Last Call

Please, please get your nominations in for the Blogpower Roundup - it's almost closing time!!!

blogpowerroundup AT googlemail DOT com

Actually, mine wouldn't send there but this address worked:

blogpowerroundup@gmail.com

Desperate Call for posts

Guys at the moment for the blogpower roundup I've got five blogpower bloggers reccomending things- and 252 emails from a Mr Spam who seems to be reccomending all kinds of odd sites (I'm not sure about this Mr Spam, he doesn't seem to understand the rules, they are all non-Blogpower sites)! If you don't want this to be just my selections, then email me, please, please, please, before the 1st November, I know there hasn't been much controversy on the list and its all been a bit quiet recently but don't let that distract you- you know where your duty lies. And to those who have submitted posts, Gentlewomen, men and dogs (Mutley no excuses) of Blogpower now abed, shall think themselves ashamed they did not submit, and hold their bloghoods cheap, whilst any speaks that submitted before All Saints Day! (Apologies to a certain W.S.) but get those nominations in, I implore you, on my knees, don't let it come to the disaster of me trawling through to find the posts which in my dubious judgement are good, don't leave me to that! PLEASE!

(Incidentally to submit, send an email with the post URL to blogpowerroundup AT googlemail DOT com)

Gracchi (pleadingly)

Sinclair's Musings

Blogpower has recently seen a number of new members coming from what could roughly be called the left-wing; whilst that's a tendency I'm all in favour of, given that our original blogroll did have a distinct list to the right, some others have expressed concerns. Our latest prospective member should provoke very little complaint, as he is a self-confessed conservative, but also a thoughtful and courteous blogger. I invite members to cast an eye over Sinclair's Musings, and leave your thoughts in the comments. The first objection will, as usual, trigger a vote in the mailing list. Don't feel the need to object just because the list has been eerily quiet recently.

*** Update: there have been no objections over the 72 hours, so by general acclamation Matt is in. Welcome aboard, Matt, we're very happy to have you with us. ***

Blog Power Roundup

Roll up, roll up, its time for the Blogpower Roundup. Yes on 1st November, a roundup of the best posts of the last month from the Blogpower family will be posted over at my blog. In order for this though to be as good as the last blogpower roundup, hosted wonderfully by Ian at Imagined Community, I need to receive submissions. So whether you are a member of Blogpower or not send in some submissions- send the URL of the post concerned (which must come from a Blogpower blog) to Blogpowerroundup AT Googlemail DOT com and I'll get it and put it into the roundup!

I've moved!

Shades of Grey is now at http://iangrey.org

Any hosting provider that tells you they are One Click Wordpress installation ready are talking out of their firmament. One click to a donkey blog, maybe.

It was hard work but I'm happy with the results without becoming a Theme Obsessive.

Admins, please update your references where appropriate. The Blogger one will stay in situ- they are hosting 250 Meg of images there and I'd rather write new posts than spend my life re-homing the old ones.

Cassilis does a Phoenix

We have a returning son, back from the near dead and on the strength of his showing in the Blogpower Awards in June:

15 Most Sadly Missed Blog or Column

=1] Cassilis/Liam Murray (46)

=1] Newmania (46)

=1] Istanbul Tory (45)

... shall we consider him as having returned? Also, he needs to collect his award.

Never Trust a Hippy

So sang the Sex Pistols, and if it's good enough advice for them, then it'll do for me. Paulie's also taken with the line, wonders whether we would like to welcome the blog he named after it into Blogpower. In his email, he writes "I've written a fair bit on blogging itself - and how it positively contributes to public life - and I don't think that the position I take is one that many others adopt - so perhaps I'd be a good addition?" which somewhat pre-empts our internal discussions about what new members may bring to us. It should be noted that Paulie's been posting to this blog for two and a half years, and discusses a variety of other topics as well...

Usual procedure applies: take a look around, see what you think. First objection closes the comments and discussion moves into the mailing list.

UPDATE: No objections were raised in the 72 hours, so Paulie's in. Judging from the comments, he's a popular addition, and I would like to add my own voice in welcoming him aboard.

