The decision to give "my baby" to someone else did not come easily or quickly, but I came to a point where it was obvious that I needed to pass BLOG VILLAGE on to someone who would take care of our Community and help it develop. I have found that person in Eileen, aka CyberCelt. She has been a very active Villager since June of 2006. Her first entry was Texas RV Travel, and now she has several blogs on the Village.
We have been emailing each other for the last week, taking care of the many small tasks that were required to move the responsibility for BLOG VILLAGE from me to her. There are probably still a few links, etc., that we may have failed to change, so bear with us as we make the transition. Any emails I receive concerning the Village will be forwarded to Eileen.
Knowing that Eileen will care for our Village and work with you to keep BLOG VILLAGE your home in the blogosphere has made this decision a whole lot easier. I hope all of you welcome her and work with her as she works to make BLOG VILLAGE THE FAMILY FRIENDLY TopList!
So, this is the official announcement that Dirty Butter is no longer the Admin of BLOG VILLAGE. Your new admin is now officially CyberCelt.
Showing posts with label TopList. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TopList. Show all posts
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Hoping to Find a New Owner for BLOG VILLAGE
Dear Villagers,
I have reached a point in my life where I cannot give the time to BLOG VILLAGE that this community of friends deserves. Rather than just delete the whole TopList, I am hoping that one of you would like to pick up where I leave off and take over the administration of the Village.
I would hope that whoever might become the "owner" would maintain the Family Friendly status of our group. But I do not expect another person to do things just the way I have done them. I will leave the Village, so that the new owner can proceed as they see fit. Those of you who keep up with my own blogs will still be able to find me.
If you would be interested in taking over this TopList, please email me.
If I cannot find someone willing to take the TopList over, I will delete it at the end of March.
Regretfully,
Rosemary
I have reached a point in my life where I cannot give the time to BLOG VILLAGE that this community of friends deserves. Rather than just delete the whole TopList, I am hoping that one of you would like to pick up where I leave off and take over the administration of the Village.
I would hope that whoever might become the "owner" would maintain the Family Friendly status of our group. But I do not expect another person to do things just the way I have done them. I will leave the Village, so that the new owner can proceed as they see fit. Those of you who keep up with my own blogs will still be able to find me.
If you would be interested in taking over this TopList, please email me.
If I cannot find someone willing to take the TopList over, I will delete it at the end of March.
Regretfully,
Rosemary
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Our Featured BLOG VILLAGER – Meredith Gould
It's been awhile since we have had a Featured Villager interview, so I was very pleased when the Gatekeeper sent in her interview with one of our newer Villagers, Meredith Gould.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
These days, I characterize myself as a "working writer", because most of my paltry annual income comes from providing editorial services in some form. But since writing is also something I feel deeply called to do, it's as much vocation as occupation. In fact, it was occupation before it was vocation.
My work history includes stints as a graphic production artist, waitress, secretary and bartender after dropping out of college. I dropped back in at age twenty-three and earned a doctorate in Sociology by age thirty. I taught college for a decade, then worked in state government and at an ad agency, before going freelance in 1989. In addition to copy writing and editing, I regularly published essays and features in regional and national magazines. I loved magazine work enough to edit a bi-monthly for a while.
Book writing? Not interested back then. That required piling up way too many words. I certainly never imagined writing books about spiritual and faith formation from a Catholic Christian perspective, especially since I was raised Jewish.
Why did you decide to blog?
My decision to launch More Meredith Gould was the result of several realizations about publishing. First, the print outlets for "inspirational humor" have basically disappeared. I finally realized that most of this writing was happening in e-zines and the blogosphere.
I also developed a low-to-no tolerance for the time lag between writing and publication. I finally realized that the blogosphere would allow me to reach existing readers more quickly and find new ones more quickly, while giving me creative control over content and design. Yes, I'm a creative control freak.
Still, I resisted blogging because of internal blah blah about what I thought I was supposed to be doing at this point in my writing career. I made a slew of snobby assumptions about who was blogging and why. But then, after getting into the habit of reading a couple of blogs, I developed some much-needed humility. Surprise! Surprise! The blogosphere was not, in fact, dominated by hacks and dilettantes. I was reading some terrific, provocative, smart, creative writing. Clearly, other working writers and book authors were blogging. It was time for me to get involved with what everyone is calling the "new media." The definitive shove came from Ruth Harrigan, who blogs at Wheelie Catholic. She persuaded me to futz around with the Blogger templates one night, and I quickly became smitten with the entire enterprise.
Describe what your blog is about.
More Meredith Gould is an extension of my other work, because, as I note in the tag-line, "I always have more to say." I offer quirky observations in posts about the challenges of communicating for and about faith; practical spirituality; Catholic Christian-Jewish interfaith weirdness; and the agonies and ecstasies of writing for a so-called living. I welcome reader questions and anchor my answers in experience and scholarship without being stuffy or boring. I'm very proud of the fact that reviewers have characterized my humor as "gentle" and "surprisingly unprudish."
How many books have you written? Can you pick one of your books, and tell us why it’s your favorite?
I have five published books, and one forthcoming in July 2008. Like every other author, I have a couple of completed manuscripts that will never be published – and the world will be a better place for that.
