Why DU journals are cooler than "real" blogs.

[crispini]

One word: Built in audience.

Ok, that's three words. But you get my point. Anyway, I tried to get a "real" blog going for awhile, but I felt like I was totally spending all of this time writing well-crafted pieces on that nobody was reading. I mean, yes, I got a few people coming by, and yes, I got a few comments, and yes, I've read all about the different ways that you can attract eyeballs to your blog, but you know, I didn't really want to mess with hunting around the internet trying to build my audience. I just wanted to say stuff and hear people answer and maybe get a little conversation going. In other words, I wanted a small soapbox, not a HUGE soapbox, and I didn't want to build the soapbox myself.

DU is GREAT for that -- we now have a totally built-in soapbox, with built-in eyeballs! Yippee! And I think it's really going to increase the quality of discourse around here too. I've noticed more than one person saying things like, "Now I feel like I have to write more intelligent stuff so I can add it to my blog." And I think that it's true that when you felt like stuff was just going to fall out of sight into the archives, who cared what you said? But now, there's a way to keep tabs on the good stuff.

I'm excited. Once again, DU proves it's the coolest place to be on the internets. All of them. ;)

[Skidmore]

1. These blogs and forums make up the DU Institute--a truly democratic

think tank

[DeepModem Mom]

2. Very cool! Although, I'm using mine to inform non-DU friends...

and acquaintances who miss most of what we see here from the news -- that is, when I'm comfortable that my journal is ready to be passed on to the outside world!

[crispini]

5. Your blog is GREAT for that!

I LOVE the "recommended DU posts." Very clever use of the custom modules!

[DeepModem Mom]

6. Thank you! I'm having great fun with it.

And have sent it to family, and a few friends, already.

[Horse with no Name]

3. Your blog is great crispini

:hi: But it would be nice that more people could get a grasp on how much you actually do for this party. Kudos!

[crispini]

7. I plan to gratuitiously raid my old blog for content for the new blog.

I felt so "alone" making my posts there. :)

[DeepModem Mom]

8. Bring it on, crispini -- you post important business! nt

[bryant69]

4. They are good and bad

I have a blog of my own (as many probably know, since I advertise for it incessently). I also have a DU journal - but I haven't yet really determined how to use my journal.

I suppose that in the future I might consider making my three posts (I usually do about 3 posts a day (less on weekends or if I am busy or depressed) here and linking to them at my Journal. But that doesn't appeal to me very much - in part because I don't have the control over the look of it the way I do at my Blog. My Blog is a personal statement; my DU Journal is, by it's very nature, my participation in a community.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Catchawave]

9. I am sooooo having fun too !

My last experience at blogging was not getting past "EZ Step 2" on Blogspot. Oy. I'm so hopelessly techie challenged :silly:

Here's to DU and ALL their wonderful journalists :toast:

[DeepModem Mom]

10. LOVE your logo -- and your Journal! nt

[Catchawave]

13. Why thank you DM Mom !

Love your journal too :hi: In fact, "My Posts" posts list has fallen in half these past few days, cuz I rather read journals than post ! DUers are so gifted, I'm just proud to be part of this family :loveya:

[wildeyed]

11. Another thing that is great,

I can track the Journal entries of friends and posters I admire via the Buddy List. I get an icon on the My DU page anytime someone on my Buddy List updates their page, so I know to go check it. That is how I found this thread :hi:

[crispini]

12. Isn't that awesome? I love the Buddy List, it's actually useful now!

:hi:

[Catchawave]

16. What's reeeeally weird........

I forgot all about the Buddy List ! I only played with that once, when we were getting DU sigs for the KO Group last year. For some reason, I added everyone on that campaign to my Buddy List. I have all the original KOEBies, which popped up when I started the journal thingy.

Guess I never kept up with Buddies, I always liked to think all DUers were my buddies :loveya:

[cynatnite]

14. Is there a forum for the journals?

It'd be great to have a place to go for advice, help and whatever for journals. I'd really love to learn more how to personalize mine better.

[crispini]

18. That's a good idea!

There used to be a "blog" group, I wonder if that's still around?

