Thursday, January 18, 2007

What a day for New Brunswick political blogs!

If any of you have been following The Progress for New Brunswick Project – we are not a new blog. In fact, this March will be our one-year-iversary! Also; if you’re wondering why there are posts missing or that the whole site looks sub-par, it is because we’re currently trying to find either a new template that allows more user controlled alterations. If you know of any great code – let us know.

Back to today’s eruption of the NB Blog scene.

It started with an article that made the front page of the Telegraph-Journal. A front page (beneath the fold mind you) article about a blogger that we’re assuming the TJ doesn’t look to fondly upon. To have a blog related article isn’t that odd these days, however; the tone of the article was a little….shall we say: troublesome.

To kick things off the headline read: Anonymous new kid on the blog savaged for lack of credibility

We want to know who is savaging this blog other than the T-J?

sav·age :
1. fierce, ferocious, or cruel; untamed: savage beasts.
2. uncivilized; barbarous: savage tribes.
3. enraged or furiously angry, as a person.
4. unpolished; rude: savage manners.
5. wild or rugged, as country or scenery: savage wilderness.
6. Archaic. uncultivated; growing wild

We read a lot of the other New Brunswick political blogs and couldn’t find any indication that anyone or any other blog was savaging [said] blog in anyway.

Odd.

So the T-J pulled in the help from some other completely credible sources – other anonymous bloggers (no offence intended to Spinks or nbpolitico) to back up their statements.

Here’s the weird part. The TJ goes on to say “rumours about the identity of the mysterious blogger are hardly swirling…”

So why is this on your front page?

Followed by “…more seasoned political bloggers are cautious to recognize the site as anything more than base partisanship.”

So what’s wrong with being partisan? Last we checked there was nothing in the constitution that said otherwise.

Then they drop the bomb. The TJ brought in the super-heavy weight of all Canadian blogods – Kinsella. (read: blog-gods).

Oooooooooo.

He claims that “…he or she cannot stay anonymous for long.”

So what, we’re hunting for bloggers now? God forbid anyone gets on the internet and post some crap. That’s never happened before. The internet is an incredibly clean and fact-based medium.

Smell the sarcasm?

We suppose the real story here is that someone – whoever this blogger is – posted some stuff that people didn’t like reading. Not slanderous, or libel, just insider information (and not the Martha Stewart kind). After some quick checking of facts in some old news papers around the building we found that most of what the blogger had predicted was actually all true.

Here’s another question to ponder: Why is the TJ - a paper that has its very own section dedicated to anonymous whispering (The Sleuth) writing front page articles about the credibility of ...anonymous whispering?

It’s all quite perplexing.

Regardless, it was a great day for blogs in New Brunswick if watching your hit-counter gets you fired up. The bottom-line is this (and we have said this time and time again): Blogs ARE NOT the press. They are a great place to talk about your day, or share information with other readers – but when it’s all said and done, they are just blogs – free online web pages that allow ANY user to post his or her thoughts.

If you don’t like what the blogs are saying, keep a better lid on government announcements, or better yet – run a better newspaper.

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Blogging in NB Explodes!

Of all the times that we have posted garbage on here - today is the day that NB Blogs bling-up across Canada.

We clearly missed the boat this time. And to think of all the crap we've posted on here over the years and to be down for a face lift of all reasons!

Some blogs just can't catch a break....then again maybe it has more to do with our complete lack of credibility and clearly one-sided views....maybe its the occasionally poor grammar, or the odd spelling oversight.

Who are we kidding - this blog has always been lowbrow and always will be.

Facelift? We think it's about time.....

Progress is going to get a facelift over the next few days, so we've taken our posts down (just for now, don't worry!).

We'll be back with an all new look, and possibly even some quasi-well written articles (slim chance - but there is a chance).

We hope you keep checking back.