Blogger Award (why?) and Professionalism (Eye of the Beholder)
Okay, I’ve been thinking about this for awhile, and was thinking that I didn’t want to rock the boat, but a couple things I’ve seen recently just kind of sent me over the edge. It’s not like me to NOT speak my mind either, so at the risk of pissing people off, here we go.
First off, I think a single Best Blogger award is well intentioned but too simplistic idea. Jess knows I love her to death, so this is not a dig at her. I just think trying to distill down our community into one best blogger is pretty futile. To me, there is no Domino blogger that really rises that far above the crowd. Maybe Ed, or Mary Beth or Volker. And of course, Volker would argue (correctly) that he isn’t a Domino blogger. Others might argue that Volker’s posts are too inflammatory against Lotus. To me, I disagree. He is a great counter-balance to all the rah rah’s out there. You need both, and our community has both.
The reason I think this is one of the best blogging communities in the tech world is because of the combination of all of our voices. There is not a day goes by that I don’t find a valuable post in my feed reader. Every single day someone’s voice rises above the din and gives me some really killer info, makes me laugh, or solves a problem. I can’t say that about my other feed groups.
So to me, if you have to pick out the absolute best Domino blogger, It’s the community as a whole. Cheezy I know, but I truly feel that way.
Now I think if you broke out the Domino blogger awards into many categories, it makes a lot more sense:
- Favorite end-user tip
- Favorite administration post
- Favorite development post
- Favorite piece of code
- Favorite entertaining post
- Favorite companion product post
- Favorite Lotus informational post
- Favorite thread
etc. etc. You could include several different favorite blogs in there as well, and maybe an overall favorite blog makes sense at that point. I kind of like the word Favorite rather than Best too. Lastly, Chris put out the following:
“In my own mind, the criteria should include professionalism which absolutely means that profanity or other questionable content should never be included.”
Really? I know you said “In my mind” but let me say that I completely disagree with you as I always have on this issue. This is my personal blog, and quite frankly, if I want to include profanity or risque content I will. Should that completely render everything else I do moot? Maybe to a couple goody-two shoes, and that’s fine. But to disqualify me simply on those grounds is ludicrous.
In fact, you nominated Chris Linfoot (well deserved I might add) and today he points out that expertsexchange.com translates to Expert Sex Change. He emphasizes sexchange.com over and over (and in bold nonetheless). I think it’s hilarious myself, and made me pay more attention to the posting. But, would THAT be “questionable content?” Limiting nominees due to the most conversative sensibilities is well, simply, fucked.
November 20, 2007 @ 12:35 pm
Of course we have to disagree, that is OK. That is why you are going to rot in h-e-double hockey sticks…but then again so am I.
Perhaps I should not put it in terms of an “absolute disqualification”, but with so much good content out there, how does one draw a a line? The reality is the blog selected will represent our software community as a whole, to the rest of our world. Including our children.
And I only added “questionable content” so people using profanity would not feel bad.
It is not a question of trying to be a “goody two shoes”, but how we as a community want to be represented in a spotlight like this award.
And look, you and I agree on the topic of categories! But you laid it out much better than I did and I thank you!
November 20, 2007 @ 12:53 pm
The question then becomes, am I not a good representative of the Lotus Blogging community?
I would argue that I am.
And really ‘including our children?’ PUH-LEEEEZE. No children are reading my blog. Also, if you teach your kids that words are just words and you can use language to convey different things in different contexts, I think they’ll be okay.
Don’t make certain words too powerful by recoiling at their mention and trying to censor things based on their use.
-John
November 20, 2007 @ 1:19 pm
“Limiting nominees due to the most conversative sensibilities is well, simply, fucked.”
Effin’ A! I would have said “Fuckin’ A”, but I’m too big a pussy. Oops!
But seriously, I couldn’t agree more on the issue of language. It isn’t about the words used but the context of them. Blogs, much like other media are consumed by choice. Those who are sensitive to language can choose not to view those blogs whose tone is not in keeping with their sensibilities. There is no shame in that. One size does not fit all and thank God for that.
As for blogging awards, much like any other awards they strike me as a self congratulatory waste of time and will further segment out blogging community which already has an established set of “stars”. They already received awards, great stats. I’d much rather see attention paid to the newer voices out there that might not otherwise get noticed and may have alot to offer.
And that’s all I have to say about that.
BTW, should bad grammer or spelling be a disqualifying item as well? What about non-English sites?
November 20, 2007 @ 2:09 pm
John, I am not recoiling at the words themselves. It is more a recoiling how, somehow, the use of this language has become acceptable in public discussions. Again, it is my view and is probably a mostly minority point of view anyway. But I have the right to offer it, as do you and everybody else.
Feckin’ A! (If I am not in Ireland, does this count as a cuss?
)
November 20, 2007 @ 3:24 pm
Hi Greykawk! I think it’s worth mentioning that the blogger awards weren’t my idea, nor am I running them. I just host the LUG blog where they told me to post the announcement about them.
I posted in the comments on Nathan’s blog that I agree about the multiple categories, sort of like the Oscars. I’ll pass on the feedback to the LUG folks.
November 20, 2007 @ 3:29 pm
BTW, Grey, I agree about the language issue. I’m an advocate of having your own voice, and I think that also means not compromsing one’s integrity to stay true to that voice. That’s what makes a person great! I had actually submitted an abstract on “Blogging Best Practices” which included a primer on the technique of writing itself. Too often I feel that blogging gets caught up technicalities like “which template to use” and “which cool layout should I follow” and there’s not enough “How can I improve my writing quality” and “How can I relate to my readers more?”