You want me to choose a favorite among my children?!? I can't do that! Each book has served a special purpose. Each seems to build on the previous one. I love my first book, Tips for Your Home Office (Storey) because it was my first, plus easy and fun to write. Staying Sober: Tips for Working a Twelve Step Program of Recovery (Hazelden) will always occupy a special place in my heart and not just because it earns royalties! That book allowed me to make an edgy, funny contribution to the generally grim recovery literature. Like most middle children, Deliberate Acts of Kindness: Service as a Spiritual Practice (Doubleday) has gotten somewhat lost. The shelving designation ("Social Science") killed it in bricks-n-mortar stores. People who discover it find it useful and inspiring. I sometimes forget I wrote it until readers contact me. I love how The Catholic Home: Celebrations and Traditions (Doubleday) helped me define and develop my voice as a Catholic author. It is purchased a lot as a gift for newlyweds and young families, and by catechists. Come to the Table: A Catholic Passover Seder (Plowshares Publishing), written over a period of seven years, was a labor of love and religious conviction. I'm thrilled that it has been adopted by a number of parishes for their annual Passover seder. I'm still too close to the experience of writing my latest, Our Words Made Fresh: Communicating Church and Faith Today (Morehouse), to do anything but whimper about the process.
What's your advice for other writers who are still trying to get into print.
Keep at it, but get real about your goal. If it's to make money, then forget about getting a byline, and go land a copywriting job in either the private or public sector. You'll be writing- you'll get into print - you'll have fun.
If you write for self-expression, don't expect to get either published or paid. But that shouldn't matter, because real writers feel compelled to write, with or without publication. Everything – heart, mind, and spirit – atrophies when we don't write. Garrison Keillor, in a recent edition of the Authors Guild Bulletin (Summer 2007), is quoted as saying, "It's like a major illness having a book in the works. Good days and bad days, but you keep going…" He's right. If you're a real writer, you'll keep at it no matter what. If you're determined to get into print, then as a practical matter, you're going to have to become very savvy about the publishing business. You'll need to pay attention to trends and market demands, because print publishing is a business first and foremost.
Which other blogs do you read?
Regularly, thanks to Google Reader: Anti-Itch Meditation, Ask Sister Mary Martha, A Third Way, Dirty Catholic, Happy Catholic, The Ironic Catholic, Kingdom Come, spiritually delicious!, Sweetness and Light, Wheelie Catholic, and Whispers in the Loggia. In addition to Blog Village, I belong to St. Blog's Parish and subscribe to BlogRush, which I wander through regularly to see what other folks are writing. I'm noticing how visiting blogs and websites has significantly reduced my need to subscribe to a zillion print magazines, so I shouldn't be complaining about the dwindling number of print outlets. Mea maxima culpa.
Please suggest someone else's blog at Blog Village so we can do a feature on them.
Barbara's Tchatzkahs is a very smart, sassy blog, although it takes way too long to load.
DMD Scratchboard Gallery is a visually beautiful blog.
These days, I characterize myself as a "working writer", because most of my paltry annual income comes from providing editorial services in some form. But since writing is also something I feel deeply called to do, it's as much vocation as occupation. In fact, it was occupation before it was vocation.
My work history includes stints as a graphic production artist, waitress, secretary and bartender after dropping out of college. I dropped back in at age twenty-three and earned a doctorate in Sociology by age thirty. I taught college for a decade, then worked in state government and at an ad agency, before going freelance in 1989. In addition to copy writing and editing, I regularly published essays and features in regional and national magazines. I loved magazine work enough to edit a bi-monthly for a while.
Book writing? Not interested back then. That required piling up way too many words. I certainly never imagined writing books about spiritual and faith formation from a Catholic Christian perspective, especially since I was raised Jewish.
My decision to launch More Meredith Gould was the result of several realizations about publishing. First, the print outlets for "inspirational humor" have basically disappeared. I finally realized that most of this writing was happening in e-zines and the blogosphere.
I also developed a low-to-no tolerance for the time lag between writing and publication. I finally realized that the blogosphere would allow me to reach existing readers more quickly and find new ones more quickly, while giving me creative control over content and design. Yes, I'm a creative control freak.
Still, I resisted blogging because of internal blah blah about what I thought I was supposed to be doing at this point in my writing career. I made a slew of snobby assumptions about who was blogging and why. But then, after getting into the habit of reading a couple of blogs, I developed some much-needed humility. Surprise! Surprise! The blogosphere was not, in fact, dominated by hacks and dilettantes. I was reading some terrific, provocative, smart, creative writing. Clearly, other working writers and book authors were blogging. It was time for me to get involved with what everyone is calling the "new media." The definitive shove came from Ruth Harrigan, who blogs at Wheelie Catholic. She persuaded me to futz around with the Blogger templates one night, and I quickly became smitten with the entire enterprise.
More Meredith Gould is an extension of my other work, because, as I note in the tag-line, "I always have more to say." I offer quirky observations in posts about the challenges of communicating for and about faith; practical spirituality; Catholic Christian-Jewish interfaith weirdness; and the agonies and ecstasies of writing for a so-called living. I welcome reader questions and anchor my answers in experience and scholarship without being stuffy or boring. I'm very proud of the fact that reviewers have characterized my humor as "gentle" and "surprisingly unprudish."
I have five published books, and one forthcoming in July 2008. Like every other author, I have a couple of completed manuscripts that will never be published – and the world will be a better place for that.
