Twitter Kilt the Radio Star

Yesterday Marc Scaurus posted his intentions regarding the Eve Blog Pack and evebloggers.com over on his blog.

This resulted in a rather strongly worded response from Alexia Morgan over on Touring New Eden.

This kinda thing isn't good for the Eve Community. And, to me at least, it all seems rather pointless.

This may seem an odd thing for me to say given my own history with the Eve Blog Pack, which was given to me by CrazyKinux and which I then handed to Marc. And in light of my rather mis-understood stance late last year in this post. Which it seems has been rather heavily "borrowed" from recently.

My point wasn't about Marc, but rather the potential of resources being headquartered in increasingly small places. While the headline was yellow journalism, the idea of our community becoming reliant on TMC or EN24 as bastions remains something I am opposed to. That opposition has nothing to do with personalities, but rather the hoarding and control of resources. Free and open resources, which should remain so.

The larger issue and the one we all are struggling with, is the resources themselves. The Eve Blog Pack and evebloggers.com were born in a different age. And with Google giving up on their reader, and the birth and expansion of Twitter, G+ and other social media resources, is a "list" something we even need?

My opinion is that we don't. Like most bloggers I maintain my own list, which is right over there in the menu called "RJ's Reading List". But more importantly I am extremely active on Twitter and usually post links to my own posts and those of my fellow bloggers, or re-tweets, whenever I can. I also subscribe to the Eve circles on G+, FB and other sites. And even sometimes post and comment on Reddit.

I haven't used evebloggers.com as a resource in over three years. And I stopped relying on EBP early last year. To me, these both seem like Dinosaurs hanging out in a server room, relics from the past and not technology we should be fighting over in light of today's opportunities.

A Eve Community mobile App that links to updated and refreshed content from the community? That sounds like a good idea. Yet another iteration on a static list dependent on one person to maintain? Not so much.


On the other hand. If anyone steps up to do something for the benefit of the Eve Community they have my support. Without question. They always have and they always will.




Comments

Staxed said…
I've sent a note over to Marc mentioning my interest in taking over evebloggers and the blog pack...since I came back I'm been lamenting them and the fact that they haven't been updated in so long.

I'm of the opinion that getting them updated and relevant again might go a long way in actually making them useful. I don't think blogging is dying out, and incorporation into twitter and the like would be a pretty simple process.

They could certainly use a lot of changes/updates with the way they are run possibly...and I've got a lot of ideas floating through my head, I would just hate to see them die out...I'd much rather seem them evolved into something that's actually useful again.

-Cyberin
Druur Monakh said…
Hmm, a twitter feed for/from evebloggers, automatically announcing new posts as they come in?
Rixx Javix said…
I think resources are wonderful and I think that there are many, many opportunities to provide services that are useful and relevant to the community. What they are exactly and who would be responsible, that I don't know. It is a tremendous amount of work, no matter how simple it is.

But like I said, I'd support any effort.
Araziah said…
I thought your blog list had gone away with the new site design. Even after you mentioned it was still here, it took me a minute to find it. Not a very intuitive interface.
Unknown said…
As a lazy person I used the EBP as a resource to feed me reading material that was relevant to EVE online. I still have it linked to Feedler on my iPhone. I also have a lot of blogs linked directly to feedler since the blog pack updating slowed down. It will be sad to see it go, but then again, I was sad to see 8 track tapes go by the way.
I have used the Blogpack as recently as last week... looking for new blogs that have entered the 'sphere... A simple listing of eve blogs, I know of nowhere else you can find that except there. And as I nooblogger it was invaluable to me. Rixx, you and Marc are looking at his through the jaded eyes of a vet EvE player and blogger... That list was never for vets, it's for the noobs to our 'verse, both ingame and out.

Be nothing more than a damn cryin shame to let it die from veteran apathy...
Rixx Javix said…
I think it would be harsh to label it as "veteran apathy" frankly. Every fiber in my being tells me to take the EBP back and try to save evebloggers and maybe even the Blog Banters... but I've been down that road and I know what a time-suck each of those things is. I'm hopeful someone takes that challenge, but I also have to be realistic. Blogging is hard enough, in my own case I have blogging, CEO of Stay Frosty, art commissions, and a half-dozen other things on my plate at any one time.

So I'd be hard pressed to agree with apathy being one of my issues. Lack of time is certainly one. A full plate is also another.
Well, when you ut it THAT way... sheesh. =\

What I was reading was how we (the EvE Boggerati) have moved past such things as 'lists'... As one of those who blog, I too know full well the time-sink that taking on volunteer projects in your hobby can be... I am oft hard pressed to do my blog the justice I 'want' to do both in wordsmithing and graphically... And, while I was turned down for the Blog Pack (and no not bitter at all, I was also turned down by CCP... =P No my blog is more a journal of Tur's travels than a metablog or some such. I know I have a very small readership, I am very grateful for them actually. I write for myself because I simply have to... addicted to the 'words' I guess) I do feel The Blog Pack gives us EvE Bloggers, come cohesion... a way of saying here are those of use who has gone above and beyond as 'twere...

Plus, tradition means a lot to me. We live in a fast paced world where the only constant is change... Traditions have great meaning in all times but especialy now, they tie us to our past, give us roots to hold on to as the storm of change that sweeps us along into an amazing and wondrous, if a wee bit scary, future...

Glad to see Kirith is taking it on.
Rixx Javix said…
I think "lists" will remain important a part of blogging, but an increasingly less important part of the community as a whole. These days I suppose I see myself as part of a larger Eve community than just a part of the Eve Blogging community and that is because of these other tools, which have become more integral in the process over the years. That doesn't mean we give up on the blogging community or even that we abandon certain tools in the process, but that we see them all realistically.

I am also encouraged that others have taken up the cause.
Chanina said…
I think the EBP and evebloggers.com is a valueable resource for the community. Yes all this add ons with G+, FB and twitter add to the flavor of the eve community but they shouldn't be exclusive. Many People don't like G+ or FB much. (Especially with NSA sniffing everywhere ;-))
I myself want to split RL and EVE to some degree so linking everything in G+ or FB is not in my interest.

Even if there is not much update to the "list" of evebloggers.com it helps to find post of bloggers you don't frequently use. I have some blogs in my feed reader and the blogpack as addition.

In short: letting it die would shorten the accessibility of the bloggosphere for new bloggers and readers.