BlogSpot?

[HallelujahAl]

Don't know if this has been mentioned before but what about a blogspot within the forum? Don't know if it'd be too dificult to do - or use too much bandwidth (whatever that is) - but I think it'd be a really good idea. Failing that, is there a melodeon related blogspot already out there that anyone could point me in the direction of?
Regards
AL

[Theo]

I'm not a follower of any particular blog, but I always understood that a blog was intended to be a fairly personal diary/log with the option of accepting comments from readers.  How would you see a blog adding to what we already have here?

[HallelujahAl]

I'm not a follower of any particular blog, but I always understood that a blog was intended to be a fairly personal diary/log with the option of accepting comments from readers.  How would you see a blog adding to what we already have here?

I see a blogspot as adding to the site in that it would create an individual space for members. It would effectively be another section of the site. I think it would perhaps take away some of the thread drift that I, and many others, are sometimes guilty of commiting. It would give a space in which to air not just questions etc but also talk about ourselves, our personal or individual lives and our melodeonising. And although the 'General' section may well often cover that eventuality, it would be nice to have a section where we could bring some continuity to our online thoughts etc? It's just a 'wish list' item - but is one that I know is available in a number of other places and is very effective. 'BanjoHangout' for example utilises a similar forum method to this as well as incorporating a personal blogspot for each member. What do you think?
AL

[Theo]

Banjohangout seems to be set up under an umbrella organisation for *****hangouts that includes a personal blog with each account.   I daresay it would be possible to do something similar here, but I'd need to do some research into how it might be done.   If there is a lot of interest in this I'll investigate further.  In the mean time it looks pretty simple for anyone who feels the need to blog to set up a personal blog using one of the many free blog providers.

[HallelujahAl]

In the mean time it looks pretty simple for anyone who feels the need to blog to set up a personal blog using one of the many free blog providers.

I quite agree, but here is where us melodeonised folk are already gathering and exchanging views and opinions. Makes sense I think for us to keep things together so to speak. Otherwise we end up as voices 'crying in the wilderness'. Trying to talk melodeon in a non-melodeon world (gah, its BBC poetry season so why not?).

Also, it would seriously provide another platform within the forum for professionals, makers, restorers and performers etc to  keep in touch with the box community (and vice versa of course). Its a place where we are and therefore would be good to use the forum rather than expecting us to all go trolling off to individual webspaces on god-knows-where blogspot.

On a practical note - the member accounts already exist - so creating within the 'forum home' a section for personal blogs linked to each member would be all that is needed. I'm no techi and it may be too complex, difficult, expensive etc., in which case I'll put up and shut up.  But I'd love it if was available - and I'm sure it'd get a lot of use. Though maybe on that point it may very well be worthwhile asking everyone - again I could be wrong.

Thanks for taking the idea seriously at least!
Regards
AL

[Theo]

There is a blog add-on available for SMF.   Its still at an early stage of development, but worth keeping an eye on. Installing and admin should in theory be easier with a purpose written blog script designed as an extension to this forum, rather than trying to integrate with blogspot, wordpress or one of the other standalone blogs.

Lets see if other members have views on the desirability of adding personal blogs. 

[HallelujahAl]

blog add-on available for SMF.   

Looks interesting - read the info on it and it would appear to be the kind of thing needed.
AL

[Susi]

That would be interesting. I do blog elsewhere, but I think it's nice to have a blog option within a forum, as on the hangouts, and the new Mandolin Cafe. I guess it would be good not having to move to another site.

[HallelujahAl]

Hi Suzi! There's not the appetite on this forum for this I've discovered. Other sites such as banjo hangout and mando cafe are brilliant places and incorporate blogs really well into their chatroom format, and I think it would really take this site forward. But both in this thread and on other threads the idea has been shredded. Which is a real shame - but heyho - it made me look around to try and find a blogspot that I could use to talk about things melodeon related. You can catch up with me here

Blessings!
AL

[HallelujahAl]

BTW for more reading on this matter it's worth looking at this thread:
http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,1763.0.html

[Susi]

Cool - thanks for the link to your blog. Mine is http://susiakasinead.wordpress.com

[HallelujahAl]

Great Suzi - but I can't seem to be able to leave a comment on your site. Is that the way you've set it up or am I just stupid?
AL

[Susi]

Scroll down to the end of the post you want to comment, click on "0 comments" or whatever number of comments, and it will take you to a page where you can comment. Actually if you're logged in on Wordpress you should already have opened the comment input form. I have people commenting who are not registered on wordpress so it should work. Do you get an error message?