Send in your votes now!
January 3, 2001 5:56 AM Subscribe
Send in your votes now! Fairvue presents the Bloggies for 2001.
You don't have to fill out all of it, just the categories you want.
posted by Foaf at 6:49 AM on January 3, 2001
posted by Foaf at 6:49 AM on January 3, 2001
Popularity contests like this rather bother me.
Most weblogs aren't well known by many people, and those that are have already recieved plenty of recognition. Really, I bet we could all list the winners right now, and just avoid the contest entirely.
Of course were I the producer of one of those popular sites, I might well feel a bit differently . . .
posted by aladfar at 6:51 AM on January 3, 2001
Most weblogs aren't well known by many people, and those that are have already recieved plenty of recognition. Really, I bet we could all list the winners right now, and just avoid the contest entirely.
Of course were I the producer of one of those popular sites, I might well feel a bit differently . . .
posted by aladfar at 6:51 AM on January 3, 2001
I notice they've got categories for Europe, Asia, Australia/New Zealand etc. but none for the US.
Seems a bit unfair on the States - especially because they've got quite a few webloggers there.
posted by Mocata at 7:13 AM on January 3, 2001
Seems a bit unfair on the States - especially because they've got quite a few webloggers there.
posted by Mocata at 7:13 AM on January 3, 2001
I like that he's got lots of categories and different ways for people to be recognized. For me that changes everything as long as people nominating sites are creative about it and don't just pick the same ones for everything. By having so many categories it really opens it up - especially if he lists the finalists (or whatever) in each category. That changes it from a popularity contest to something more inclusive, more fun as far as I'm concerned.
posted by mikel at 7:22 AM on January 3, 2001
posted by mikel at 7:22 AM on January 3, 2001
Mocata: LOLI can't even think of anyone who blogs in asia to nominate (not that I believe in the whole awards thing, I don't), except maybe GMT+9 -- and Andrew Abb isn't even asian! :)
posted by lia at 7:26 AM on January 3, 2001
posted by lia at 7:26 AM on January 3, 2001
lia, awards are real, they exist! I got one from the Invercargill Public Library when I was 10 for writing a story about a spaceship race :->
Seriously, I think this whole cool-list has been over for a long time - there are enough weblog style sites now that most people have never heard of most other blogs. I see the bloggies as another way of finding some different sites to look at.
Then again, it might turn out to be exactly aladfar expects - it depends how many people vote.
posted by Foaf at 8:06 AM on January 3, 2001
Seriously, I think this whole cool-list has been over for a long time - there are enough weblog style sites now that most people have never heard of most other blogs. I see the bloggies as another way of finding some different sites to look at.
Then again, it might turn out to be exactly aladfar expects - it depends how many people vote.
posted by Foaf at 8:06 AM on January 3, 2001
This will result in lot of shameless pandering and plugging by certain weblogs, I'm sure! If you do vote (I'm not) at least put some thought into it and not nominate the same twenty or so weblogs that everyone already links to.Since this is a popularity contest, I feel certain I can predict the winners, which makes viewing the results pointless.
posted by Mr. skullhead at 8:57 AM on January 3, 2001
posted by Mr. skullhead at 8:57 AM on January 3, 2001
Wow. Just like the Online Diary Crowd. Awards are the fastest way to fracture a community and insure the death of creativity when it comes to websites. People start making an effort to fit their work into nominatable categories.
posted by kristin at 9:03 AM on January 3, 2001
posted by kristin at 9:03 AM on January 3, 2001
Wonder how long it will take before I start seeing Vote-For-Me-In-The-Bloggies buttons on various sites.
posted by dithered at 9:04 AM on January 3, 2001
posted by dithered at 9:04 AM on January 3, 2001
that's a great idea! I just have a link at the top of my homepage at the moment.
posted by Foaf at 9:11 AM on January 3, 2001
posted by Foaf at 9:11 AM on January 3, 2001
Ho-hum. Another chance to confuse "best" with "best known". With tens of thousands of blogs out there, how can anyone even think there's a chance they have SEEN the best?
posted by ffmike at 9:18 AM on January 3, 2001
posted by ffmike at 9:18 AM on January 3, 2001
ffmike:I just visited your homepage, and you are the Factsheet Five guy. I imagine if anybody would understand the problems with trying to pick the best bits out of an explosion it would be you. I loved the magazine when you ran it, and am pleased you are here.
