Thank you Stuart...

I have always said that ‘blogging’ is the sound of one man/woman talking to themselves. There is a blog from me, somewhere, saying just that - back in 2006.

I’d love for people to prove me/Stuart wrong.

‘Blogs – Web-based Logs – (Web-based Diaries) are now commonplace. They can be as public or as private as the ‘owner’ desires.

As we all know secret - locked away diaries are probably more read than public diaries. I suppose that’s the nature of secrecy… people will find a way!

I co-authored a public ‘blog for some 4 years. It was very popular. It had some 1000 hits a year – we won awards BUT we had no more than 12 followers – family, close friends and the occasional passing trade. We might as well have been a private ‘blog limited to the club of 12. That was the point – it was a way for the 12 of us to keep in touch.

Facebook technology now to my mind seems to fulfil this ’need’ better than a ‘blog BUT Facebook does not, easily, become a way of creating a club notice board. Facebook is too public and at the same time too personal.

The, unfortunately named, ‘blog – (though no more quirkily named  than: facebook/twitter;/youtube/google/myspace) is the easiest and cheapest way of creating a web based forum for a club notice board.

Most clubs, no matter how big, depend on one or two people willing to do the public  work so I  would expect that ‘blog contributions would be limited to a few people – those with internet access  (of course) and those with something, and the time, to say it.

If the experience is worthwhile , most people will be happy to use the web technology to read what is happening.  In my experience, though,  there will be a greater number of people who will be reluctant to do so–either through apathy or anarchy. The social aspect of an actual meeting rather than virtual ‘blog meeting is what works for them.

I suggest that as many people as possible, with the desire, contribute and engage through the ‘blog BUT that the periodic meeting has on it’s agenda a discussion  of the ‘blog content over the previous period.

Our next real meeting should decide on the agenda and formality for the following meetings – and also not lose sight of the social aspect.

Cheese, Wine and good interactive discussion do not happen in the virtual world.

Brian Dawes
26 Oct 2009