I’ve been writing this blog for a few years now and have built
up a regular readersbip. It’s not massive but it’s steady and when I started out it was because I wanted to get things off my chest not because I wanted to be well known or self important. It was a bit like a daily diary – but one I was happy to share with anyone who was interested enough to read it.
It became a bit of an obsession. Every day until recently I wrote about something. I went looking for things to write about rather than waiting for them to come to me. Recently I thought “This is bloody silly. If you have nothing to say then shut the fuck up!” so now I write irregularly and – hopefully – only when I have something I really want to say. This brings me to the point in question…
I’ve made some good friends whilst blogging but the circle seems to be shrinking. Friends like the late Captain Ranty and Constantly Furious are no more. Similarly Max Farquar has disappeared. Subrosa has gone quiet. There are several more examples but you get my drift.
I’m not the only one to notice this. Recently I was invited to join a group called Martin Scriblerus. I knew several of the members and, if I’m honest, they flattered me into joining. It seemed a good idea at the time although I admit I’ve never really been one for clubs or societies.
They liked my stuff until they found out I also run a blog called “…is a cunt” which seemed to ruffle a few feathers. Much moral judgement and tut tutting followed from a minority of the group, so I sat down and had a long think and a chat with Mrs D. I asked myself “What’s the point of this” and there didn’t seem to be one other than lesser known bloggers using the group to up their readership through the better known ones.
As a condition of membership you have to carry a link to the other members’ blogs and I questioned why I would be pointing my readers towards blogs belonging to people I don’t know and whose views I don’t agree with. What I seemed to be saying was “I don’t read this stuff but I recommend that you do!” At that point I left the group.
So now I’ve decided to review my blogroll and only include blogs that I do actually read. I think that’s more honest and as you’ve probably realised reading this that I’m quite happy being a loner, I really don’t care whether people agree with me or not. It makes sense to me…
Insult me directly by eMail
Dioclese 
You’re not the only one squire. I abide by that Oscar Wilde saying “that I would never join any club that would accept me”
Wasn’t that Groucho Marks. Mind you he probably stole it from Oscar…
I enjoy reading your other blog too.
I read the above with trepidation, thinking the bottom line was going to be, “No more”, so I’m glad to see you are carrying on. Long may your muse continue!
(And clubs are better left for seal pups.)
I can see why the first couple of paragraphs might give the impression of quitting, but I’m not doing that.
isac does take a bit of time these days. We get over 25,000 hits a week and hundreds of comments and nominations. It’s a victim of it’s own success. I enjoy it and as my good friend Chas says “approval is not required” !
They don’t get rid of me that easy…
I too thought that it was a “goodbye” post. Relieved that it wasn’t.
Another reader who read the first lines with sadness, but then they always say a good story should start with a good hook? Nice one!
Actually, it is not a condition of the MS group that you carry a blogroll linking to members, merely a link back to the MS site, which is a reasonable expectation. As for ISAC, it was one or two who had an objection. The majority were either neutral – up to you what you do, we are not the morality police – or remained silent, probably not even having read the relevant discussions…
As for joining clubs…Meh! I am with Groucho Marx, but MS is harmless enough, so I’m content to go along with it. I’ve discovered a couple of new blogs to look at as a consequence.
A link back to a page containing a link of members amounts to the same thing.
As for isac, I believe I did say ‘minority’ ?
And if I don’t read a blog it’s because I don’t like it or find it entertaining not because I disagree with the views expressed. Mind you I might make an exception for something like the Labour party’s web site 😂
Echo chamber? You’re joking
…king
…….king
…………king
……………..king
Indeed. A tiny minority. So tiny it wasn’t worth fussing about.
And, no, a link back to the site isn’t the same as carrying the blogroll yourself.
If it was that tiny then I wouldn’t have fussed.
And as regards the link, it’s a very mute point.
I think we should agree to differ because we clearly aren’t going to agree about this. I quit. End of. Why does it bother you so much if it’s not that important?
Oh, yeah, on another point, why would you point people to bloggers you disagree with? I do. Because seeing opposing views challenges your own. Otherwise are an echo chamber.
Oh I nearly forgot … Core members are required to display the blogroll.
That’s a personal choice.
Not according to the MS site it isn’t
Why does it bother you so much if it’s not that important?
It doesn’t. I wasn’t the one who raised it. I merely felt inclined to put in a little balance to the discussion.
As for the link issue – you are following the same logic as your detractors. They were wrong on that one, too, as your defenders pointed out – and I was one of them.
Not according to the MS site it isn’t
You have a choice – either put a blogroll up or just the badge. No one is forcing anyone to do anything. If you do, they call you a core member.
