenomenon is the "photo-blog." While they violate the criterion that one blogger should "own" the blog site and be the source of all the material posted, there are several sites where people with "phonecams" can take a picture (with their digital telephone's built in minicamera) and have it immediately transmitted and posted. Sort of a "communal blog." One of the first, and possible the only still "all free" ones is at mobog. (You can click on the "Censored" at the top to "uncensor" and see everything, but it doesn't really matter because it only "censors" what the "submittor" tags as objectionable.) Perhaps encouraging for a brief look if you think your photos are a little amateur or inane, but be warned that this stuff seems to be most popular with the "young and h…ny." NOT for children, although there are several other "similar technology" sites that might be.

One that amounts to a blog, at Obscenely named site was started by the same guy who runs mobog when he got ticked off at similar sites that purport to tell you what companies you should invest in. This one tells you what ones have f…d up and are about to "tank" – in his opinion. He does have a "credible" scoring system. You might actually get useful information from this one, although the "format" may be objectionable.

NO RECOMMENDATION that anyone actually use any of the above.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Is Mudcat a 'Blog'?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 09:45 PM

Amos - yeah, I shoulda' had second second thoughts.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Is Mudcat a 'Blog'?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 10:09 PM

Well, our bloggy threads are usually (always so far IMO) of interest to a large number of Catters. You can tell because they get posts, and they don't draw flames.

And they tend, being written by musicians, to talk about music before very long, no matter how they may start.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Is Mudcat a 'Blog'?
From: Rapparee
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 10:18 PM

Aw, Susan, that's silly. Just 'cause folks are musicians doesn't mean that they can't change tempo! Just look above the salt: there are folks looking at folklore and even medical threads from someone named Dr. Guitar. I could probably write as much as a hundred words, maybe more, on the Cat and maybe never mention music more than two or three times.

Subject: RE: BS: Is Mudcat a 'Blog'?
From: Rapparee
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 10:19 PM

I forgot the mention that no, Mudcat isn't a blog. Mudcat is a madhouse of sanity. It can get its talons into you, too, so beware of sanity claws.

Subject: RE: BS: Is Mudcat a 'Blog'?
From: Bill D
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 11:12 PM

well, it is easy to see from 'mobog' what things are coming to. I knew the minute I saw a Polaroid camera the first time what they would be used for..*grin*...and when digital and the WWW arrived, both the amount, variety and quality of porn would be forever altered. (I suppose that soon even, with new technology, submitted pics of Susie-Q's bottom will no longer be blue!)

This is not a trivial matter, for as far as I can see, there is NO practical way to have serious censorship any longer, and people's perception of what is acceptable and/or possible now has few limits. This may not be a problem, but only a 'difference'. The world changed when birth control pills were invented, and it is changing more with with the internet/WWW than we can imagine. 'Blogs' may be an important part of the society in 20 years.