A longtime rural resident, I use my 60 plus years of life learning to opinionate here and elsewhere on the “interweb” on everything from politics to environmental issues. A believer in reasonable discourse rather than unhelpful attacks I try to give positive input to the blogesphere, so feel free to comment upon rural issues or anything else posted here. But don’t be surprised if you comments get zapped if you are not polite in your replys.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Blogging in Grey Bruce.

A recent comment by Ian Chadwick in a post on his Collingwood blog saying “Blogs have to be updated and maintained - nothing will kill public interest faster than a blog that is infrequently updated.” has reinforced my view that we here in the Grey Bruce area that are blogging must get together on line more to promote readership and discussion. Unfortunately Ians blog is not very friendly for dialuppers taking forever to load. (Sorry Ian, I tells it like it is!)
As Radio Collingwood, where I found the link to Ians blog says, it is difficult to maintain a blog and keep it fresh. Shane Jolly over here in Owen Sound has provided a forum for several years now but that seems to have gone down the tubes of late despite my best efforts to post something there on a regular basis. The several contributors seem to have better things to do than blog I guess, unlike semiretired old farts like I!

The only other local blogs that I am aware of is Jan from the Bruce, who like myself manages to have a rant or two on a regular basis about federal politics, but I can see where not everyone would want to read a steady diet of that sickening mess. There has to be more local bloggers out there, let me know if you know of any.
So here is my question. If we promote each others blogs by links in the side bar or elsewhere on our blogs, find and invite other LOCAL bloggers into the fold, cross link our commentary to local blogs as I have in this one, will it be enough to maintain or even expand the local participation? Or can some savvy local come up with a Grey Bruce blog aggregator to give a one stop review of recent posts?

A variety of blogging styles and content but all produced locally giving a largely rural (as compared with say a Toronto blogger) and perhaps promoting local business and needs but all available a click or two away from your local blog or aggregator could just put us all on the map. I heartily agree with Ian that checking a blog we like on a regular basis, only to see the same page we saw last week, quickly removes said blog from our visiting list. Perhaps with more interaction between us locally we will all be encouraged to “keep it fresh”!

What do you think guys? Out of area bloggers comments also welcome, every idea or view is valued!

Note:- Yes guys, I do know that Collingwood is not in Grey Bruce, but you are so darn close! To show good faith I have added a sidebar link to the previous post listing all the local blogs mentioned here. I invite local bloggers to send me links to add to the list.

1 comment:

Ms. M said...

Hey Rural, I have put a link to your blog on my sidebar (so happy I finally figured out how to).

I'm not local (way over in BC) but now I know that when I visit Ontario one day I want to come visit your property and your birds!