You want me to choose a favorite among my children?!? I can't do that! Each book has served a special purpose. Each seems to build on the previous one. I love my first book, Tips for Your Home Office (Storey) because it was my first, plus easy and fun to write. Staying Sober: Tips for Working a Twelve Step Program of Recovery (Hazelden) will always occupy a special place in my heart and not just because it earns royalties! That book allowed me to make an edgy, funny contribution to the generally grim recovery literature. Like most middle children, Deliberate Acts of Kindness: Service as a Spiritual Practice (Doubleday) has gotten somewhat lost. The shelving designation ("Social Science") killed it in bricks-n-mortar stores. People who discover it find it useful and inspiring. I sometimes forget I wrote it until readers contact me. I love how The Catholic Home: Celebrations and Traditions (Doubleday) helped me define and develop my voice as a Catholic author. It is purchased a lot as a gift for newlyweds and young families, and by catechists. Come to the Table: A Catholic Passover Seder (Plowshares Publishing), written over a period of seven years, was a labor of love and religious conviction. I'm thrilled that it has been adopted by a number of parishes for their annual Passover seder. I'm still too close to the experience of writing my latest, Our Words Made Fresh: Communicating Church and Faith Today (Morehouse), to do anything but whimper about the process.
Keep at it, but get real about your goal. If it's to make money, then forget about getting a byline, and go land a copywriting job in either the private or public sector. You'll be writing- you'll get into print - you'll have fun.
If you write for self-expression, don't expect to get either published or paid. But that shouldn't matter, because real writers feel compelled to write, with or without publication. Everything – heart, mind, and spirit – atrophies when we don't write. Garrison Keillor, in a recent edition of the Authors Guild Bulletin (Summer 2007), is quoted as saying, "It's like a major illness having a book in the works. Good days and bad days, but you keep going…" He's right. If you're a real writer, you'll keep at it no matter what. If you're determined to get into print, then as a practical matter, you're going to have to become very savvy about the publishing business. You'll need to pay attention to trends and market demands, because print publishing is a business first and foremost.
Regularly, thanks to Google Reader: Anti-Itch Meditation, Ask Sister Mary Martha, A Third Way, Dirty Catholic, Happy Catholic, The Ironic Catholic, Kingdom Come, spiritually delicious!, Sweetness and Light, Wheelie Catholic, and Whispers in the Loggia. In addition to Blog Village, I belong to St. Blog's Parish and subscribe to BlogRush, which I wander through regularly to see what other folks are writing. I'm noticing how visiting blogs and websites has significantly reduced my need to subscribe to a zillion print magazines, so I shouldn't be complaining about the dwindling number of print outlets. Mea maxima culpa.
Barbara's Tchatzkahs is a very smart, sassy blog, although it takes way too long to load.
DMD Scratchboard Gallery is a visually beautiful blog.
When Meredith first emailed me I could already tell she was quite a wonderful character. She's funny, witty and very gracious. Her blog has been a pleasure to read. Meredith will make you laugh, or at least chuckle, and has a canny way of sprinkling a little bit of wisdom throughout her writing. Visit her at More Meredith Gould (because she always has more to say), check out her books and tell us what you think. Enjoy Meredith's blog . . . I did.
The Gatekeeper
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
A Hulabaloo Carnival for OOOPS! I Goofed - for EVERYBODY!
Anthony's Jan. 11 Carnival is open to BLOG VILLAGERS ONLY!
Well, it is the Surfer's Paradise recognition for this week that will feature ONLY BLOG VILLAGE BLOGS. His Carnival is open to anyone, Villager or not.
Sorry for the mixup! It was entirely my fault.
But that shouldn't change anything, really.
Let's support Anthony, and have a good turnout of Villagers in the next
Surfer's Paradise Hullabaloo, !
We'll see you over the rainbow... (enter)
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, the Gatekeeper, or Marsha - the members of our Village Interview Team.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Another TopList You Might Be Interested In
I ran across this TopList from the forum for the TopList owners, and it looks like one some of you would benefit from joining.
This is not an endorsement in the sense that I know anything about the owner of the list, or the members. It just looked good to me, and I wanted you to have the opportunity to look at it. Please let us know what you think of it, if you check it out.
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, the Gatekeeper, or Marsha - the members of our Village Interview Team.
This TopList has about 300 members. If your blogs fit their niche, you might want to check them out. And for those of us who are not artistic or crafty, you might want to look through their members to see if they have something you would like to buy.Top Blogs for Crafters We have the best art, craft, sewing, knitting, needlepoint, designer, woodworking, painting, illustration, story telling, cross-stitch, free craft articles, doll making, folkart, primitive, country, seasonal, mixed media, abstract art, scrapbooking, e-products, crazy quilting, quilting, vintage, victorian, shabby chic, printables, beading, gardening, food, altered art, candle making, Americana, holiday, animal crafts, wool felting, textile, food crafts, applique, basket making, abstract art, contemporary art, creative embroidery, watercolor art, wearable art, ribbon crafts, crewel, decorative painting, crochet, digital art, graphic art, dried floral design, fiber art, weaving, wedding crafts, baby crafts, fragrance crafts, gourd painting, home decor,paper crafts, jewelry making, lamp making, rug making, soap making, stamping, stenciling, tiedying, pottery, handbag making, purse making, totes making, pocketbook making, polymer clay, potpourri, etc. blogs by the best artists and crafters on the web.
