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Published on July 21, 2004 By mrbiotech In WinCustomize Talk
I'm really amazed at the positive response to the Blogging poll. I stand adamantly in the "No, this sort of thing should be in the message boards, not the home page" and feel like my comments in FrogBoy's blogs may have precipitated the formation of the poll.

Here's my justification: WC is a community-based site, not the personal opinion site of any one person. While it's true that the message boards and commenting systems permit the average community member or theme user to post their opinions, the same is not true of the front page of WinCustomize, reserved for news items reflecting the community (new software, contests, updates, etc). The liberties taken by Brad for his "articles," however informative, defy precedent established by the majority of theme community websites (DeviantArt, customize.org, litestep.net, skinz.org), and are akin to Steve Jobs making commentaries on Apple's downloads page, or Bill Gates editorials on the front of microsoft.com.

I'm not saying that his blogging is bad: the articles are enjoyable and some of the information valuable. The place is incorrect, however, as the remainder of the community is not permitted this luxury, relagating OUR subjective comments to the forums or on specific submitted works. Brad, I'm just politely asking that the venue of the blogs be changed, in fairness to this great community you've helped found, and out of respect for a site that has always maintained a family-type atmosphere. Elitism isn't a pleasant hallmark, but a good example speaks volumes.


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on Jul 21, 2004
For those people who don't check the forums and whatnot it gives an idea of who the people who work for Stardock are, which is always good for a community. It would be more elitest in my mind for them to be impersonal.

At the root of every blog entry there is some relevant news, so I don't see how there can be a problem or even perceived as being personal. Frogboy doesn't make post saying how some chicken he ate gave him gas, or anything totally irrelevant to the community like that.

Many sites use the blog-esc format for their frontpage. Also, I imagine it's a bit more enjoyable for the actual news posters to add their voice instead of just spouting out random assortments of facts. In many instances being professional and impersonal destroys communities, for example GameSpy's takeover of the PlanetQuake network.
[Message Edited]
on Jul 21, 2004

WC version 3 doesn't really accommodate blogging at all appropriately.

For want of a better place [remembering the forums are generally frequented by regulars only, not the casual passer-by, the News section is more 'appropriate' and accessible to 'the great unwashed'....

WC version 4 will, I believe expand people's interactivity options by amongst other things provide blogging connectivity with JoeUser.....[think's that's the plan....haven't seen the details as yet].

One of the 'perks' of a citizen's promotion/elevation through the ranks is the capacity to post 'news' items.....the only stipulation is that they are NOT.....

Obscene...

Slanderous/libelous...

and ARE.....

Truly relevant to the skinning scene as a whole.

Frogboy's alleged 'blogging' here fits the criteria, and, as I commented on the post is informative and also illuminating, coming from the CEO of the company that provides us our home [and the majority of our skinnables themselves]...

on Jul 21, 2004
I think the informal news round ups are great.
Otherwise you're presenting the exact same content you could probably get on any other of the eleventy million skin sites out there.
on Jul 21, 2004
I like the blog-news style very much! I just wish Frogboy would make use of the "Click here for full story" link. It's always nice to know the fine details of things, which a lot of the times don't need a news item on their own, so make a blog, talk about them all...and there you go!
on Jul 21, 2004
Yeah....its more personal this way. How many comments do you think would be obtained if it was just a factual news article? Probably like 3. This way, it gets other opinions out in the open, and gives frogboy a chance to tell people what he really thinks, as well as providing the facts for people to see and comment on.
on Jul 21, 2004
Just my 2 cents but I think Blogs should stay on Blog sites. I don't come here to read blogs..
on Jul 21, 2004
My 2 cents? If you have a blog, you should syndicate it...
on Jul 21, 2004
#6 by Skinner kona0197 - 7/21/2004 8:32:21 PM
Just my 2 cents but I think Blogs should stay on Blog sites. I don't come here to read blogs..

A simple solution is don't read them. I enjoy Brad's blogs on the front page. I'd rather read those, than "just the facts".



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on Jul 21, 2004
I find this exceptionally surprising! This type of behavior is not condoned at any other site (besides, obviously, personal sites). I don't mind seeing actual news. It's the editorialization, the loss of objectivity, and the fact that it's only coming from the CEO of StarDock. Perhaps I wouldn't feel so strongly if we saw other individuals blogs in the "news" section. The WC4 option to facilitate does seem like a more equitable solution.

I do beg to differ on the relevancy on some of the recent blogs. The 4-5 blogs posted regarding the Konfabulator issue seemed more an attempt to rile up a community than to present news. Again, a very one-sided depiction of the story was presented in the guise of a news item. That's the definition of "yellow-journalism!" This is not one man's site, it is a community site, and the treatment of it as a pathway for personal opinion isn't merited.

I lose respect for those that like their news "pre-flavored." I don't want to search every blog for the "root" of the information. Give me the data, and let me formulate a position. Again, this is obviously a personal matter of preference, but I beware of those that like their opinions handed to them they're fodder for zealots. This is one of the reasons I believe the front-page blogging

On the user classes: from what I gather, status is obtained first by purchase of a subscription, and apprentice or higher are only obtained by nomination or appointment. This type of system is conducive to people who will essentially say anything to appease the admins in order to improve a favorable standing according to purely subjective criteria. That's indicative of elitism.

I hope that WC4 further alleviates the situation, but my worst fear is that so many are vying for favor that nobody will admit to the situation. Jafo, your objective analysis above is appreciated, but I still see reason to press the issue.
on Jul 22, 2004

apprentice or higher are only obtained by nomination or appointment.

A fair swag of promotions came about specifically through suggestions via members [none of whom were site Admins/wizops]....brought to our notice usually with comments like 'citizen X has been active in a positive sense on the site and also has significant skin contributions....what do you think?'.  This is hardly 'elitism'....but just the way the system is supposed to work.

Elitism would be where Admins only were charged with promotion choices, which is not the case, though we DO tend to be 'in charge' of 'expulsions'.

Personal status/standing within the WC community is entirely in the hands of the individual, and 'significant' promotion is not achieved through fee or favour.

Were it simplistically a 'personal choice' issue [eg totally within my hands or that of another single entity] I'm confident some 'rankings' would be significantly revised.

But.....Wincustomize.com [its community] is a Democratic entity and not 'elitist' at all.... 

on Jul 22, 2004
boggling...


[Message Edited]
on Jul 22, 2004
I like the personalized blogs on the frontpage, but I really didn't see them as blogs until I saw the poll. I thought of them as editorial pieces like you see at the beginning of just about any magazine and guess what...editorial pieces tend to be personalized and opinionated and just like magazines, if you don't like the content, skip the articles that are of no interest to you or stop buying the product.

Essencay still doesn't really know what a blog is, just like reading Frogboy's editorials
on Jul 22, 2004
indeed



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on Jul 22, 2004

Same here Essencay..... I never thought of them as blogs (silly word), but as editorials. Yes they're biased, but I'm not "having my opinions handed to me" ..... just because Brad thinks something is so, doesn't mean I think it is so. He's not brainwashing me.

 





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on Jul 22, 2004
Personally I think there are a lot of issues with the site that have been kind of dangled out there indicating a dislike over all in general for the site and the operations of the site.

But that is just my personal opinion.

It is also why I am not saying much because I do not like beating around the bush and y'all don't care for my being direct

hehehe




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