Also, your farm looks very cool indeed, but I guess that is off topic. Keep any bees?
posted by thirteen at 9:35 AM on January 3, 2001
Also, your farm looks very cool indeed, but I guess that is off topic. Keep any bees?
posted by thirteen at 9:35 AM on January 3, 2001
I am not a blogger. I read blogs. I think it is silly to divvy up by countires since cyberspace seems to go beyond Statehood. There are good blogs and not so good blogs. What I like are the good ones; what I don't like are the not good ones. What makes for good? that which I find over and over peeks my inerest...in other words, blogs that deal primarily with, say, the computer world (there are may), tech stuff, has no interest to me though I know it must for others. The tech blogs are good or not good but I never visit and so having no interest, I am unable to judge them.
I liked going to Jorns Robot World for the links but he seems to have a strong anti-bias against Jews and their religion and I note that since that mess he is not posting links as often.
My favorite thing: dip randomly in long lists of blogs for the sheer fun of coming up with the odd, quirky, offbeat.
posted by Postroad at 9:47 AM on January 3, 2001
I liked going to Jorns Robot World for the links but he seems to have a strong anti-bias against Jews and their religion and I note that since that mess he is not posting links as often.
My favorite thing: dip randomly in long lists of blogs for the sheer fun of coming up with the odd, quirky, offbeat.
posted by Postroad at 9:47 AM on January 3, 2001
Why isn't there a category for "Best Weblog in Southwest Missouri"?
posted by daveadams at 10:13 AM on January 3, 2001
posted by daveadams at 10:13 AM on January 3, 2001
I'm a link whore and proud of it.
A vote for Bondcliff is a vote for someone not on the A-List.
"Bondcliff.net - Slightly less of an arrogant bastard than that Al Gore guy"
--Self linking since 2000
posted by bondcliff at 10:53 AM on January 3, 2001
A vote for Bondcliff is a vote for someone not on the A-List.
"Bondcliff.net - Slightly less of an arrogant bastard than that Al Gore guy"
--Self linking since 2000
posted by bondcliff at 10:53 AM on January 3, 2001
I may be called crass for making this comment, but I see it as Nikolai trying to win favour with the A-List team. Let's face it, at the end of the month, the famed weblogs will receive awards and insist "You shouldn't have awarded me" etc
One or two awards will be given to less popular webloggers as tokens to show the awards were worthwhile, but I suspect it will mainly turn into a pat-on-the-back session for the well-known.
posted by williamtry at 11:27 AM on January 3, 2001
One or two awards will be given to less popular webloggers as tokens to show the awards were worthwhile, but I suspect it will mainly turn into a pat-on-the-back session for the well-known.
posted by williamtry at 11:27 AM on January 3, 2001
I see this more as an opportunity to find out about new places. If all those people who've been whining about how 'the same people who always get recognized will again be the winners' would take the time to enter one or two of their favorite-but-not-so-well-known sites, we might get to find some new and neat pages. Maybe Nikolai can also compile a list of all sites that get more than three nominations (categorized) and this way other sites can get recognized, too.
I think there is enough room on the web for everyone to have a voice. If you think this is the equivalent of a popularity contest, then don't vote, don't visit, don't be involved. There is no rule saying you have to. There is no rule saying if you vote more people will visit your site, assuming you even care about that.
While many might find this a stupid idea, I don't think there's any harm. Popularity contests are everywhere in the world and you always have the option of ignoring them. I figure if I can find one new site that I like, I will be glad Nikolai did this.
posted by karen at 12:07 PM on January 3, 2001
I think there is enough room on the web for everyone to have a voice. If you think this is the equivalent of a popularity contest, then don't vote, don't visit, don't be involved. There is no rule saying you have to. There is no rule saying if you vote more people will visit your site, assuming you even care about that.
While many might find this a stupid idea, I don't think there's any harm. Popularity contests are everywhere in the world and you always have the option of ignoring them. I figure if I can find one new site that I like, I will be glad Nikolai did this.
posted by karen at 12:07 PM on January 3, 2001
thirteen: Yep, I understand the problem. Which is why FF never pronounced things "best" (there were things that I liked highlighted, but I was never under the illusion that they were the best).
Of course, sooner or later SOMEONE was going to do awards (utterly predictable, since blogs follow in online journal footsteps often), so it might as well be Nikolai who gets the fame & eats the crap for doing so.
(ot: no bees yet. Maybe this spring).
posted by ffmike at 12:39 PM on January 3, 2001
Of course, sooner or later SOMEONE was going to do awards (utterly predictable, since blogs follow in online journal footsteps often), so it might as well be Nikolai who gets the fame & eats the crap for doing so.
(ot: no bees yet. Maybe this spring).
posted by ffmike at 12:39 PM on January 3, 2001
I'm more or less with Karen. It's an honor to be recognized by your peers. (Disclaimer: I got a Medley Medal ...) It's helpful if, like Lynette does, the previous winners are disqualified -- helps widen the field.
That said, these nominations are possibly WAY too wide open, with too many subcategories. I can't see filling out half the page, myself.
posted by dhartung at 12:50 PM on January 3, 2001
That said, these nominations are possibly WAY too wide open, with too many subcategories. I can't see filling out half the page, myself.
posted by dhartung at 12:50 PM on January 3, 2001
williamtry, you either a troller or crass - let's end this a-list bollocks once and for all.
It started when people started using technology (metalog, weblogs.com hotlist) to see which blogs were linking to other blogs. Back then (1 year? 18 months?) there were relatively few blogs so when 50 people linked to you it actually meant something. Now, bearing in mind that blogger alone powers tens of thousands of sites lets look at the stats.
At the time of posting absolutely no actual blogs make it into the top 10 of the weblogs.com hotlist - metalog has been taken down What I guess makes up the "a-list" (why has no one dared mention their names - fear of retribution from the A List cabal?)
Metafilter comes in at 10 with 90 sites pointing to it. Out of a potential gazillion. Congratulations - we are all top of the A list because approcimately fuck-all percent of bloggers have pointed to our site.
The sheer number of blogs leads me to some ideas about weblogs
0. You haven't seen most of them
1. Most of them are pointing at other blogs you haven't seen
2. People blog because static homepages are boring and they like goofing off at work.
3. Any "popularity contest" such as the Bloggies doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things which means you should enjoy it for what it is - a bit of fun and not the end of blogging as we know it.
posted by Foaf at 1:13 PM on January 3, 2001
It started when people started using technology (metalog, weblogs.com hotlist) to see which blogs were linking to other blogs. Back then (1 year? 18 months?) there were relatively few blogs so when 50 people linked to you it actually meant something. Now, bearing in mind that blogger alone powers tens of thousands of sites lets look at the stats.
At the time of posting absolutely no actual blogs make it into the top 10 of the weblogs.com hotlist - metalog has been taken down What I guess makes up the "a-list" (why has no one dared mention their names - fear of retribution from the A List cabal?)
Metafilter comes in at 10 with 90 sites pointing to it. Out of a potential gazillion. Congratulations - we are all top of the A list because approcimately fuck-all percent of bloggers have pointed to our site.
The sheer number of blogs leads me to some ideas about weblogs
0. You haven't seen most of them
1. Most of them are pointing at other blogs you haven't seen
2. People blog because static homepages are boring and they like goofing off at work.
3. Any "popularity contest" such as the Bloggies doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things which means you should enjoy it for what it is - a bit of fun and not the end of blogging as we know it.
posted by Foaf at 1:13 PM on January 3, 2001
Sorry about the ignorance, but what the heck is the A-list?
posted by geir at 1:32 PM on January 3, 2001
posted by geir at 1:32 PM on January 3, 2001
The A-List is a team of renegade Bloggers that drive around in a black and red van helping the less popular Bloggers get more hits.
posted by bondcliff at 1:36 PM on January 3, 2001
posted by bondcliff at 1:36 PM on January 3, 2001
geir: The A-list is the hypothetical "Popular Crowd" of weblogging. It makes for a good "Them" to blame your lack of hits on, should you ever need one.
foaf: No one ever says who they are because if you don't know, you aren't one, and therefore by saying a name you lay bare your lack of coolitude. Or somesuch.
Commonly accused A-Listers include everyone who works at Pyra, Kottke, Ben Brown (though he's not a Blogger anymore, he's still a Weblog A-Lister, he's THAT good), Derek Powazek, Zeldman and Halcyon. Note that everyone except Ben goes by one name, so most people refer to him as BenBrown, just to make him fit.
posted by cCranium at 1:49 PM on January 3, 2001
foaf: No one ever says who they are because if you don't know, you aren't one, and therefore by saying a name you lay bare your lack of coolitude. Or somesuch.
Commonly accused A-Listers include everyone who works at Pyra, Kottke, Ben Brown (though he's not a Blogger anymore, he's still a Weblog A-Lister, he's THAT good), Derek Powazek, Zeldman and Halcyon. Note that everyone except Ben goes by one name, so most people refer to him as BenBrown, just to make him fit.
posted by cCranium at 1:49 PM on January 3, 2001
One possible way to measure the A-List is by looking at the blogs who get mentioned when a weblog story gets written in the "legitimate" press. Certainly those are not a random selection of all blogs.
Or you could just wait until the Bloggies get handed out and take THAT as the A-List.
posted by ffmike at 2:06 PM on January 3, 2001
Or you could just wait until the Bloggies get handed out and take THAT as the A-List.
posted by ffmike at 2:06 PM on January 3, 2001
I like Bondcliff's definition better. Kottke is Face, BenBrown is Mr. T, Megnut is Murdock. My only question is who gets to be Hannibal.
posted by frykitty at 2:16 PM on January 3, 2001
posted by frykitty at 2:16 PM on January 3, 2001
No, I wanna be face! Please?
As for "Nikolai trying to win favour with the A-List team," that's a hoot. Hell, Nikolai's more A-List than almost anyone, he won the best high-school weblog award at SXSW 2000. I never won anything like that!
posted by megnut at 2:53 PM on January 3, 2001
As for "Nikolai trying to win favour with the A-List team," that's a hoot. Hell, Nikolai's more A-List than almost anyone, he won the best high-school weblog award at SXSW 2000. I never won anything like that!
posted by megnut at 2:53 PM on January 3, 2001
Okay Meg, you can be Face. But remember, later you'll have to fly around in a starship with Lorne Green.
posted by frykitty at 2:56 PM on January 3, 2001
posted by frykitty at 2:56 PM on January 3, 2001
I wish I'd not bothered venting any opinion if it causes so much friction.
posted by williamtry at 2:58 PM on January 3, 2001
posted by williamtry at 2:58 PM on January 3, 2001
As long as I can kill Cylons and partner with Apollo, that's all cool with me.
posted by megnut at 4:08 PM on January 3, 2001
posted by megnut at 4:08 PM on January 3, 2001
In 1999 a crack webgeek unit was sent to prison by a meta-court for a crime they didn't commit. These webgeeks promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the blogger underground. Today still wanted by the government, they survive as webgeeks of fortune. If you have a problem. If no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire: THE A-LIST.
Starring....
posted by tomcosgrave at 4:17 PM on January 3, 2001
Starring....
- Ev Williams - Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith
- Meg Hourihan - "Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck"
- Ben Brown - "Sgt. Bosco "Bad Attitude" Baracus"
- Jack Saturn - "Capt. "Howling Mad" Murdock"
posted by tomcosgrave at 4:17 PM on January 3, 2001
I understand the problem. Which is why FF never pronounced things "best" (there were things that I liked highlighted, but I was never under the illusion that they were the best).
Don't be silly. Of course some things are "best." Just like everyone knows that Catch-22 is the best novel ever written and that Achtung Baby is the best rock album ever recorded.
I don't claim to know the best weblog, but I'm sure it's out there.
posted by daveadams at 7:55 PM on January 3, 2001
Don't be silly. Of course some things are "best." Just like everyone knows that Catch-22 is the best novel ever written and that Achtung Baby is the best rock album ever recorded.
I don't claim to know the best weblog, but I'm sure it's out there.
posted by daveadams at 7:55 PM on January 3, 2001
I had no idea that nothing had happened to any a-lister since Nov. 21. Youse guys don't know how to party.
I'm a big boy. If I can put my stuff out there for a million people to read, I can put it out there for a million people to ignore.
posted by dhartung at 9:10 PM on January 3, 2001
I'm a big boy. If I can put my stuff out there for a million people to read, I can put it out there for a million people to ignore.
posted by dhartung at 9:10 PM on January 3, 2001
I went, I saw, I voted. No votes for the so-called A-listers
listed here, sorry. Except for Metafilter, of course. I don't blog, I just read 'em. I may not know (blog)art, but I know what I like, and it *is* a popularity contest, right?
posted by Lynsey at 9:12 PM on January 3, 2001
listed here, sorry. Except for Metafilter, of course. I don't blog, I just read 'em. I may not know (blog)art, but I know what I like, and it *is* a popularity contest, right?
posted by Lynsey at 9:12 PM on January 3, 2001
I'd respond to these comments, but I have tons of ballots to tablulate. Discuss amongst yourselves; I like hearing what people think about it. :)
posted by Nikolai at 1:54 AM on January 4, 2001
posted by Nikolai at 1:54 AM on January 4, 2001
My a-list includes apples, artichokes, and anthill.
posted by spaceplace at 11:17 AM on January 8, 2001
posted by spaceplace at 11:17 AM on January 8, 2001
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