Blogs

[Slingblade61]

As I surf around the net looking at different golf sites I have been noticing blogs more and more. I never thought they were much more than one man admiration societies but I have come to notice a couple of common elements which appear to be true no matter what the subject.

Bloggers are all, clearly, extroverts.....they have things to say and they use their own soapbox to do it, I like that.

The one thing I found most interesting is that nearly all of them link to one and other. There is one notable exception who links to no one at all....even though I think they should.... I'll leave the rest to your imagination.

I noticed this because this is something most forum guy's would never dream of. I suppose the forum guy's have this irrational fear of losing members which the blogger could apparently care less about.

I support the blogger philosophy on this, I spent much of the day surfing golf blogs. I have links to some of them and have bookmarked many more....I'll be adding the links during the week.

If you don't generally read blogs, you should. There are lot's of talented golf bloggers out there...one or two of them even hang out here.

Pay attention forum dudes......this is the wave of the future.

 

[Farquod]

One of my writers, who among other things is a sportswriter who covers the NBA, has begun a blog, and notes that it is the software that is the bomb. Easy to use, fast updating, simple maintenance. He agrees with your assessment about the "wave of the future."

Most of the blogs I've seen are not very interactive, more like editorial and comments. The beauty of the forum is the back and forth. Any reason you couldn't adapt the software to do this kinda stuff? Maybe then the best of both worlds...

Here's the blog link. I haven't gone through it yet, but figured I should post it:

http://www.truehoop.com/

 

[Slingblade61]

Adapt the software to do what?

I don't think you want to mix the two as they are very different and distinct animals. One is a form of diary and the other is akin to the old party line.

The beauty of both is that anyone can do it. You don't have to be a trained professional writer to be "heard"......which get's us back to the "wave of the future", huh?

When you say. "one of my writers"...refresh my memory, are you a blogger too? I know mediaguru, I can't keep all the screen names straight so forgive me if I missed a connection.

 

[Farquod]

Adapt the software to do what?

I don't think you want to mix the two as they are very different and distinct animals. One is a form of diary and the other is akin to the old party line.

The beauty of both is that anyone can do it. You don't have to be a trained professional writer to be "heard"......which get's us back to the "wave of the future", huh?

Ease of use is always a plus. If it's apples and oranges, okey-dokey.

I like the diary/party line analogy, and that was my perception. Again, just 'cause people don't want other people snooping and writing in their diaries doesn't mean they can't. And if the software's easier.... Again, I don't know Jack.

As to being heard, the noise increases as the party gets bigger, so increased access doesn't necessarily increase exposure. Network TV still exists, no? For every CNN there's a zillion wannabees....

 

[Slingblade61]

Thou dost speaketh in riddles sir.

Forgive my addled brain for your point doth escape me.

I will say this.....Ever since my very earliest internet exposure I have been a forum junkie, I love the back and forth, give and take aspect. Throw in the international participation and I am completely hooked! I enjoy reading the blogs but I'll never write one.

 

[Bravo]

I've dipped my toe in the water on blogs. I can certainly see that on an "issue" - a blogging will be The method of on-line discussion...

The thing I like about forums is the back and forth as was previously mentioned and the fact that the members get to know each other, even though they have never met personally. Kind of a throwback to the old "pen pals" days...

 

[Farquod]

your point doth escape me.

Simply that, if the blogging software is so simple to administer, could it be adapted for forum use? From the sound of things, the answer is "nope."

 

[mediaguru]

Ok, I'll chime in here. I've got what I "hope" is one of the top golf blogs out there. I want my golf blog to be THE top one but there's really no way of measuring it because it is somewhat subjective. I too have been a forum junky. I have several blogs and 3 forums myself. I started my golf forum first and about a month later my golf blog. I link them back and forth and do get cross traffic between them, but the blog has grown much faster than the forum.

The reason blogs are cool is because of the collective power they have. I may post a small article about some new golf item and 5 other blogs link to it. So all the sudden my reader base for that article just grew big time. I in turn link to interesting articles on their blogs and the community as a whole gets huge. I have a friend who started a political blog: http://www.command-post.org. He's up to over 7 Million hits now and actually got press credentials as a "blogger" to the replublican and democratic conventions! He's the one who suggested I start blogging.

