The web is off-kilter.
And like everything bad in this world, I accept full responsibility for it.
One of these days… possibly in the next few months, I am reformatting this page. I want to go for a more “newsier” type format. A “Top Story” and then excerpts to whatever else I put down. You’ll notice I don’t UPDATE much, because most people rarely read past the first post, so I want to make it so they can catch *everything* with a mere glance, and save themselves hours of surfing through crap on the web.
I’ve been taking stock here, looking around at all of the broken stuff, seeing what could use improvement. One of the great strengths of WHUZZUP was that it was a “one-stop” source of news and gossip all over the place. Now that I’ve taken a step or three back away FROM people on a personal basis, I think can cover things more objectively like:
- Flamewars and conflicts
- Entertainment
- Spotlight sites
- New finds
- Say a prayer for:
- Other people’s web projects & causes
- News we’d REALLY like to see
- Freebies
I mean, it’s not like people are keeping their promises to “stay out of my pool”, anyway. Fact of the matter is, some people refuse to admit to themselves that they are drawn to this stuff like moths to a flame.
The trick here is to lay out the facts without taking sides. Yes, I’ve always had a “slant”… but with all of the emotional knee-jerking blogs that take one side of a story as gospel truth… I can see that doesn’t work very well. It then becomes a case of “Who can scream the loudest”.
What people forget is that blogs are merely “one person telling their side of the story”.
… most people are full of shit.
It’s a statistical and proven fact.
You would think two years after KayCee, we would stop assembling lynch mobs every time some outlandish claim would come out that a blogger lost a job or had their lives turned topsy-turvy because some rival in a flame war took things a little TOO personal.
Where is the evidence? Where is the proof to your claims?
I’m sorry, your word isn’t good enough anymore. At least not here.
So give me a few weeks to whip something up. A new format, where we take the web to the next step.
I’m still tossed on “comments”.
Despite the intelligence of a lot of people that come and visit me, comments have brought me nothing but trouble and aggravation. People also tend to take the subject up on their sites if I don’t offer a place for people to share their views (more links for me CHA-CHING!). I also hate the way people feel “obligated” to comment on every post. I don’t want to do that to people.
… then there is the occasional anonymous coward. That’s a rant right there in itself. There is a hack now that allows you to approve comments… but I don’t want to do that to people either. It screws the whole concept of “freeform discussion”.
Perhaps certain topics will be comments-enabled. Some wont.
Perhaps a message board where people would have to log in is the answer. Give this section of CyberSpace a sense of “community”.
And for the last time, gang… THIS IS NOT A BLOG! Nor is it representative of this entire site.
I’m playing with some ideas.
What’s your opinion? We’d like to know.
EricBrooks.Com® – Like FOX News, except we really **TRY** to be “Fair and Balanced”.
even with your ‘slant’ you usually come across more impartial than some other sites I’ve seen that jump INTO the middle of flame-wars.
I’ll admit, I love a good flamewar…even if between people I don’t know *s*
I like the message board idea, but have seen many of them be put up, very popular for a while, then die a slow death. I prefer comments because you have the whole thread in one place…but have never felt the need to comment on every post ‘just because’
Points well-taken.
Personally, I also think a message board is just way too cumbersome. I’m thinking of going 100% PHP-Nuke, then people can chose skins, everything is stored on an SQL file, and I can make regular backups… and there will be a message board if it so behooves us.
… or maybe even resurrect the Z-List?
I really love all I can do on the PA Music awards site with PHPNuke it’s such a flexible program… plus you can make your own modules.
And the Dave Winer/Echo Project/Movable Type feud makes me want to DROP MT just for the sake of peace in this town…
Mmmm…I can almost smell the garlic. I’d give anything for a clove.
I love your comments section, although I know it’s tiring for you sometimes, as you dive, freestyle here and there, Icarus, flames tickling your wings. Message boards? I can’t figure ’em out… waste of time, cumbersome. You do whatever you want to, it’s your site. But, I would love to be able to speak when spoken to. And often, your writing speaks to me. I feel a need to reply sometimes.
Now fess up: was there really garlic ice cream at the festival? My stomach is doing flip-flops.
Oh, don’t worry – I never feel obligated to comment.
I mean, it’s not like you’ll love and adore me any less, is it?
Honey – screw what anyone else thinks. Do what you want and what makes you happy. But for God’s sake, make up your mind already! *g*
I got something to say and no time to say it, right now that is. ‘I’ll be back’, and yes, that *has* become my personal signature, why do you ask? lol …
I say do what you want to do.
For me personally? I’m a convenience enthusiast (read: lazy) and will do whatever is easiest, so I probably wouldn’t make my way over to a message board too often. But then again, I don’t make my way INTO comments too often either, so I’m not sure my opinions should have too much impact on your decision.
Nope… no Garlic Ice cream (thank God.)
I jotted some thoughts on the Garlic Festival here. I could re-write it all here… but like Misty, I’m a “convenience enthusiast” too. :0)
So you guys REALLY wanna bring the Z-List back?
I must have missed something … what is this about bringing the z-list back?
Anyway, like most moths, I do enjoy a good (clean) heated debate/flamewar, but lately those things have been turning mighty ugly. I can’t stomach folks threatening others with job loss or worse, as in the case of what was (allegedly) done to Venomous Kate. That’s where I draw the line, and where I’ll also take the liberty of using my back button.
As for comments – I can take ’em or leave ’em. Sometimes I have something to add, sometimes I don’t, but when I do, you can bet you’ll hear FROM me one way or another. Also, I hate discussion boards.
“Most people are full of shit.”
Let’s say I try not to allow that to happen, that corked up feeling sucks. I’m great friends with my toilet seat.
Back to the real comment….
Do whatever you please with your site. I will always CHECK in form time to time because this is a irie (Jamaican for nice) site, even if it is to leave a shitty comment like this one!
Stay cool dude!
But will you have any eye candy, that’s the real question? Can we skin the site with the likes of Angelina Jolie or Gina Gershon? That’s what is really important.
Gawd… I thought I was the only person on the planet who had the hots for Gina Gershon…
You got great taste, Tracy. We gotta hit a club and pick up some chicks sometime! :0)
why do you have to change things? why can’t you simply do what you want, how you want, when you want?
I guess that’s what I don’t get. why allow so many others to rule what you do?
If you like comments, then keep them. DELETE the ones that irritate you.
Personally, I would not participate in a message board – been there, done that – isn’t for me. I like to be able to read whats on folks minds – and then either DROP a note or go – and move on to something else or sneak back to my own little world.
Then again, your mileage may vary….
I couldn’t agree more with most of what you’ve said, especially in light of some things that have happened to me in the past few days. I think you should do what’s best for you. I don’t see you as particularly subjective most of the time, although perhaps I am just as biased in my views on you and what you write.
I’ve placed your page in the category blogs and for that I’m sorry, I’m however not so sorry that I will take the time to create a new linkcategory just for you. I don’t have time to argue with anyone anymore no matter how much I want to, so I’ll just pretend to totally agree with everything you say here
Nice to see you’re still posting and still the same old you.
Meh, like deb said – your site, your space. Use it how you like. I don’t really fancy the idea of a forum/message board thing. They’re inane. I’m a comment whore. I like it that way.