Personally, I don’t much like the “core membership” thing, as I’d prefer there was no distinction. But not enough to leave over it and I’m happy to carry the blogroll as there are some good sites included. If that gives some exposure to newer, lesser well known sites, I’m fine with that. We all have to start somewhere.
Like I said, we’re not going to agree about all this but you do seem to accept that lesser known blogs are gaining from public endorsement on the better known ones.
That’s fine but it’s my choice what I choose to recommend and if I read them and find them uninteresting then I’ve no wish to include them.
If you read the MS membership page it does state that the badge directs the reader to the MS site so just displaying it without a link is not an option. I read these things carefully.
I’m glad you’re content to be part of MS. I wish you all well but I don’t want to be involved. I tried playing an active role and didn’t like what I saw. Your choice, my choice. Neither wrong, just different…
MS is a disease
That was nearly witty. Now fuck off – you’re banned…
Actually, I’m not convinced that it is the case that lesser known people are riding on the coat tails of more well known ones. Merely that if it was I don’t have a problem with it.
However, my stats suggest it’s not so. The vast majority of out clicks are via my articles, not my blog rolls.
Going solo is much better in my humble view, no one to answer to but yourself. I never did like gangs 🙂 and now I am an adult I like groups of people even less, it’s always more bother than it’s worth! Everyone is entitled to an opinion but no one is entitled to judge. I read your blogs because !. They are not like all the others, 2 you are informative and witty. 3 ISAC let’s me let off steam and is very amusing. I no longer read any other blogs because it all became so dramatic. (Oh and I occasionally pop over to Saxon because quite frankly he is as demented as me and I love him for it.)
As you will have gathered, the Flaxen one is a personal friend even though we live opposite sides of the world. I set his blog up for him because when it comes to tech savvy he’s about as savvy as a bag of potatoes!
Thanks for your kind comments. You’re always welcome on my sites and you’ll be pleased to know that the email change has worked fine and Rickie can’t pretend to be you any more while he doesn’t know your email address! Have to beat the little bugger somehow!
You’re right about MS. I should never have joined in the first place. I let my ego talk me into it. I avoid all clubs in real life because they just don’t fit my personality. Why would a cyber club be any different?
Well having been absent for a week. In order to sit on Grandchild number one whilst Grandchild number two made his way into the world I have been out of the loop no phone (had to leave it with hubby so we could communicate whilst I was away) No computer mine is not portable and theirs was in the shop thanks to grandchild one, and I have to tell you I have not missed technology one bit 😀 . It is nice to be home back in the calm and tranquillity of my little bubble, the travelling was a damn nightmare, I now remember why I haven’t been near central London in over 10 years! WHAT A DUMP. But had a nice if tiring visit. And glad to get back to reading here, ISAC and Flaxon.
Keep on being a rebellious individual we are few in this life these days! 😉 Glad the email thing is fixed, Just have to hope I can bloody well remember what it is once I clear my cookies etc :S my senility is getting worse daily!
Kath, I’m not sure what you mean by drama as I’ve not witnessed any. As far as MS is concerned, rather too much is being made of it. It’s just a few bloggers who are mutually promoting each other. Remember when you started? I linked to you and gave you a guest spot on my blog. This is no different.
I have been meaning to ask, somewhat facetiously, whether you still regard Rickie as a gent now that you have been on the receiving end of his nasty behaviour. Presumably not…
As far as ISAC is concerned, while not really my thing, there is something quintessentially English about the whole endeavour. The bawdy, irreverent, disrespectful common abuse thrown at the self-righteous and pompous is a tradition with a long heritage in the Anglo Saxon world. I would defend to the death the right for it and its kind to continue to cause gratuitous offence to those who deserve to be offended good and hard on a regular basis.
The snowflake generation would destroy this fine tradition, given half the chance. Would ISAC constitute a safe space, one wonders…
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I already replied to your ? about Rikkie over at ISAC the first time you asked it. I am not in the habit of repeating myself. As for link back that’s not quite the same now is it. Drama for me is these days is anything that does not involve a nice cup of tea in the garden with my feet up reading a good book or listening to an Agatha Christie audio book. As I now interact with NO REAL PEOPLE except my family (and even then I no longer speak to my brother because he acts like a child in the playground at school creating DRAMA for me with my mother over my fathers INCURABLE cancer). and as for online I spend minimal time in la la land these days and only come to Mr D’s , ISAC and Flaxens .”Safe space” no possibly not but when letting off steam about things that IRK , it’s safer than yelling at people in the street YOU’R ALL CUNTS, which is the point I am getting to these days.
I’m not a regular at ISAC. I dropped in when Dioclese was having problems with DD. I put in a comment about the background and haven’t been back since, so wouldn’t have seen your reply.