There are cool forums like this one who do allow linking to other sites. I think you shoot yourself in the foot if you don't do this. There are some golf forums and blogs who don't allow any linking because it is a "business." What they don't seem to understand is that their "business" would probably grow faster if they drafted off all the other sites as well. Most bloggers understand that and the more links they have, the faster their OWN blogs grow. I probably have the biggest link section of golf blogs out there. I've posted a few articles on my blog about this, but the most recent covers some of this: http://www.hookedongolfblog.com/?p=193

As far as the blogs not being interactive I'll have to differ there. My blog is fairly interactive. I have comments, polls and tons of links to other sites (including shottalk). I've even linked to other other blogs who are too snotty to link back. Each blog post is not much different than a new subject in a forum. The blogger starts the thread, and users comment on it. Blogs aren't necessarily one user journals. They can have as many "contributors" as a forum. Blogs like www.gizmondo.com and www.slashdot.com (tech/gadget blogs) have posts with over 1000 comments! Click on their site numbers....scarrrry 57 million hits?

Having set up several blogs and forums, YES blogs are easier to set up and administer. Blogs are elegant in their simplicity. But with that ease of use and many free hosts, there are a lot of crappy blogs that all look the same because people are all using the same templates. One of the largest golf blogs out there still just uses the boring stock blogger template. But the CONTENT is the key. If you have good content, you'll get readers.

The other cool thing about bloggers is that we're all buddies. Competeing golf forums (shottalk and my forum excluded) are almost like bitter enemies who hate each other. They post bad stuff and trash talk about each other. They seem to think that there is a finite number of "users" out there and try to keep them all to themselves. The reality about the web is that there are MILLIONS upon MILLIONS of users out there. There isn't a finite size to the web "pie." Bloggers don't worry about other blogs taking their piece of the pie, bloggers MAKE THE PIE BIGGER.

Us bloggers all have some sense of "community" as well. We're like lost brothers. Just through golf blogging I've made a bunch of new friends. I have several cities around the world that I'll have instant golf partners if I'm in town. And if any of those buddies are in my town the same applies. One golf blogger/writer is coming to my state this summer and we (and a couple other golf bloggers) are golfing for a few days together.

Here are my two main blogs:
http://www.hookedongolfblog.com
http://www.prosoundblog.com

In addition I'm a contributor at http://www.theappleblog.com

My two main forums:
http://www.webcountryclub.com
http://www.prosoundblog.com/phpBB2/index.php

I have a couple others but they're just for family/friends.

 

[Farquod]

As far as the blogs not being interactive I'll have to differ there. My blog is fairly interactive. I have comments, polls and tons of links to other sites (including shottalk)....

Having set up several blogs and forums, YES blogs are easier to set up and administer. Blogs are elegant in their simplicity.

Yah. Again, not having ever been involved in the technical aspect, this is what I understood to be the case.

The reason blogs are cool is because of the collective power they have. I may post a small article about some new golf item and 5 other blogs link to it. So all the sudden my reader base for that article just grew big time. I in turn link to interesting articles on their blogs and the community as a whole gets huge.

I've heard this before too, the "neural net" kinda thing. That was the other aspect of blogs that seemed different from straight forum setups. The question becomes, though, does it add to the noise, or help to parse it? Does it help raise an individual voice above the din, or simply add it to the din?

 

[Slingblade61]

Competeing golf forums (shottalk and my forum excluded) are almost like bitter enemies who hate each other

I wouldn't go quite that far but I do get the cold shoulder from alot of "competitors" One site in particular is absolutly Stalinist in it's self protection....sad, really.

Other's, Doublegolf and golfreview are pretty cool about it but they are the exception.

I think you shoot yourself in the foot if you don't do this. There are some golf forums and blogs who don't allow any linking because it is a "business." What they don't seem to understand is that their "business" would probably grow faster if they drafted off all the other sites as well.

I could not agree more! I find the dug in heels attitude exhibited, most baffling.

 

[mediaguru]

Yah. Again, not having ever been involved in the technical aspect, this is what I understood to be the case.




I've heard this before too, the "neural net" kinda thing. That was the other aspect of blogs that seemed different from straight forum setups. The question becomes, though, does it add to the noise, or help to parse it? Does it help raise an individual voice above the din, or simply add it to the din?

The cream will rise to the top.

 

[mediaguru]

I wouldn't go quite that far but I do get the cold shoulder from alot of "competitors" One site in particular is absolutly Stalinist in it's self protection....sad, really.

Other's, Doublegolf and golfreview are pretty cool about it but they are the exception.



I could not agree more! I find the dug in heels attitude exhibited, most baffling.

I know exactly what site you are talking about. I was "moderated" to death there.

 

[Loop]

Blog's are nice.
Mediaguru really has one of the nicest all around, with snazzy graphics and all. Really cool.
Sometimes, I wonder if I should start a blog, but my life is unalterably boring.

BTW, are you guys talking about golf.....d.com ?

 

[Slingblade61]

SShhhhhh.........They'll hear us.

 

[Farquod]

The cream will rise to the top.

Yeah, but not everything that floats is cream.