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So after yesterday I'm nervous about posting anything. I yelled at my commentators, my fellow bloggers, and anyone else who got in my way. I'm keeping my head down. But I must say I feel a whole hell of lot better. I got emails and posts from fellow bloggers, "Are you talking about me?" Funny that those emails and posts came from some of the best blogs out there, and that's what I want to talk about today. I'd usually email this on our little TBA hotwire, but I'm looking for some outside feedback as well. If you don't know the TBA is getting attention, I see our homepage stats, and I see my own: They are growing. It probably started at last year's BC, but we had another bounce after the Derby, and we haven't looked back. So, what I want to say here is that we (bloggers) all need to look at our blogs and make sure we don't sacrifice quality for quanitity. When you start getting people reading your stuff you feel impelled to write more, and that's where I know I have to be careful. People don't come here to read the top headlines of the day. They might come here for commentary on those headlines, but they also come here for more than that. I just want to say that we might not have to worry about our rude commentators if we don't write stuff that keeps anyone around. So commentators - What do you like? Let's focus on the positive stuff here ok? |
Jun 26, 2008
Is It Safe
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4 comments:
What do I expect? You to write about what you will.
What keeps me coming back as a reader?
Commentary about top stories, facts, figures, current events, etc presented with something new, like your opinion or a tie-in with something from another sport, country, time, or human experience.
When I read the top stories in the DRF or Blood-Horse, I want facts, I want unbiased reporting. Even when I read editorials in those pubs I expect and want a high level of diplomacy, professionalism, and tact.
But I go to the TBA, especially right after a hot story breaks, to get the dirt. To find out what I consider my peers - not industry insiders with interests to protect - think. I want to know if you are affected the way I was when I read that story, and how you process it, and what you think it means. I want a writer who is fair, yes, for sure, but one who is willing to call people on their sh** in a way that wouldn't happen elsewhere. I want intelligent and rational, reasonable assessment - not emotionally driven, ad hominem ranting. I want a writer I can respect. I want a writer who is resourceful and who can draw on a wide range of experiences, draw parallels to help elicit critical thinking. Add to this a writer who can cause a laugh every now and then, and even maybe include the judicious use of insider info (that's a euphemism for gossip) now and then for good measure, and you've got at least one solid contributor to your daily hit count.
Well, I can't top that so I am not even going to post this comment...
Speaking for myself there is much too much regurgitation of the news on the TBA but what can you do. Commentary on the news is fine but that is not what is happening a lot of the time, to me it's like TV, there is a lot of shit on it, I watch the four or five programs I like and disregard the rest.
In my first year or so of blogging I was guiilty of putting a lot of crap out there because I was finding my voice and I really wasn't sure what my voice was but after about a year I started to realize where my niche was and now if I don't have anything to say, I write nothing.
I think we are about alternative content and for the most part there are a dozen of us who do a good job of that and you are one of them. I could do without looking at your cheesy t-shirts but you take the good with the bad :-)
I think Alan said it best in a previous comment: "I write mine strictly for my own benefit." If you want to define a blog this would be the most apt description (I don't think they should be defined based on content).
Why do I follow the TBA? The TBA bloggers really care about and enjoy horse racing. Sounds simple but I don't get the same vibe from many in the "mainstream media".
And, Patrick, in the spirit of your previous post: "Fu@k the haters!"
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