We are looking for everyone who loves arts & crafts or hobbies and has a blog to come join us. If you are a crafter, sewer, woodworker, artist, designer, graphic artist, doll maker, painter, scrapbooker, photographer, fabric designer, needleworker, knitter, stamper, or anyone involved with making or selling arts & crafts and you have a blog please come join our toplist.
This is not an endorsement in the sense that I know anything about the owner of the list, or the members. It just looked good to me, and I wanted you to have the opportunity to look at it. Please let us know what you think of it, if you check it out.
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, the Gatekeeper, or Marsha - the members of our Village Interview Team.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Looking Back on 2007 and Forward to 2008
This email was sent out to all BLOG VILLAGERS. Some of you did not receive it, however, because you have your settings marked not to receive anything but individual emails from the TopList.
This has been a busy year for me, and from the looks of your blogs, it has been for you, too. I've made some changes here that I hope you have found helpful, such as adding the forum and chat, and expanding the Gateway page.
I have also tried to encourage more Villager interaction by requiring at least one HIT IN each month. All you need to do is click the voting link on your blog one time each month to remain an Active member of our community. And you can vote for any Villager's blog you like during the month, so they can stay on the TopList, too.
In an effort to make the list more useful, I have added a Search function to the TopList pages, and I have deleted several hundred bloggers who were not participating.
We have gone Carnival Crazy this year, thanks to several Villagers who are really into this great way of getting to know different bloggers. I'm looking for a Villager now who would like to host the Jan. 28 Carnival on MONEY, who has not hosted one of our BLOG VILLAGE Carnivals before. If you are interested, please let me know as soon as possible. And by all means, send in your post for this carnival. You will find the link to our BLOG VILLAGE sponsored Carnivals in the Blog Carnival widget on the Community News and the Gateway Page.
We haven't had any new Villager Interviews for quite awhile, as our folks have been so busy with other tasks, but if you would like to be interviewed, or like to be the interviewer, please let me know.
I look forward to 2008 and getting to spend time with each of you on your blogs. Now that I don't need to spend as much time being the voting link police, I expect to enjoy reading and commenting a lot more this year, and I encourage each of you to find some Villagers that you can get to know better, too.
May you all have a safe and enjoyable New Year's celebration,
Rosemary
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team. And now we have another Villager who has volunteered to join our Interview Team: Marsha!
This has been a busy year for me, and from the looks of your blogs, it has been for you, too. I've made some changes here that I hope you have found helpful, such as adding the forum and chat, and expanding the Gateway page.
I have also tried to encourage more Villager interaction by requiring at least one HIT IN each month. All you need to do is click the voting link on your blog one time each month to remain an Active member of our community. And you can vote for any Villager's blog you like during the month, so they can stay on the TopList, too.
In an effort to make the list more useful, I have added a Search function to the TopList pages, and I have deleted several hundred bloggers who were not participating.
We have gone Carnival Crazy this year, thanks to several Villagers who are really into this great way of getting to know different bloggers. I'm looking for a Villager now who would like to host the Jan. 28 Carnival on MONEY, who has not hosted one of our BLOG VILLAGE Carnivals before. If you are interested, please let me know as soon as possible. And by all means, send in your post for this carnival. You will find the link to our BLOG VILLAGE sponsored Carnivals in the Blog Carnival widget on the Community News and the Gateway Page.
We haven't had any new Villager Interviews for quite awhile, as our folks have been so busy with other tasks, but if you would like to be interviewed, or like to be the interviewer, please let me know.
I look forward to 2008 and getting to spend time with each of you on your blogs. Now that I don't need to spend as much time being the voting link police, I expect to enjoy reading and commenting a lot more this year, and I encourage each of you to find some Villagers that you can get to know better, too.
May you all have a safe and enjoyable New Year's celebration,
Rosemary
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team. And now we have another Villager who has volunteered to join our Interview Team: Marsha!
Friday, December 07, 2007
Freud Plays a Hand
Well, for the second month in a row, I have not deleted the blogs that I had warned I would. Last month, I was really too sick to be dealing with this, and this month, I just let the time get by and the month ended before I thought about it. Nobody's fault but mine. I did think about deleting all of them a couple of days before the end of the month, but I wanted to give everyone as much time as possible to click on their voting links. It really pains me to think of losing close to 200 blogs in one fell swoop. Maybe the whole episode has been a Freudian slip. I don't know.
Anyway, I still have my list of who was warned to vote for themselves or lose membership, so I will be deleting these blogs during this month, without warning, IF they do not have at least one HIT IN.
And, why, do you ask, am I so determined to get rid of these blogs that do not vote for themselves? There are two main reasons. One - it means they are probably not ever looking at the TopList, which means they will not be reading any other Villager's blogs. Two - it means I would have to keep checking on all these blogs each month to see if they still have the BLOG VILLAGE voting link on the site. And that's just too hard to manage with so many people to check on. I'd rather be spending my time READING and COMMENTING on fellow Villager's blogs - not being the "banner police"!!
So, again I remind you that you are required to vote for yourself ONE TIME Each MONTH to keep your membership in our Community. Vote for yourself FROM YOUR BLOG, and then go vote for those Villagers you would hate to see deleted. Seems easy enough to me.
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.
Anyway, I still have my list of who was warned to vote for themselves or lose membership, so I will be deleting these blogs during this month, without warning, IF they do not have at least one HIT IN.
