Thursday, December 01, 2005

Post 100


The beatroot is six months and one hundred posts old. I never knew it would be so much fun!

Got an email from expatanchor.net. Apparently the beatroot has been judged as ‘most influential expat blog in Central Europe’ – whatever that means! It was good to see, as well, that two other blogs – Kinuk in Poland and Warsaw Station - got in the top ten as well. I don’t really understand how they have come to this conclusion, but I am not complaining.

Sorry this post is a bit self-indulgent but, what the hell, it’s my blog!

I started the beatroot originally to put things that I had written elsewhere in one place – like a portfolio, or something. But then I soon discovered that there was much, much more to blogging than that!

Since then I have met so many people via other blogs, have learnt loads, and found out which of my arguments are good and which ones are just completely stupid.

Blogging is not like journalism. I have no editor, sub-editor (although many people say that I need one!) advertisers (blogs should not have advertisers!), board of directors, etc. That’s the strength of blogs – they are independent. The weakness of blogging is that there is no editor, sub-editor (although many people say that I need one!) advertisers (blogs should not have advertisers!), board of directors, etc. It means that blogs have none of the usual filters that journalism has.

So the only checks and balances that we bloggers have is through the comments we get from our readers. And I want to thank the many people who pop in to tell me about the things that I have written and express their opinions. I love it when the comments are more interesting than the original post – which is quite often. As far as I can understand one of the criteria for ‘most influencial expat blog’ is the quality of the comments. And I have been lucky to have some real battles going on(see comment section on last post for a good example of this). Two contributors stand out – Michael Farris and Stefanmichnik, who have had some very entertaining battles over the last couple of months, or so.

On the beatroot’s one hundred posts birthday, can I also thank (this is turning into an Oscar type speech – sorry!) all the other blogs who have said nice things about the blog, including EU Referendum blog, Brussels Journal, By Dawn’s Early Light, European Democracy, Around the World in Eighty Days, Bicyclemark.org (who I talked to yesterday on his excellent podcasting blog from Amsterdam) and many more that, to be honest, I can’t remember right now.

So, thanks again and I hope the next 100 posts are as much fun and education for me as the first lot have been.

Peace!

PS. Please visit our collective blog – P3 - that we have set up here in Warsaw. It brings together several individual bloggers under one name and place. Our next p3 meeting is this Saturday, I believe.

10 comments:

beatroot said...

Thanks Mr Michnik. and do keep coming to the beatroot - you liven the place up considerably!

Michael M. said...

Technically, first place is occupied by the mysterious "Weblog [Country] Points."

Still, it helped me find you and some other interesting blogs, which is a big plus.

michael farris said...

congratulations, and I don't consider stefan and me to have battles, I'm just (trying) to transfer polish style robust spoken argumentation into written English, not a great fit, but I do my litle bit.

Becca said...

Go Beatroot! Nicely done, and I thought your oscar speech was very sweet actually ;)

Gustav said...

Congratulations Beatroot, your posts often get right to the heart of the story, and where traditional media does not. You deserve first place, and I'm glad others come to you to find out what's really going on over here.

I, unfortunately, am a lowly ninth. I have so much to learn. Teach me, Master Splinter...

beatroot said...

It's like Marx's grave - a communist plot. Presients always do this when they are at the end of the line. Remember Cliton in a frenzy of honoring just about everyone he ever met before had to leave the Whitehouse?

The foreign press thinks that Kwasniewski is the only 'world class politician in Poland.' I take it, My Michnik, that you don't agree with that.

Gustav said...

Now, the difference is that in the U.S. when the president is cheating he has to testify and is close to impeachment.

What about when the president "cheats" with the Geneva conventions on torture and holding suspects? Where is our impeachment now!?

benavar said...

Congratulations !
And thanks for these 100 posts trying explaining why stefan michnik is wrong.
(What ? I am wrong ? Was it not the purpose of this blog ? oups...)

-thanks for writting ; i am addicted -

Bicyclemark said...

i believe the standard oscar speech has several references to god and jesus over and over again. Here's to one hundred more... and then more...

beatroot said...

Cheers Mr Bike