I think the blogs are cool as they are...some people want/need to share things with others, but not everyone...so they can set their blogs to be available only to those on their friends list. This couldn't be done if these things where on the main forum. So it offers a more private place to share.

There is nothing interactive about someone posting an announcement type thread with 5 pages following of no more than "thats great news"...."well done"....."wish i was there"........and thats all alot of the threads that get locked now are full off.

I love the blogs too, sometimes I wish I could make certain blog posts I did private to my list but leave the rest open. Maybe I can and I just didn't find that yet I rarely post in my blog as being a bit paranoid I worry when only a couple of replies come up, did I pee people off, am I that boring blah blah. I also tend to forget. I have a proper blog spot and hardly ever remember to post in that too

What would a more 'relevant' blog be, do you mean professionally based Sam as in daily working life?

I need to highlight (again) the reason behind the implementation of the blogs: It was to create a more user friendly environment by separating the personal news, views and announcements (blogs) from the discussions (forums).

This separation wasn't an insta idea pulled from a hat (or other dark place), it was an answer to the increasing number of grumbles regarding the forums being overrun with non discussions.

Personal news and announcements are an important part of this community and that is why they have been given an important place (the blogs).

If we moved all of the blogs back into the forums (almost 7,000 entries at time of writing this), a lot of professional discussion will be buried under an avalanche of personal news and announcements. The average user is inundated with 'thats great hun' posts to the personal threads whenever they hit 'Whats New'. While there isn't anything wrong with encouragement posts or even personal news and announcements, it becomes a problem when the sheer volume of the threads and posts make it a challenge to find all of the actual professional discussions on the forums!

NailZoo's recent thread (which seems to have revived this discussion) was not a discussion at all, it was a thread to shout out about a personal experience. It was in fact, an ideal blog entry and he knew it should have been in his blog instead of a professional forum (IIRC he even mentioned that in the thread) but alas, I can only assume didn't care because 'more exposure' was more important to him.

Is the system perfect? nope. In fact, I believe the current blog system could be greatly improved. For example, I would like to further separate blogs into personal and professional categories. I have less time to read the personal stuff which sometimes drowns out the stuff I would really like to read more of (i.e. personal views and news as it relates to the industry). For instance, when I post personal banter, I do so in Life of a Geek, when it is regarding the site, I post in Site Meanderings and when its more work/industry related, I post in Workin It. I think I would like to see some kind of system across the board where I can choose to filter out personal stuff in favour of more industry related stuff if I am shorter on time. I would like 'favourite' blogs and ways to 'digg' blogs that are great reading. Alas, these whistles and bells won't do jack if people choose to deliberately post in the forums instead of the blogs or choose not to contribute to the blogs at all.

Anyhoo, I am getting wayyyy off track here. To sum it all up... the Blogs were implemented because of the amount of complaints regarding personal news/announcement threads that were drowning out the actual discussions. I don't really envision that decision changing any time soon

Thanks for understanding

You can. When you create an entry, there is an option to set just that entry to be available to those in your contact list.

Ah, see I knew I missed something. I thought the whole blog had to be either public or private, what a dufus I never thought about seperating my blog into nail/hopefully soon work related stuff and a personal stuff one either. My blog was just, well, my blog.

thats pretty poor form Samuel, you know what they say about the word "assume"?

It was about my excitement as a geek from another country meeting someone very important to all of us as an internationally respected industry icon visiting my country.

I'm not that desperate for exposure, sometimes important issues get lost in blogs. Sorry I found such an international visit exciting.

I'd be almost as excited if you visited too and just as hospitable, no matter how much of a grumble bum you act.

I'm truly embarrased (but not for me) about your assumption,

........ actually I'm offended.

Congratulations !!!!!! it doesn't happen often.

Hey Carl,

My intention was not to offend, however I really don't know of any other way to call it when your own thread starts off "I know this should be a blog.. but...".

Your thread was a blog entry, you knew that it should be posted in the blogs, but you didn't want it 'Banished' there so you purposely posted it in the professional forums knowing it shouldn't be there. How else can I take that?

I know you're excited about Gigi coming down. I am sure we would all feel the same having you (or another geek from so far away) travel up to see us. News like that I think is very cool to post and if it were humanly possible to define "personal news/announcement" criteria that was OK to post in chit chat and that wasn't OK to post in chit chat... then you bet your Sheila it would be defined.

Your Grumble Bum,

I've removed the offending post ...... sorry for my apparent attention seeking, wish I could remove others excitement or quotes of my post in regard to Geeg's visit, but thats beyond me, perhaps you can edit what is needed so all memory of my mistake can be erased.

I will remember it regardless and have taken it to the blogs.

Well I never knew I could have categories in my blog (and I do like my blog!) until now, cheers Sam!!

Ooops...sorry, I'm new to this XxX

I swear, leave you guys alone for a few weeks and THIS is what happens!

Seriously, there is no great mystery to blogging or about what to blog, you blog anything you like, jokes, recipes, complaints, a to do list..anything! Because it is something that is YOURS and you can have others input and compliments, assumptions, views and thoughts as you like, or not. You can leave everything private, but you won't get comments or assistance on anything you need a comment or assistance on.

We are really beating a dead horse here guys! The fact is this is Sam and Samatha's forum, they created it, they pay money for the upkeep and running of said site, and they have requested that certain things take place and certain rules be adhered to, really is that hard, seeing how much of themselves that they have given to us all to have this wonderful site?

If you don't like the rules, go make your own forum!





....And on top of ALL that I insist that Sam is Shiny!

This is a few months out of date and over now. Lets not get into this again.

Sorry, I hadn't checked the date on the thread!

Bumpity Bump Bump Bump

Just a quick reminder to everyone (please) that rants/vents/general personal meanderings etc should be posted in the blogs.

Thanks peeps