And, why, do you ask, am I so determined to get rid of these blogs that do not vote for themselves? There are two main reasons. One - it means they are probably not ever looking at the TopList, which means they will not be reading any other Villager's blogs. Two - it means I would have to keep checking on all these blogs each month to see if they still have the BLOG VILLAGE voting link on the site. And that's just too hard to manage with so many people to check on. I'd rather be spending my time READING and COMMENTING on fellow Villager's blogs - not being the "banner police"!!
So, again I remind you that you are required to vote for yourself ONE TIME Each MONTH to keep your membership in our Community. Vote for yourself FROM YOUR BLOG, and then go vote for those Villagers you would hate to see deleted. Seems easy enough to me.
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
GONZO "Thank You" Carnival Dec. 10th
I don't know how they have time to have so many Carnivals, but For Your Success has a GONZO Carnival scheduled for Dec. 10th. It should be noted that this is not a "Blog Village Carnival". This is a Gonzo Carnival staged to recognize and express appreciation to Blog Villagers who have supported their series.
I'm doing good to find time to have one once a quarter, and I really don't have to do too much when another Villager hosts it!
But anyway, I know a lot of our Villagers have participated in quite of few of the GONZO Carnivals, so mosey on over to For Your Success, check out the rules, and send in an entry.
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.
I'm doing good to find time to have one once a quarter, and I really don't have to do too much when another Villager hosts it!
But anyway, I know a lot of our Villagers have participated in quite of few of the GONZO Carnivals, so mosey on over to For Your Success, check out the rules, and send in an entry.
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Why????
It's the middle of the month, and out of the 384 Villagers who are on the TopList right now, almost 250 of them have not clicked on the voting link banner on their own blog, which registers as a HIT IN. I've asked repeatedly that everyone click on their own, or that you click on the voting link on Villager's blogs that you like, so I do not have to check out all these blogs, hunting for the BLOG VILLAGE link each month.
So, it's looking like our Village is going to be losing well over half its members pretty soon, unless a lot of people get busy. I just don't understand why this has been such a problem.
Bummer!!
So, it's looking like our Village is going to be losing well over half its members pretty soon, unless a lot of people get busy. I just don't understand why this has been such a problem.
Bummer!!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Carnivals & BLOG VILLAGE
Sometimes it's hard to anticipate all the situations we find ourselves in. When something unexpected is encountered, a person tries to deal with it in a way that is consistent with their own belief system.
With that in mind, I'd like to lay down some guidelines for Carnivals hosted on BLOG VILLAGE member's blogs. But first, a quick review of the belief system that is the distinctive quality of our Village.
Overall and above all other considerations, our TopList must remain Family Friendly.
As I have said many times before, and will continue to emphasize, I never intended to be a censor of topics or language on anyone's blog. But, I do expect all Villagers to adhere to the policy of no objectionable language in large print, and no sexually explicit or inappropriate photos, unless the reader must intentionally link to it to see it. There should not be anything on any BLOG VILLAGE blog that "hits you in the face" with something you don't want to see when you open a Villager's blog.
So, how does that apply to Carnivals?
If you host anyone's carnival on your blog, please be sure that there is nothing on YOUR blog that would not follow our rules concerning language or photos. You should mark any carnival entries that do not meet the criteria of BLOG VILLAGE membership as Not Family Friendly, so that our Villagers can make an informed choice about viewing that entry.
Hopefully, these guidelines will help you enjoy carnivals that you host, or carnivals that you read, as members of BLOG VILLAGE.
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.
With that in mind, I'd like to lay down some guidelines for Carnivals hosted on BLOG VILLAGE member's blogs. But first, a quick review of the belief system that is the distinctive quality of our Village.
Overall and above all other considerations, our TopList must remain Family Friendly.
As I have said many times before, and will continue to emphasize, I never intended to be a censor of topics or language on anyone's blog. But, I do expect all Villagers to adhere to the policy of no objectionable language in large print, and no sexually explicit or inappropriate photos, unless the reader must intentionally link to it to see it. There should not be anything on any BLOG VILLAGE blog that "hits you in the face" with something you don't want to see when you open a Villager's blog.
So, how does that apply to Carnivals?
If you host anyone's carnival on your blog, please be sure that there is nothing on YOUR blog that would not follow our rules concerning language or photos. You should mark any carnival entries that do not meet the criteria of BLOG VILLAGE membership as Not Family Friendly, so that our Villagers can make an informed choice about viewing that entry.
Hopefully, these guidelines will help you enjoy carnivals that you host, or carnivals that you read, as members of BLOG VILLAGE.
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.
Monday, November 05, 2007
BLOG VILLAGE emails PLEASE HELP
Some time ago, the gotop admin added an option on the member control panel to opt out of receiving mass mailings. Many of you joined so long ago, that you probably didn't even know such an option was available to you. I do understand why the gotop people did this, as they had some TopList admins emailing sales promotions and other such SPAM to their members. I have never used the BLOG VILLAGE email list for my own personal gain, and don't intend to in the future.
I do send out emails from time to time, in an effort to make members aware of what they need to do to maintain membership in our Village, and to announce community activities, such as upcoming Carnivals and the new Forum and Chat. I hope I have not made a pest of myself ;).
