Sunday, February 18
UK Walking Blogging - The debate continues
If you been following the postings on this and other UK Walking blogs over the last few weeks you'll have been watching a slowly evolving series of thoughts on our general scene, and where it might go.
I'm aware for those of you not interested in this topic, there's danger that it could be coming across as a bit of an introspective, possibly even navel-gazing, exercise; But please bear with the topic.
Weird Darren has nicely summarised the activity so far, if you want to catch up; His post 'The £70K Blog-Star' has returned to one of the initial start points - that of money and fame. and in this particular example, is this a blogger seeking fame, or perhaps an author seeking a book deal?
Bloggers by nature are introspective buggers. Mostly well educated, mature (ahem), white, middle class male. And driven. Well we have to be to continue to regularly return to sit in front of a computer to write and read this sort of blurb.
As Darren says, and I'd agree: "an aweful lot of the blogs out there are absolute crap and of no interest to anyone"
And we don't intend to be one of those now do we!
Improving blog content and presentation to avoid this trap takes time, effort, and thought. And let's not forget that most of us are amateurs. Well meaning, but our contribution is more a labour of love, than a central part of our lives, or careers.
At some point on every well meaning blog there comes a time to question the value of it, and whether it is honestly worth the effort. It's a pragmatic approach, but also can be quite a negatives process to go through. A solitary one as well. No-one forces us to come up with this.
The current debate is hopefully opening up the ways in which we each approach our respective blogs, and is also trying to advance where this format may go into the future, for each of us. and that's the joy - the sheer diversity of it all. There's no rules or OS map (lol) for this. We're inventing it based on what works, what you the reader wants, what we the bloggers want to provide, and how this generally advances the great joy of our lives - the outdoors, backpacking, wildcamping, walking etc.
Developing this format takes consideration and a bit of future watching to ensure we stay true to our core values. And commerce is currently not one of them. But if there's money flying about, and it assists us in providing something better (and I deliberately didn't use the word 'product' there - shudders) we need to consider it, or watch the whole thing potentially get hijacked by those with other interests.
And we don't intend to let that happen if we can help it.Labels: blog media, uk walking blog
Comments:
Well I'm hoping that this up and coming podcast by Andy will put a close to the issue and we can get back to looking at our outdoor navels ;) I'm also praying that he interviews some really interesting people, I'm looking forward to hearing what people get out of them.
On another point can we give the mini meet up at the Outdoors Show a pompous name that sounds more important than it is? I think it should be called something like "UK Outdoors Blogger Con 07".
Also can we have a UK Outdoors Blogger Awards as well, ie Best Blog, Best New Comer, Most Anal Retentive Article (I might just win that one), etc etc
#
posted by 
: 18/2/07 7:17 pm
oh and I'd love to know which industry figures are reading which blogs, and what they think of them etc.
Andy can you get Bob to put you in contact with them to get their point of view?
I can see this podcast being like a 2 parter.
#
posted by : 18/2/07 7:21 pm
WD - I like the cut of your jib there captin
Always need some good titles when you're on a blagging session
;-)
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I'm aware for those of you not interested in this topic, there's danger that it could be coming across as a bit of an introspective, possibly even navel-gazing, exercise; But please bear with the topic.
Weird Darren has nicely summarised the activity so far, if you want to catch up; His post 'The £70K Blog-Star' has returned to one of the initial start points - that of money and fame. and in this particular example, is this a blogger seeking fame, or perhaps an author seeking a book deal?
Bloggers by nature are introspective buggers. Mostly well educated, mature (ahem), white, middle class male. And driven. Well we have to be to continue to regularly return to sit in front of a computer to write and read this sort of blurb.
As Darren says, and I'd agree: "an aweful lot of the blogs out there are absolute crap and of no interest to anyone"
And we don't intend to be one of those now do we!
Improving blog content and presentation to avoid this trap takes time, effort, and thought. And let's not forget that most of us are amateurs. Well meaning, but our contribution is more a labour of love, than a central part of our lives, or careers.
At some point on every well meaning blog there comes a time to question the value of it, and whether it is honestly worth the effort. It's a pragmatic approach, but also can be quite a negatives process to go through. A solitary one as well. No-one forces us to come up with this.
The current debate is hopefully opening up the ways in which we each approach our respective blogs, and is also trying to advance where this format may go into the future, for each of us. and that's the joy - the sheer diversity of it all. There's no rules or OS map (lol) for this. We're inventing it based on what works, what you the reader wants, what we the bloggers want to provide, and how this generally advances the great joy of our lives - the outdoors, backpacking, wildcamping, walking etc.
Developing this format takes consideration and a bit of future watching to ensure we stay true to our core values. And commerce is currently not one of them. But if there's money flying about, and it assists us in providing something better (and I deliberately didn't use the word 'product' there - shudders) we need to consider it, or watch the whole thing potentially get hijacked by those with other interests.
And we don't intend to let that happen if we can help it.
Labels: blog media, uk walking blog
Well I'm hoping that this up and coming podcast by Andy will put a close to the issue and we can get back to looking at our outdoor navels ;) I'm also praying that he interviews some really interesting people, I'm looking forward to hearing what people get out of them.
On another point can we give the mini meet up at the Outdoors Show a pompous name that sounds more important than it is? I think it should be called something like "UK Outdoors Blogger Con 07".
Also can we have a UK Outdoors Blogger Awards as well, ie Best Blog, Best New Comer, Most Anal Retentive Article (I might just win that one), etc etc
On another point can we give the mini meet up at the Outdoors Show a pompous name that sounds more important than it is? I think it should be called something like "UK Outdoors Blogger Con 07".
Also can we have a UK Outdoors Blogger Awards as well, ie Best Blog, Best New Comer, Most Anal Retentive Article (I might just win that one), etc etc
#
posted by : 18/2/07 7:17 pm
: 18/2/07 7:17 pm
oh and I'd love to know which industry figures are reading which blogs, and what they think of them etc.
Andy can you get Bob to put you in contact with them to get their point of view?
I can see this podcast being like a 2 parter.
Andy can you get Bob to put you in contact with them to get their point of view?
I can see this podcast being like a 2 parter.
#
posted by : 18/2/07 7:21 pm
: 18/2/07 7:21 pm
WD - I like the cut of your jib there captin
Always need some good titles when you're on a blagging session
;-)
Post a Comment
Always need some good titles when you're on a blagging session
;-)
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