Here's an interesting exchange of emails between the Guardian's Simon Waldman and his arch enemy Tom Coates on the validity or otherwise of the Guardian's ill conceived (in my opinion) "Best British Blog" competition. Tom Coates says pretty much everything I'd want to say on the matter but the problem is that even if The Guardian agreed a teensy weensy bit with Coate's point of view they're not going to say so, nor are they likely to cancel the whole thing so they just have but one option; to dig a trench and defend their position - although they should be commended (but not awarded) for their belated offer to change the title of the award to something a little less offensive.
If they'd set it up as a public vote rather than using their hand picked judges I'd be less concerned. Having said that I'd also be in there like a rat up a drain pipe if the prize was ten grand and not a grand. But I'm shallow like that.
The Guardian guys are more in touch with weblogs than most of their peers but that's not to say that they are in touch if you catch my drift. Onlineblog is good enough (but notably not my best British blog - joke), to make it onto my blogroll and they do employ some cool people but I just think that overstamping this conventional competition mindset onto something as unconventional as weblogs doesn't work. A case of mouth engaged before brain. Pure and simple. And dismissing it as "just a bit of fun" is also a weak cop-out defence. As is holding the view that any criticism can only come from grumpy, ill-natured people who just don't want to play the game. As you know, that describes me more than perfectly.
So, what would do it for me? Well calling it 'Weblog of the Year sponsored by the Guardian' and open public voting, basically. And what exactly is wrong with buying stuff from PC World? They'll be slagging off Sun readers next. Trying a little too hard to be hip methinks.
Stepping out of the right or wrong debate for a moment, it's fascinating that dissent to this is so public, as of course it was always going to be with weblogs. A bit like offending delegates at a soap box convention. Perhaps being unused to public criticism in this way, the G-men are over-reacting a little? Maybe they should just go with the flow and feel a little less obligated to try to control the debate, well OK, I concede they're just putting a balanced view but maybe they are giving Mr Coate's views too much credence?
In other news today, I filled up my diesel car's fuel tank with petrol. What a way to waste an afternoon.
If they'd set it up as a public vote rather than using their hand picked judges I'd be less concerned. Having said that I'd also be in there like a rat up a drain pipe if the prize was ten grand and not a grand. But I'm shallow like that.
The Guardian guys are more in touch with weblogs than most of their peers but that's not to say that they are in touch if you catch my drift. Onlineblog is good enough (but notably not my best British blog - joke), to make it onto my blogroll and they do employ some cool people but I just think that overstamping this conventional competition mindset onto something as unconventional as weblogs doesn't work. A case of mouth engaged before brain. Pure and simple. And dismissing it as "just a bit of fun" is also a weak cop-out defence. As is holding the view that any criticism can only come from grumpy, ill-natured people who just don't want to play the game. As you know, that describes me more than perfectly.
So, what would do it for me? Well calling it 'Weblog of the Year sponsored by the Guardian' and open public voting, basically. And what exactly is wrong with buying stuff from PC World? They'll be slagging off Sun readers next. Trying a little too hard to be hip methinks.
Stepping out of the right or wrong debate for a moment, it's fascinating that dissent to this is so public, as of course it was always going to be with weblogs. A bit like offending delegates at a soap box convention. Perhaps being unused to public criticism in this way, the G-men are over-reacting a little? Maybe they should just go with the flow and feel a little less obligated to try to control the debate, well OK, I concede they're just putting a balanced view but maybe they are giving Mr Coate's views too much credence?
In other news today, I filled up my diesel car's fuel tank with petrol. What a way to waste an afternoon.