It is very inconvenient for me, when I do need to contact a group of members with the same problem, if I have to email each one separately, because they have opted out of mass mailings. Right now there are about 50 members that I cannot reach with a mass mailing.
So, this morning, I sent an individual email to each of those Villagers who had opted out, asking them to please change that option, so they can receive the mass emails. If they decide that they do not want to be bothered with the mass emails at a later date, they can always opt out at that time. I am hoping that the vast majority of those who are currently opting out will understand my situation, and make the change in their preferences.
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.
I do send out emails from time to time, in an effort to make members aware of what they need to do to maintain membership in our Village, and to announce community activities, such as upcoming Carnivals and the new Forum and Chat. I hope I have not made a pest of myself ;).
It is very inconvenient for me, when I do need to contact a group of members with the same problem, if I have to email each one separately, because they have opted out of mass mailings. Right now there are about 50 members that I cannot reach with a mass mailing.
So, this morning, I sent an individual email to each of those Villagers who had opted out, asking them to please change that option, so they can receive the mass emails. If they decide that they do not want to be bothered with the mass emails at a later date, they can always opt out at that time. I am hoping that the vast majority of those who are currently opting out will understand my situation, and make the change in their preferences.
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
BLOG VILLAGE Halloween Carnival is Coming HERE!!
Share your Halloween posts about your easiest homemade costumes, funniest Halloween ever, or best homemade treats. Tell us a good spooky story, or a tale of haunted houses --- you name it.
Or maybe you'd rather tell us about what your family does, rather than go trick or treating.
You don't celebrate Halloween?? Not a problem... Just share your favorite thoughts about Autumn ... Fall color, Fall traditions, Fall crafts, family reunions, harvest recipes, handmade gifts, etc.
Come join us at Advertising for Success for a Fantastic Fall Festival.
DEADLINE for Submissions HAS BEEN EXTENDED SUNDAY, Oct. 28th
Submit HERE.
PS. Some of you have already submitted entries to the MONEY Carnival that was originally planned for this month. I still have your entries, but I have postponed that one until December. If you are interested in hosting it, please email me.
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.
Monday, October 01, 2007
An Apology
Ordinarily I wouldn't bring up anything personal on this site, but I feel I need to offer a brief explanation about something, as I don't believe in giving idle threats to people.
I have been warning over a hundred bloggers for the last few months that they were about to be deleted from our TopList, if they did not show the minimum participation of at least voting for themselves once each month. My intention was to delete all but the newer members who did not have at least 1 HIT IN by the end of September.
It didn't work out that way, as I was in the ER yesterday, after a very scary, for me, Parkinson's weekend. They've added some more medicine for now, until I can get in to see my Neurologist, so I'm better. But, it meant I didn't feel like doing anything with the list. So, all of those old members who had been given their "last warning" have a one month reprieve. I will not be contacting them again, but I will wait until October 31 to delete those old members who still don't have a HIT IN.
New members are given a month to get the voting link in place and vote for themselves, and I write each of them, remind them, and offer help if they need it.
Thank you for your understanding,
Rosemary
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.
I have been warning over a hundred bloggers for the last few months that they were about to be deleted from our TopList, if they did not show the minimum participation of at least voting for themselves once each month. My intention was to delete all but the newer members who did not have at least 1 HIT IN by the end of September.
It didn't work out that way, as I was in the ER yesterday, after a very scary, for me, Parkinson's weekend. They've added some more medicine for now, until I can get in to see my Neurologist, so I'm better. But, it meant I didn't feel like doing anything with the list. So, all of those old members who had been given their "last warning" have a one month reprieve. I will not be contacting them again, but I will wait until October 31 to delete those old members who still don't have a HIT IN.
New members are given a month to get the voting link in place and vote for themselves, and I write each of them, remind them, and offer help if they need it.
Thank you for your understanding,
Rosemary
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Stop Abuse!!
Thousands of bloggers from around the world are joining together this Thursday, September 27th with a single message: Stop Abuse!
We would love for our Villagers to be very vocal on this important issue, whether your personal concern is child abuse, animal abuse, elder abuse, or any other form of abuse that is an issue to you!
On Thursday, September 27th, post about any abuse topic you care about - child abuse, domestic abuse, animal abuse, drug abuse, emotional abuse, verbal abuse, political abuse - and let the world know you stand united with thousands of bloggers as part of the Bloggers Unite "Blog Against Abuse" campaign. Depending on your topic, you can even link to local, regional, national, or international organizations that you care about or support. Every post will count!
There are dozens of badges you can add to your post (or make your own):
http://www.blogcatalog.com/group/bloggers-unite/discuss/entry/ badges-for-blogging-against-abuse-place-them-on-your-blog
And there are several places where you are invited to add a link, like here:
http://www.blogcatalog.com/group/bloggers-unite/discuss/entry/ three-great-places-to-leave-your-post-link
As well as http://www.topix.com/forum/topstories/T4EUFS0AVNJ08ASPT
You can e-mail your link to blogforhope@yahoo.com by Oct. 10 with any results (traffic, comments, etc.) By doing so, you will automatically be be entered in to win $250 for charity (from Copywrite, Ink.) six months of premium services (from BlogCatalog) and gain more recognition for your blog and the topic you post about. (More details can be found at
Copywrite, Ink.)
This is shaping up to be the biggest Bloggers Unite campaign in BlogCatalog history! Please join us on September 27th and blog against abuse. Every post will count!
Thanks, Jackie, for bringing this cause to our attention! I hope we have a lot of BLOG VILLAGERS participating.
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.
We would love for our Villagers to be very vocal on this important issue, whether your personal concern is child abuse, animal abuse, elder abuse, or any other form of abuse that is an issue to you!
On Thursday, September 27th, post about any abuse topic you care about - child abuse, domestic abuse, animal abuse, drug abuse, emotional abuse, verbal abuse, political abuse - and let the world know you stand united with thousands of bloggers as part of the Bloggers Unite "Blog Against Abuse" campaign. Depending on your topic, you can even link to local, regional, national, or international organizations that you care about or support. Every post will count!
There are dozens of badges you can add to your post (or make your own):
http://www.blogcatalog.com/group/bloggers-unite/discuss/entry/ badges-for-blogging-against-abuse-place-them-on-your-blog
And there are several places where you are invited to add a link, like here:
http://www.blogcatalog.com/group/bloggers-unite/discuss/entry/ three-great-places-to-leave-your-post-link
As well as http://www.topix.com/forum/topstories/T4EUFS0AVNJ08ASPT
You can e-mail your link to blogforhope@yahoo.com by Oct. 10 with any results (traffic, comments, etc.) By doing so, you will automatically be be entered in to win $250 for charity (from Copywrite, Ink.) six months of premium services (from BlogCatalog) and gain more recognition for your blog and the topic you post about. (More details can be found at
Copywrite, Ink.)
This is shaping up to be the biggest Bloggers Unite campaign in BlogCatalog history! Please join us on September 27th and blog against abuse. Every post will count!
Thanks, Jackie, for bringing this cause to our attention! I hope we have a lot of BLOG VILLAGERS participating.
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Working on our BLOG VILLAGE Gateway Page
I'm still playing around with the idea of how to make the Gateway page of our TopList more useful, so I decided to try Anthony's suggestion of putting BLOG VILLAGE specific content there, rather than generic content. I can't move the voting button up to the top yet, as I am waiting on the gotop programmers to make that possible. In the meantime, please bear with me as you have to go to the bottom of the page to vote. If you click END on your keyboard, it will take you to the voting button immediately.
Jackie suggested that we start a Chat or Forum, where Villagers can talk about all things related to our blogs, and link to it here, as well. I haven't had time to work on that, but I haven't forgotten about it.
Once I can get the page fully developed, I will probably remove at least some of the extra content, such as carnival banners in between the Villager banners, from the TopList itself, and some of the announcements, too. So, you might want to bookmark the Gateway page, and use it to enter BLOG VILLAGE. That's what I had in mind, anyway.
PS Entering from your bookmarked Gateway page will give you a HIT IN.
Please let me know what you think, as I will consider any suggestions.
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.
Jackie suggested that we start a Chat or Forum, where Villagers can talk about all things related to our blogs, and link to it here, as well. I haven't had time to work on that, but I haven't forgotten about it.
Once I can get the page fully developed, I will probably remove at least some of the extra content, such as carnival banners in between the Villager banners, from the TopList itself, and some of the announcements, too. So, you might want to bookmark the Gateway page, and use it to enter BLOG VILLAGE. That's what I had in mind, anyway.
PS Entering from your bookmarked Gateway page will give you a HIT IN.
Please let me know what you think, as I will consider any suggestions.
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.
Monday, September 17, 2007
A Sad Ending for Some, but a New Beginning for Us
Today was not a fun day for me, as I just finished deleting over 100 blogs from BLOG VILLAGE. But, we continue to gain new members each day, so our Village is still alive and well. I also emailed all the Villagers who have not voted FROM their blog yet this month, and I wrote to a small number of newer Villagers who have not put the voting link on their blog yet (those blogs are now marked with the asterisk).
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Copy of Email to All Villagers Who Have Been Warned of the Sept. 15 Deadline
Please be sure YOU vote for YOUR blog FROM YOUR BLOG before the end of this month, and each month, which is a requirement of membership.
This is a copy of the email I sent out today to all the blogs that have the asterisk on their name on the TopList, just for your information.
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.
This is a copy of the email I sent out today to all the blogs that have the asterisk on their name on the TopList, just for your information.
The September 15th DEADLINE is almost here. I have emailed each of you, posted on the Community News, put warnings on the TopList itself, and done everything I could think of to warn you that you are about to be deleted from BLOG VILLAGE. Some of you have dormant blogs, with no new posts in a long time. Most of you have very active blogs, but you are not displaying the BLOG VILLAGE voting link on your blog.
After Sept. 15, I will be taking one last look at your blog. If I do not find current posts AND the BLOG VILLAGE voting banner or link, I will DELETE your blog from membership. You will not hear from me again.
If I do find current posts AND the voting link, I will vote for you myself this time, since any blog that does not have at least one vote FROM YOUR BLOG (HIT IN) by the end of September will also be deleted. You will need to continue to vote for yourself FROM YOUR BLOG each month to maintain Active Status on our Village.
I would love to find that you have decided to be an Active member, with current posts and the voting link displayed. I do, however, understand that some, if not all of you, did not realize that continued BLOG VILLAGE membership involved active participation. I hope we can part with good feelings, if you are one of the blogs I delete.
