Wednesday, March 21, 2007

[thogging] gus and the mindless bloggers society

Donatello's David in thinking pose, minus figleaf, possibly reflecting on Gus Rodin's later snub

To be fair to the great Chris Dillow, he did preface his post on Thogging with: "I was hoping to avoid this meme," then he reflected that:

"Lots of blogs make me think. Iain and Guido make me think: are people really interested in this tittle-tattle? Harry's Place makes me think: don't these guys ever get bored of making the same point? I could go on ... Anyway, my five nominees are: Paul, Shuggy, Fabian, Matthew and Not Saussure. I've excluded those kind enough to nominate me. I've left out Norm, Samizdata, Civitas and Wat as they don't need the traffic. And I've left out US bloggers - though I find Bryan Caplan and Overcoming Bias, to name but two, very stimulating."

As one blogger who indulges in a bit of Blogfocusing a couple of times a week, I certainly noticed some new blogs from Chris' list but at the same time, my exclusion from his list seems to inidicate that I am not a thinking blogger. Ipso facto, I must be a mindless cretin and to shamelessly mix metaphors, [which I'm not doing as this is the only metaphor used to this point], I'll now take my bat and ball and go home. Hence the following exchange on Chris' site:

Delighted I was passed over. Think I'll start up the Mindless Bloggers Club.
Posted by:
jameshigham March 17, 2007 at 06:54 PM

James - that was exactly why I was trying I avoid the meme. You just annoy everyone who's not in your list, for no very good reason. Sorry.
Posted by:
chris March 18, 2007 at 04:50 PM

Thanks for the mention.
Posted by:
Fabian Tassano March 19, 2007 at 05:49 PM

Chris, I wouldn't be annoyed with you, particularly as you were kind enough to link the Malcolm Marshall thing. It does create divisiveness though [speaking generally here, not specifically] and this is the big problem with my blogroll - how not to elevate some to the exclusion of others.
Posted by:
jameshigham March 20, 2007 at 08:38 PM

I should have added "… and how not to lose close blogfriends somewhere in the large lists of blog-humanity."

So, there it is. If I had come upon this post by accident, I would have left a comment: "Methinks the man [Higham] doth protest too loudly. Relax. Get a life." To which Higham might reply: "Welcome to the Mindless Bloggers Society, one and all."

Of course, the important issue is what to do about one's blogfriends, vis a vis listmaking.

6 comments:

  1. Well I know I'm not a thinking blogger - 'slightly above average' could be engraved on my tombstone - hence when intelligent people say kind things my first reaction is to wonder if they're taking the piss. Turns out they're not. Aim low and be flattered, that's my motto Marty.

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  2. Of course, the important issue is what to do about one's blogfriends, vis a vis listmaking.

    If it worries you to this extent, don't make lists... I would have thought, though, that most people can keep blogging in enough perspective to realise that it's not the end of the world to not be on a particular list, that it's a rare treat to not be tagged by a particular meme, and that chances are, if today's meme passes you by, there'll be another one along tomorrow. Which is a long-winded way of saying that, viewed over the longer term, you'll be able to spread the largesse around equally (sorry if that sounds too socialist for you...) And if you are still struggling, I'm happy to accept a reduction in my own meme quota :)

    Plus, personally speaking, if I was to lose a blogfriend over something as trivial as a meme - and that's all that this Thinking Blogger lark is, however much it soothes our egos to be nominated - then I wouldn't count it much of a loss...

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  3. Mindless Blogging? Hmmm, In prefer
    "Coitus, ergo sum" (sic) ;-)

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  4. Even blog I read makes me think. Sometimes it's 'this is rubbish' but all give a view on the way that person thinks and it all helps.

    The sites I have on my blogroll are all sites I have visited on my travels and gave me either a different view point or a discussion with a different conclusion. I don't even always agree with the viewpoints on there but they make me think.

    I never do these memes as I don't like trying to define things so simply as everything is shades of grey. Now, after your comments, I wonder how I would just identify five sites.

    As far as I can see you have a different agenda which involves wider exposure for bloggers and you offer a step up to some deserving sites who I would not have otherwise seen.

    Only politicians and Socialists don't think.

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  5. Or you could do what I have done with mine and not offend anybody ...
    http://mutteringsandmeanderings.blogspot.com/2007/03/get-yer-free-award-here.html

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  6. Chuckle - like that last one, M&M. BR, IA, SS and Bag,interesting thoughts all.

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Comments need a moniker of your choosing before or after ... no moniker, not posted, sorry.