[sendero]

15. DU is cool...

... but am I missing something? The journals are simply selected posts you've made. Most posts don't stand alone, outside the thread, that well IMHO.

Maybe I'll start a "journal" thread where you can post on any topic a self-contained screed ready-made for journal addition :)

[crispini]

19. I'm mostly using the journal for the threads I start.

and, I think that a carefully crafted response would be a good candidate to add to a blog as well. It's a great incentive to write something that DOES stand alone and is maybe of higher quality than your (ok MY) run of the mill responses like "Yep," and "Good job!" and so on. :D

[sendero]

22. I don't start many threads...

... I think the journal feature is cool, but it would be nice if you could just add a "journal only" post to it :)

[helderheid]

17. AGREED!

[bloom]

20. I think the random journal feature is fun

The DU journals shows how many DUers there are - that I don't remember ever seeing. DU is such a big place these days.

[Skinner]

21. Great post. I'm glad to hear it.

This is exactly what we were hoping for.

[fooj]

23. Three cheers for the built in soapbox! Yippee! Yippee! Yippee!

Peace.

[EFerrari]

24. The wonder and strength of DU demilitarized dissent, lol

as well as an amazing ability to pull together for a shared goal.

I have no clue where I want my journal to go. Some of you seem to have a great deal of focus already. Me, I'm still in awe of what a great idea this was.

Some of us are slow. And the random journal feature is terrific!


:P

[seemslikeadream]

25. Can folks who are not DU members visit the journals?

http://eclectech.co.uk/message.php?i=jaT

[EarlG]

26. Absolutely

Anyone can visit the Journals.

[pstans]

27. I started a blog last month

After reading your post, I think I will also post the same things on DU Journal because of that built in audience.

[crispini]

28. It really makes me think of DU in a different way.

I don't quite know how to explain it, but I think previously my mindset was, "Oh, let's just log on to DU and see what is going on in the world" and I would maybe respond to some people and chat. Now, though, I'm thinking, "Hm, that would make a good blog post-- what forum should it go in, I wonder?" And I was always disappointed when I would put a lot of effort into a thread and it would get like four responses. But NOW, even if it got four responses, I wouldn't mind so much because it would still be on my blog!

[sonias]

29. crispini, you are right on

"DU proves it's the coolest place to be on the internets. All of them." Totally true. I've loved DU the whole time I've been here and one reason is that Skinner, Elad, and EarlG make the technology work in this place. They add so many great things like the research forums, greatest page, the buddy list (I use mine a lot) and now DU Journals. They're always keeping this place fresh. I post at other community forum sites like DailyKos but they don't have the cool tech we have. Their site is so slow compared to DU. The thread message nesting is so much better on DU. I also love that we have wonderful moderators that keep the place clean. We're the best blog community site. Kudos to you for this thread crispini, and to our moderators who don't get enough thanks, and to our wonderful DU creators for making it possible!

:toast: :applause: :woohoo:

Sonia

[deminks]

30. I wish the little journal sign did not go away after 48 hours.

If all of us who have journals could keep the little red journal sign or something like it so that we could click on the journal of the person whose post we are reading. Does this make sense?

Like if I want to read Crispini's journal, and they haven't updated recently, I have to go to the journals icon and search for their journal. If the button or some other button stayed rather than disappeared, I could just click on the button on Crispini's post. You could keep the update button and make a new button, or use the update button.

Just a thought, and my humble opinion only.

Otherwise, the DU journals are the greatest! :P

[sonias]

31. deminks do you know about the buddy list?

If you regularly want to read particular journals like crispini's add the person to your buddy list. Then when you look at your buddy list from your inbox, your buddies have all the icons, pm, profile, journal etc right next to them. You can quickly check on all your buddies that way. Hope that makes sense. It's pretty cool to see how many of your buddies have journals now.

Sonia

[crispini]

32. Did you see this little icon?

That's next to everyone's name. It's a direct link to your journal! :bounce:

[deminks]

33. Thanks, sonias and crispini! I missed both of those

I will try them out! :bounce: