Comments on: A masterclass in missing the Zeitgeist by Hazel Blears

By: MatGB

MatGB — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 18:07:30 +0000

James, as I’m still subbed to this post. When I write for LC, I specifically write a post for LC, and sometimes link it from mine with a post about the writing of the post, or sometimes “stuff I couldn’t fit in” or similar.

But a lot of others just crosspost stuff from their own blog, without even any additional editing. A lot of your stuff, especially the constitutional reform stuff, would work there straightaway.

I really ought to go through my NLE/VTX archives and dig out some old posts to update ont he basics of reform, many of them were really good but for a different audience/time.

If you just crosspost the occasional ‘article’ entry, that’d be useful.

(Also, your comment box comes before the form to fill ID details in, but is set afterwards in the carat flow, fine if you’ve already got them auto-filled, but I didn’t for some reason, hitting tab took me direct to submit, completely forgot I could shift-tab back, had to get the mouse )

By: James Graham

James Graham — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:48:42 +0000

I’d like to contribute more to LC, but time is always a factor. Intend to make it a new year’s resolution.

By: thomas

thomas — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 15:58:19 +0000

Hi James.
I notice there is some discussion over the direction of LC (eg at Moments of Clarity), and that Sunny’s basic complaint is that LibDemmers don’t contribute as much as he would like – it seems you have a standing invitation.
In this vein, can I ask you to submit an updated version of your comment as a concluding article on the CiC series – you are definitely best qualified for this task among the bloggers I’ve read (I culled much of my knowledge on the subject from Unlock Democracy).
I notice that 39 councils have now signed up to the proposals and this would definitely keep the pressure up.

By: thomas

thomas — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 06:46:05 +0000

That’s great, thanks.
As a local campaigner there is much in the white paper which is potentially helpful to me, but this will be another wasted opportuinity if we fail to spread the word sufficiently.
And as someone who is dismayed by my local Labour MP I really don’t want the wider politically-interested community to languish in the dark about the powers which are within our grasp.
There is a massive irony in the way which the blogoshpere has responded cynically to Blears’ cynical comments about our cynicism rather than focussing on the substantive issues at stake in the white paper she was ostensibly trying to promote!
I sincerely hope more bloggers will be able to dissect the real content of the white paper from the bones of the reporting on the speech.

http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/communitiesincontrol

By: James Graham

James Graham — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:01:56 +0000

Thomas – have complied (with apologies for not getting round to it earlier).

By: Darrell

Darrell — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 14:20:59 +0000

James,

Now there is an unpleasent mental image…i think you have just added to a ‘mental scars for life’ collection…lol

By: thomas

thomas — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:34:32 +0000

James, I’d appreciate some insider input on the Sustainable Communities Act, which is what she was supposed to be addressing and which Unlock Democracy supports.

By: James Graham

James Graham — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:24:12 +0000

The real issue is that who is at the “top” of the blogosphere is not the blogosphere. The “top” is just the lowest common denominator (or, more pejoritively, “scum floats”).

What matters more is the long tail. To be fair on Mr Dale, his 2008 poll found that 268 blogs in his top 500 were leftwing and only 170 were on the right, and that is if you, like Iain, categorise all Lib Dem blogs as neither. The total readership of Guido’s blog is exponentially higher than Ben Brogan’s blog (which Dale ranks as number 10). By contrast, I would estimate that blogs 100-500 (and the rest) all have roughly the same numbers of readers. Individually they’re all quite small – in aggregate their influence is significant.

Obama’s campaign utilised this with tools such as MyBO. I’m not offended by Blears’ remarks, I just think she is groping around the wrong bit of the elephant.

By: MatGB

MatGB — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 11:21:35 +0000

he wants to maintain the illusion that he and Guido are the only bloggers

bing bing bing.

Dale has been repeating the Big Lie that the only successful blogs are right wing for years, and it’s never been true. Political Betting has been top blog since I started, James, ChickYog, Nosemonkey, Bloggerheads all successful at various times and none Tory/right wing.

Dale doesn’t want the media to realise that his style of gossip/Daily Mailery merely gets him the numbers, Most of us prefer our diverse audiences: I could’ve taken him on for top spot if I’d wanted, but I’d rather have a couple hundred readers I actually know. Which is what I’ve got.

By: Darrell

Darrell — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 09:57:27 +0000

What Blears said was obviously mealy-mouthed and largely wrong but on the other hand she is right that the opposition to the government of the day is likely to attract the most attention and before people leap on me I can quite clearly recall people on Liberal Conspiricy openly speculating that it would grow under a Cameron government….

Having said that her basic premise is snootish and as you rightly point out totally missing of the immense good that political blogging can do….and what a positive force it can be…