November 20, 2007 @ 3:59 pm
Hi Jess, I only mentioned you so it didn’t come off as a personal attack. Just wanted to make sure
And I understand that some people can’t stand profanity. That’s fine. This blog is not for them then.
I’m not blogging as a face of a business or company. I’m blogging as me. As such, I’ll go back to the living room analogy. This is like talking to me in MY living room.
It’s not what I consider a public forum. People are coming HERE to read me, not congregating in a public place.
The reason this annoys me so much is that Chris, you make it cut and dry. If you have profanity, you should not be allowed to be nominated.
So I’ll ask the question again (which you avoided once already.) Am I a good representative of the Domino blogging community?
By your all or nothing estimation, the answer would HAVE to be no. I just think you need to have wiggle room.
Nice to hear from you David. I do agree, we need more new voices, and it would be nice to be able to get more people involved always. We may have some stars as you say, but most of those people are very inclusive types. More so then I see in other venues. But anyway, I do get what you are saying about awards in general. And I do agree for the most part.
Anyway, fun discussion
-Grey
November 20, 2007 @ 4:12 pm
David, you’ve also hit the nail right on the head when you talk about blogs that might go unnoticed otherwise. Once again, it’s all about the writing quality. If the writing is good, it will not go unnoticed. The blogging awards I’m sure were intended as a fun way to get everyone psyched for Lotusphere, but they might end up having a much greater effect – people may realize a popular name will only get you so far. Quality counts for a lot!
November 20, 2007 @ 4:14 pm
dude as i read this i was nodding my head the entire time. awesome post. i couldn’t agree more on every single point. well said sir.
i like the idea of nominating POSTS rather than entire blogs. i’ve thought of doing my own little award based on that idea, just for the fun of it, but of course like most things never got around to it.
you have the sense of what our corner of the blogosphere actually IS as a community exactly right. it’s the mix of voices that make it what it is. it’s a complex thing that transcends things like awards or grades or categories. i do appreciate the sentiment behind the award, very cool as far as it goes and well meant i’m sure, but i think the people behind it don’t quite “get it”. i don’t mean that in a mean way. i just think you have to blog, and to be involved in the community (the community of bloggers, which is of course a subset of the larger community), and then john’s sentiments will become clear.
nathan’s post about this was also spot on and demonstrates quite well, there just isn’t a way to pick out one blog that hits their criteria dead on. i don’t know how you would do it. the quality of the blogs in the community is pretty high, and therefore the individuality is also high. that is what blogs are about, individual and highly distinctive voices. i’d hate to see even well meaning social pressure come to bear on the expression of that individuality.
overall though it is a nice idea. i just think posts instead of blogs will be way easier to nominate and judge and will have a stronger positive effect on the community. thanks to the ppl at lotususergroup.org for taking the time to conceive and administer it. whoever is responsible for this should get an award for being, like, extra cool and stuff.
November 20, 2007 @ 4:35 pm
Sorry, I was not avoiding the question. Of course you are a good representative of the community, a very good one.
But we all have our views. That is why I will not use the “community endorsed” image for Show and Tell Thursday. Funny as it is, I do not want it on my blog.
Please stop pickin’ on me. It is not like I said if you smoke cigars you are should not be considered.
November 20, 2007 @ 8:00 pm
Thanks Chris, I don’t mean to be pickin’ on you. I just know you aren’t as absolute as some of your statements come across sometimes.
I think of you as good representation too, even though you and I disagree as much as we agree sometimes.
It’s just when you say “should never be included” I get my feathers ruffled.
FYI, you’re always welcome in my living room
-Grey
November 20, 2007 @ 9:41 pm
Gonna start a campfire on the beach at Lotusphere, bring some guitars, and we can all sing Kumbaya
November 21, 2007 @ 2:56 pm
I should just point out that, over here in dear old Blighty (look it up), the topic of Sex Change would not be considered profane. Disturbing perhaps, but profane, no.
Oh and thanks to anyone who nominated me. I agree with Grey here – we’re all winners really
November 23, 2007 @ 10:18 am
Questionable content? Profanity? Well, I’m buggered then, and have been since my site started
I think the “best Domino blogger” thing is indeed too simplistic, but hey, it will be fun to see who pops out.
As I type this, I can’t help but think of the “Bloggies”… they used to be quite a big thing didn’t they, but you don’t hear much about them now.
{ Link }
December 1, 2007 @ 8:59 pm
Man, this shit is unreal. 😛
Thanks for the shout-out, by the way. I don’t seek the nomination for this award — I’d love to see the community recognize the community.
December 4, 2007 @ 10:17 am
Chris, I don’t personally find the topic of sex changes offensive myself. I just wanted to point out that someone who finds the word fuck offensive would probably find sex changes offensive too. Just found it a funny dichotomy.
Oh yeah Ben, you are absolutely screwed
And Ed, too funny. Oh NOES, the official voice of IBM said shit!!! eeeeek. Also, make no mistake, you may be IBM, but you are definitely part of this community. A nomination would be well deserved… although it would have been nice to have Best IBM Lotus Blogger and Best Community blogger split up if they were going to do it.
-Grey