STICKY DOORKNOBS

Kudos to George

Congratulations to George Johns at Sleepless in Midland for his photo coverage of Saturday's Juneteenth festivities in Midland.

Shazzam!

We recorded our 100,000th Sticky Doorknobs visitor today and we (OK, OK, it's 'I', who am I kiddin'?) just couldn't let the occasion pass without a virtual nod and a literal thanks to those of you who stop in from time to time.

Our numbers aren't quite as staggering as those posted over at the Fire Ant Gazette, where Eric first began blogging on granite and later stone walls and  parchment back when he was dragging HLB around by her hair swearing that he would someday reach 500,000 even if it killed him. And we don't get the look ins or the provocative political discourse they record over at Jessica's Well, where even Rush goes when he needs a conservatism booster shot in his behind, but we hope maybe to achieve those lofty heights in a couple of lifetimes.

I do appreciate those sites, btw, both of whom serve as fine role models for just what a blog should strive to be. (Except for the little blogging on steroids issue we'll overlook since they're otherwise such fine people).

For those of you who feel justifiably leery that a smaller town mainstream media person would claim to have 100,000 visitors, I offer you proof:

Counter: 100,000

If you're still leery, stop by my office and see the callouses on my index finger from all the years of clicking and clicking and clicking on "Sticky Doorknobs" in my favorites folder

Pictured: An advanced photo of me, upon hearing news of my 500,000th visitor to Sticky Doorknobs several thousand years from now.

They're outta here

Jeff takes a stand. And it reminds me of an old National Lampoon cover several years ago, a few months after Jessica McClure was rescued from a well in a backyard in Midland. The caption on the Lampoon cover photo of Baby Jessica said, "JUDGE ORDERS JESSICA BACK IN WELL!"

MDC appears unconcerned with online criticisms

Consultants being paid by the Midland Development Corporation recommended Friday that the economic development board start a blog, and that is not only a great opportunity for the MDC, it's also big news for the local blogging community.

For a number of reasons, TIPS Strategies' suggestion could serve as a catalyst for bringing legitimacy to an often maligned form of mass media. TIPS' John Roberts told MDC officials that the Midland blogging world has been frank, often disparaging and seldom, if ever, flattering in their comments about the job MDC is doing. To effectively answer its critics Roberts told MDC it should establish an online presence to counter the criticism, as well as to head-off external negative perceptions gained by people who enter "Midland Texas" into search engines and are treated not to chamber pages but to blogs that may paint the town in a not-so-glowing light.

The Midland-based blog, JessicasWell.com, is operated by a handful of Midlanders (we assume) who have yet to reveal their identities and frequently target MDC in posts. It's no secret The Well is who Roberts had mostly in mind.

Recognizing the impact of such bloggers by starting an MDC blog could result in a number of  changes online, including:

• increasing the overall credibility of online writing and its potential impact;
• providing dialogue among Midlanders concerned about economic development issues;
• taking seriously the concerns voiced by bloggers and those who frequently post at blogs, particularly posts about economic development.

Unfortunately, the initial impression I'm left with is that the MDC may not take the advice of its consultant. MDC Chairman Jim Nelson: "I just think you have to be careful about spending a lot of time and resources on the vocal minority. As the head of a company I'm not going to spend a lot of time on the 10 percent of employees you'll never make happy."

I think Jim underestimates the potential of online writing by what he seems to be saying and not saying in his statement. What he seems to be saying is he's about as concerned with a few anonymous naysayers as a rancher with steel-toed Tony Llamas walking through a sticker patch. The rancher may get a few thorns stuck to his jeans, but it's nothing he can't easily flick off at the end of the day. What Jim doesn't say, apparently, is that the MDC seems to not have any intention of starting a blog to counter the concerns and criticisms levied at The Well and other sites. I hope I'm wrong.

The MDC is being given a golden opportunity to take advantage of this new method of communicating and to open a dialogue with Midlanders. To take advantage of that opportunity would at best be a PR coup for the MDC; brushing off such a recommendation -- one that no doubt came at a high consulting fee -- would be a mistake that would go nowhere in helping MDC rise from the public ashes.

The best sunsets and sky shots in the world

Scroll through here (down a little bit) and you'll get a glimpse into what the West Texas sky looks like from a farm near Stanton. Great stuff, Bob.

Is blogging terminal?

Christianity Today's Ted Olsen has become the latest to ponder The Death of Blogs.

The CT columnist and online editor quotes media analyst Darryl Plummer's reasoning behind why blogging has peaked: "Everybody thinks they have something to say," according to Plummer, "until they are put on stage and asked to say it."

Olsen notes that technorati.com estimates 3 million blogs are started every month -- hardly a sign of impending doom for the new media -- and says that while death may be a bit harsh, there will at least be a weeding out as bloggers discover that it's not necessarily the quality of writing that counts on a blog as does the frequency of posts. Like so many other aspects of our society, it has become more about quantity than quality.

It's difficult to make an assessment about the state of our little corner of the blogosphere. Those who blog most frequently in these parts tend to take brief hiatuses from time to time and just when you think he or she is burning out, they return with a fury.

Blogging can be an addiction for both writer and reader alike. Those who frequent such sites often feel like they are  looking in on someone else's world and that's certainly some of the appeal. Bloggers want people to care about what they write and think which in many ways makes bloggers tantamount to newspaper columnists in many regards. Many bloggers began because they felt they could do at least as good a job if not better than paid mainstream journalists and many of them are as good or better. MSMers no longer own the stage, they must share it.

As one blogger pointed out to me, it can take years to grow a blog. At The Knob, we have been fortunate enough to record a tripling of our daily traffic since May. Although I can't be for sure when attempting to point to a catalyst for the growth, I can say that since a post about Jessica McClure appearing on the Today Show (which recorded over 1,300 hits in one day) the number of folks who stop by has grown fairly consistently, and that's a nice thing to have and a reason to keep on.

Concerning the Jessica post, there was no pontification about her appearance, just the date and time, but people flocked to the post proving, I suppose, that it's more what and who you are writing about than what you think. At least that was the case in that one particular post. There are a hundred other posts on The Knob that would completely disprove that notion.

Simply, no one really knows why blogs work or whether they are growing or dying. The very mishmash of  reasons blogs are appealing may be enough to keep the form of communicating going for quite awhile.

On the other hand, maybe not.

Wimpy lion video

Thanks to George over at Sleepless for sharing this video. You wanna talk about a plan gone awry. ... I can't recall when I've seen a bunch of wimpy lions like these.

Gotta run ...

Something important's come up. Have to be away for a few days. Hope to be back early next week.

jp

Is The Well being capped?

Whither Jessica? Only 14 posts in June,  less than one a day. Four  different three-day droughts between posts (including the current one), and one 3-day content-free spell. And, nary a comment on the very subject that provided you with your name: Jessica Morales.

Vacation is over, guys. Your public waits.

(Not to mention the newspaper needs some more Monday content. Get crackin', people.)

Blogging world makes room for Janie

Give it up for Janie.

My only concern for Janie the New Blogger is that she'll be short on opinions. But you keep workin' at it kid.