Everything Ulster - Latest comments on Blogging Over Old Ground

Mark McGregor [Visitor] in response to: Blogging Over Old Ground

Mark McGregor [Visitor] — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:45:39 +0000

Beano,

The post maybe was a but repetitive on a theme for your liking but sometimes they aren't solely aimed at the general audience and speak more to a niche. The fact I don't often go in for lots of backlinking doesn't make this apparent but what was very much on my mind was the incident in Dunclug and shinners dismantling internment bonfires throughout Republican areas. The post was highlighting that some Republicans aren't going to stop commemorating internment and have even expanded the focus.

Similarly my recent blog on St James has a very strong subtext that non-republicans wouldn't get while still being a legitimate piece on the superficial level.

Sorry but even though Slugger has a wide readership sometimes the post is directed more towards a target audience, in my case at least.

Best,

Mark.

fair_deal [Visitor] in response to: Blogging Over Old Ground

fair_deal [Visitor] — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:25:12 +0000

DC

"One weakness is that it focuses on little to nothing of information arising out of policy think-tanks."
"I wonder even if Slugger did go down the line of more policy awareness would people reply and would numbers drop"

I agree with the sentiment and have tried to do some of that in my blogging. However, in my general experience of posting threads on slugger based on material from think tanks is they attract a small number of comments. A lack of NI specific or NI included material (Many have a GB only focus or England and Wales focus) blunts the relevance to a degree and ability to generate a debate. There is also the barrier that the more the material the more effort required. A short news story or newspaper column is easier for people to respond to..

Maybe not the best example but the last one I can remember doing was a paper from a religious think tank on how Christians should try and influence public policy. I thought it would be a good means of broadening the debate following Iris Robinson's comments It attracted 3 comments from 2 commentors.

The Secret Person [Visitor] in response to: Blogging Over Old Ground

The Secret Person [Visitor] — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:20:43 +0000

Just to go off topic!

Thanks for commenting on FairFlags.org.uk, we understand as Englishmen we are a bit ignorant on Northern Irish issues, so we are inviting comment on what a good choice of flag/label would be for Northern Irish produce:

http://fairflags.org.uk/blog/?p=100

We'd appreciate your input, and that of any other interested people!

DC [Visitor] in response to: Blogging Over Old Ground

DC [Visitor] — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:55:14 +0000

Slugger's content is largely media driven. One weakness is that it focuses on little to nothing of information arising out of policy think-tanks. There is a good magazine AgendaNI which is full of policy initiatives, NI public affairs and is obviously agenda driven. But, another problem it is hardcopy only.

Secondly, in fairness it is dead season politically and when Stormont sits the posters on Slugger do a good job of highlighting assembly debates. The TUV stand down was completely overplayed.

However, I wonder even if Slugger did go down the line of more policy awareness would people reply and would numbers drop. For example, fair deal made a great post about gender equality which posed a lot of rather relevant questions, which on slugger remained unanswered.

beano [Member] in response to: Blogging Over Old Ground

beano [Member] — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:38:57 +0000

Thanks for the feedback guys. This post really wasn't planned and just came out as a stream of thought (can you tell? lol).

Chekov, I couldn't possibly name and shame.

O'Neill, you're right the posts themselves are, for the most part a very worthwhile read (if a little detailed for my little head at times). I should really know to not bother reading the comments at all by now, but I just can't help myself.

Pete, hope I managed to get my point across without coming across as too critical. You're one of the most regular posters on there and it's probably unfair not to mention the vast amount of news you highlight that might otherwise escape my attention (and that would be a disaster for all concerned!). It was worth highlighting the piece on Mervyn Storey, it's just a shame that there seemed to be nothing new to add in terms of comments. I wonder: is evolution/creationism becoming the new flags and football?

Pete Baker [Visitor] in response to: Blogging Over Old Ground

Pete Baker [Visitor] — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 22:10:57 +0000

Hardly constantly, Chekov.

But when they do beat their drum, I will point out what they're up to. Keep an eye on the Giants Causeway element too - as the London Geological Society are - because AiG have a financial stake in getting their materials in there.

More generally, on veering off-topic.

It has little to do with the kit.. and a lot to do with the kaboodle.

oneill [Visitor] in response to: Blogging Over Old Ground

oneill [Visitor] — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 21:50:47 +0000

Thanks!

Slugger is a great source of news and views on Northern Ireland (and a bit further afield) but I wonder if it's sheer volume of posts, something that no doubt keeps readers interested and gives them an incentive to regularly check the site, is partially to blame for the poor quality and/or off-topicness of many of the comments.

In terms of the actual posts, it still is a very good source of up to the minute news, views and more reflective analysis of NI political life. OK, CD’s post do resemble a blogging equivalent of the much-lamented Daily Ireland in their slavish adherence to the party line and selective targeting of only certain types of sectarianism; but everyone else is producing on regular basis good original and occasionally challenging articles and where else are you going to find a range of views right through from the TUV to dissident republicanism?

The quality of comments suffers from the old law of diminishing returns; as the volume of people reading the site increases, the number of idiots reading and also commenting will also naturally increase. The media sites on the mainland (which, in reality, is the kind of league Slugger is now competing in) all operate comment moderation, but even there you still get some truly horrendous and pointless threads. Also noticable that the quality of commenting on Slugger definitely improves every year in September when the schools start up again!

Chekov [Visitor] in response to: Blogging Over Old Ground

Chekov [Visitor] — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:25:35 +0000

I think that following Northern Ireland's politics tends to make people lose perspective a little and that's why you get the repetitive blogs. Look at the minute detail in which people pour over the connotations of a couple of council by elections. I do it myself. How many posts have been expended speculating on the tiniest intricacies of the TUV despite the lack of political action since they were formed? Pete blogs constantly about 'young Earthers' because young earth politicians keep making ridiculous comments and each blows up into the same debate between the same people. It can get a little tedious, but it just reflects the tedium of much of what goes on here.

Slugger centralises debate pretty effectively and there's some good blogging on the front page. The comment zone can be a dead loss, but it definitely pays to shop around and get a bit of variety.

Chekov [Visitor] in response to: Blogging Over Old Ground

Chekov [Visitor] — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:11:26 +0000

"(there's at least one other regular who is leading the pack from some distance on that score)"

A wild shot in the dark, but are his initials CD?