New prospective member

This has been received via the mailing list website:

Hi, I'm Rob and I would like to join your group. My blog is www.thebroadsheetrag.co.uk. It covers politics and other stuff. I found out about your group after reading CityUnslicker.

Thanks, Rob

Do give his blog a look and see what you think. I'm posting this up as his application was effectively via me rather than IA or JH.

If any objections are received here, then the comments session will be closed and discussion will move to the mailing list. Otherwise, he will be added to the list after 72 hours.

COMMENTS NOW CLOSED- DISCUSSION AT MAILING LIST

The Ageing of Haggiso

Haggiso's birthday! Rush over there and wish him well, Blogpowerers! Mutley, where were you?

Mike Ion

There was considerable debate about Mike and he turned out to be one of our more controversial choices. I don't think it's betraying confidences to say that the opposition came mainly but not exclusively from Conservative sources but he should know that many Conservatives voted for him, including me.

This was because we do have a libertarian tradition at BP and the voices for the Voltaire Maxim outweighed the voices who raised quite legitimate concerns. Clearly, this is a signal to the blogosphere that we can encompass divergent views at BP and can be a community dedicated to quality blogging, which has officially actually bcome part of our entry criteria.

These criteria are still being debated in the Mailing List but as soon as we have our document, we'll post it.

Welcome to Mike and hope some raging debate can ensue.

Comments will be closed off for some time because those who congratulate or decry should be members and can do that within our Mailing List.

New Prospective Member

Mike Ion quotes Oscar Romero in his header: "Aspire not to have more but to be more." He says, in his profile:

I work in education and write the odd piece for the Guardian, Tribune and for the Progress website. I was Labour's PPC for Shrewsbury in 2005

A Telford boy, his favourite book is The Grapes of Wrath and he's interested in public sector housing and Irish history.

Do give his blog a look and see what you think, members.

Hercules

Congrats to Hercules, who despite the Villa affiliation, should prove a worthy addition, as we hope we are to him. Ian will send the codes if you e-mail him.

Hercules

We have another prospective member for your consideration. Hercules describes himself as "A conservative mind with an endearing heart, sometimes cynical, misunderstood, annoying, a bit of a rebel, but definitely caring, sharing, fun and friendly." He blogs to "write random thoughts, share views on the world, laugh, cry, rant and rave, but hopefully ... never offend". Please make your feelings known in the comments. Should an objection be raised, we will take the discussion and vote into the maling list.

Membership speaks on two new members

The membership, over a three day period have voted this way:

Some Random Thoughts - to henceforth be put onto the full roll. Welcome to Blogpower and we hope you yourself will enjoy it.

The Invisible Hand - to wait three months and an e-mail as to the reasons is being sent to him, rather than being discussed here at DTB.

From the discussion, which was pretty lively, these major points emerged as to what we like to see in blogs joining Blogpower:

* Comments accepted and responded to regularly.
* Been going for some time consistently (at least 3-4 months or(?) 100 postings).
* Be well-designed and easy to navigate. That means categories andprobably archives.
* Are "live" and updated regularly. Personally I think the "sleeping"arrangements are quite good - so that we can go on hiatus for a bit.
* Have enough info disclosed about the author to give some context.
* Not be splogs or pretend to be somebody else's blog, or be obviouslydomain squatting.
* Not specifically encourage harrassment, spamming, etc.

Two New Interested Parties

The Invisible Hand is a nicely presented right of centre blog, written by "Murphy" [47] concerned with Euro-snobbery, islamofascism and lousy modern architecture, as he puts it.

Some Random Thoughts is a busy, Dale 100 Left-Wing blog, written by "thirtysomething teacher" jrd68 [wonder if this is an indicator of age], concerned with politics, sport and where he lives.

Both are for members to visit and form an opinion on within the next 72 hours, according to our new rules. If there are any objections to either, these must be stated in the comments section here and the discussion then moves into the Mailing List.

Blogpower Roundup #2

is over here.

Welcome Tony Sharp and Sackerson

Most remiss of us not to formally welcome these chaps but it was almost a smooth transition to the fold and thus it slipped by us before we knew it.

So a very great welcome to our new and returning member and I know the membership is delighted to see them with us.

The Waendel Journal and Bearwatch