A few blogospheric things going on – it’s good to see Hoyden About Town nominated for the Weblog Awards – in the best midsized blog category. Here’s where you can vote. I haven’t paid a lot of attention to these awards – partly because they’re rather US-centric. The voting system also seems rather eccentric to me. But props to the crew at Hoyden.
It’s a pity that the Australian Blog Awards are no more – killed, I think, because the person who was running them got disheartened by the amount of negative flak he was receiving compared to the effort required to organise the whole process. But the OLO/Club Troppo awards are still with us – and the series has begun at OLO with an introduction from James Farrell.
Again, I think there are a number of issues which could be raised about the way in which the awards are framed – in particular the equation of a post with an op/ed – which I think reflects an earlier phase of the Australian blogosphere. I’m not sure there’s all that much value in seeing blogging as akin to op/ed writing – OLO provides a venue for op/eds outside the MSM, and I think that’s excellent, but blogging really is a different form. On a recent thread about motivations to blog, I think TimT summed up the difference very nicely indeed. But, still, there’s no doubt going to be lots of good stuff to read among the winners.
Not surprised if Vlado gave up on the blog awards. I recall* one year he ran it (this being those glory days of Australian blogging when I was still operating Hot Buttered Death), possibly the first year he did so, someone in the comments to his post demanded that no leftist blogs should be considered for awards. Given the prevalence of this sort of dickhead in the blogosphere (or at least the comments boxes of same) back in those days (circa 2003/4, I suppose it must’ve been), I wouldn’t have been surprised if Vlado had just given up on the whole awards thing immediately back then.
* And if someone can explain to me why I remember useless shit of this nature rather than stuff I actually WANT to remember that will do me more good in future, I’ll be grateful…
James, there was one RWDB blogger in particular whose relentless (and I mean relentless) negativism might have had a lot to do with Vlado’s decision. It was a real pity in my view – it was a very well set up and thought through process.
Well, trying to make the blogosphere arrive at any kind of consensus is like trying to herd cats on acid in zero gravity.
Well, Nabs, I think the other thing going on here is that “the blogosphere” as such doesn’t exist in the same form it used to. Perhaps it doesn’t exist at all – as an entity with a unity and a sense of unity, that is.
True. I used the term louchely loosely but even though the map is not the territory I personally still see all this online blogstuff as a shapeless, protoplasmic and often Lovecraftian biomass.
“My opinion of my whole experience varies from time to time. In broad daylight, and at most seasons I am apt to think the greater part of it a mere dream; but sometimes in the autumn, about two in the morning when winds and animals howl dismally, there comes from inconceivable depths below a damnable suggestions of rhythmical throbbing …”
Opps ,that was my neighbours complaining about me playing R L Burnside loudly at this hour.
“…when I was still operating Hot Buttered Death…”
Ah, now there</em. was blog…
…was a blog.
Geez. Wot price that goddamned preview button, Leppy?
What does it say about me that I only recognised one blog in “Best Aus & NZ”?
I recognised two!
What does it say about me that I only recognised one blog in “Best Aus & NZ”?
Meanwhile, I’m wondering why they called it “Best Aus & NZ” when all finalists come from only one of the countries listed.
The nominations in almost all of the categories are… weird.
Agreed, Rob.
A friend of mine referred earlier over drinks to the nominations in the “best midsized lesbian blog” category – but I now see she was being a tad facetious.
But if anyone is thinking of voting in the “Best LGBT Blog” stakes, I recommend “This Girl Called Automatic Win”:
http://marielynbernard.blogspot.com/
Also, the author is one of my Facebook friends. Expession of solidarity, etc.
I’ll have to speak up for Pam’s House Blend in that category. There are a few real dogs in that competition though, I have to say.