Regretfully,
Rosemary
http://blogvillage.gotop100.com
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Trying to Find Ways to Make BLOG VILLAGE More Useful to YOU
I'm playing around with some ideas about making the front page of the TopList more like a PORTAL page. So, for the meantime, I've added a NEWS FEED and a WEATHER link. My thinking was that it might help you come up with something to blog about, or just be for your own personal reading pleasure. I'm trying to figure out some way to let each of you have an area where you could add favorite links, too. If someone knows how I could do that with script for HTML or CSS, please let me know.
Also, if you think this might be useful, or a waste of space and time, I'd appreciate your feedback. As I said, I'm just playing, and perfectly willing to delete it all and go back to the way it was. Or, continue to look for new Java scripts and such that will work.
For the time being, I've moved these changes to the Gateway page. That's what you see when you vote for a blog from the link on the blog. If you all like the portal idea, it would be simple enough to bookmark your link page, instead of the main TopList page. Or, I can move it back to the top or bottom of the main page. I'm completely open to suggestions on this one, as I'm just experimenting.
So, let me have it - positive or negative opinions welcomed!!
PS. You may have noticed that some of the Ratings have gone up on the Village. I am in the process of manually deleting ratings given by a certain person, whose IP has now been blocked. If you have one of these 0 or 1 ratings, without a comment to back it up, please let me know, and I will delete it for you.
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.
Also, if you think this might be useful, or a waste of space and time, I'd appreciate your feedback. As I said, I'm just playing, and perfectly willing to delete it all and go back to the way it was. Or, continue to look for new Java scripts and such that will work.
For the time being, I've moved these changes to the Gateway page. That's what you see when you vote for a blog from the link on the blog. If you all like the portal idea, it would be simple enough to bookmark your link page, instead of the main TopList page. Or, I can move it back to the top or bottom of the main page. I'm completely open to suggestions on this one, as I'm just experimenting.
So, let me have it - positive or negative opinions welcomed!!
PS. You may have noticed that some of the Ratings have gone up on the Village. I am in the process of manually deleting ratings given by a certain person, whose IP has now been blocked. If you have one of these 0 or 1 ratings, without a comment to back it up, please let me know, and I will delete it for you.
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
All Villagers Are Invited to Enter the Latest Gonzo Carnival
CyberCelt has asked that I remind all Villagers about the latest Gonzo Carnival, which she is hosting on August 29.
Round up your best post on blogs and blogging:
Some examples for topics:
Rodeo Rules:
Name or Nickname shown on post:
Blog Title:
Blog URL:
Post Title:
Post URL:
Please submit complete URLs and check them to make sure they lead to the post you submit.
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.
Submission DEADLINE is
11:59 PM TOMORROW, on August 27, 2007.
11:59 PM TOMORROW, on August 27, 2007.
Round up your best post on blogs and blogging:
Some examples for topics:
- Why do you blog?
- What has been your best or worst blogging experience?
- What do you blog about and why?
- Share your 1st blog post?
- Share your 100th, 200th, 500th or 1000th blog post.
- Share your experiences with carnival hosting on your blog.
- . . . anything you want to share about blogging.
Rodeo Rules:- One post per blog.
- Only English language posts will be accepted
- Family-safe content ONLY--no sexual or suggestive pictures, no profanity.
Name or Nickname shown on post:
Blog Title:
Blog URL:
Post Title:
Post URL:
Please submit complete URLs and check them to make sure they lead to the post you submit.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Something NEW! - BLOG VILLAGE Equine Webring
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In an attempt to connect with bloggers who have the same interests and give blog readers a way to connect to all of the Villagers on their favorite subject, an internal webring sounded like just the ticket! Thanks to our BLOG VILLAGE Host, Rosemary, aka Dirty Butter, the BV Webring Banners will be centralized on the BLOG VILLAGE News page.
Since horses are a huge part of my life, I decided to start with an Equine Webring. I was tickled to find out that we have so many blogs in the VILLAGE that share their knowledge, stories, pictures and interest in horses. So far, with the help of the new search system and Rosemary, I have compiled the following list of “Equine” related blogs:
Brave New World
petArtistWithPeaches
MiKael's Mania - Arabian Horses
On the Shores of Carpenter Creek
Every Rider.com
Pony Tail Club
ClickonCowboy
Equine Spirit
A Laughing Gypsy
Simply Marvelous
S. Nicholas Originals
EQUUS
There Is A Season
Mustang Diaries
Mustang ‘n’ Cowboys
I would appreciate you letting me know if you have an equine related blog or know of a blog that I have inadvertently left off of this list. It goes without saying that these blogs need to be a part of BLOG VILLAGE. As the owner of one of these blogs, please contact me to let me know that you want to be a part of the BLOG VILLAGE Equine Webring.
Janey Loree
Let's Get Creative!!
I will add the banner to the right sidebar, as soon as the Equine Webring is active.Create a banner, using the BLOG VILLAGE logo, as Janey did, write your invitation post, and email it to me, and I'll do what I can to help any Villager run their own Webring.
Looking forward to seeing what you come up with!!
Dirty Butter
Interested in joining BLOG VILLAGE? Start HERE.
If you are interested in being the Featured Villager on our BLOG VILLAGE News blog, please contact Janey Loree, Kilroy, or the Gatekeeper, the members of our Village Interview Team.
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Girls Can Change the World
Adolescents make up a large percentage of the population, especially in developing countries.