by Michael G. Mickey
(2-6-08)
As most of you are aware, I have been trying to assess the desire of my readers to have an opportunity to leave comments in relation to the content of the site as once was the case.
Based on over 1,500 visits to the page I set up for polling, it seems that some 70% of those polled either want an option to blog or don't care if there is one. Approximately 30% of the site's readers would prefer not to have a blog option.
Of those who want a blog to exist, there is a virtual tie in regard to every option available in terms of how the blog's comments should be handled with a slight majority favoring moderation of the blog's comments over leaving the blog open for anyone and everyone to post their thoughts.
Some, for whatever reason, are reluctant to open an account with Blogger which is every bit as simple as registering for any Christian forum on the web. They want to participate but anonymously. I'm not opposed to that at all, aside from the fact that it can get pretty confusing when those who post don't, at the very least, sign a name at the bottom. Why? Because it requires people to respond to any number of people whose name is 'Anonymous' in situations where an issue is being well-discussed. Again, this is no big deal to me aside from occasionally making things a bit confusing to a passer-by.
THE PLAN
So here's the plan...
What I'm going to do is post all new commentaries on the main site as well as on the blog. By doing that everyone will be able to enjoy the site on a level they're comfortable with.
I was willing to allow comments posted to the blog to be wide open, even in light of certain headaches that would undoubtedly come with that, so people's posted comments could appear automatically but going that route would require people to be ready to contend for the faith vigorously in some instances - at least until I could pop by to see what was going on and start removing inappropriate comments in a situation like that.
Based on everything I've seen from the polling, I think the safest route to take is for anyone to be able to comment (even anonymously) and for those comments to be moderated by me prior to posting. That will result in some delays, periodically, in posted comments appearing on the blog but it seems the only way the blog will be able to go forward without a good portion of the site's bloggers being uncomfortable.
We'll take things as they come and see how it goes.
Those who want to view commentaries solely on the main site will be able to access those from the front page precisely as they always have. Those who prefer to blog will have access to the same material in blog format by clicking the blog banner above the area the main site's list of current commentaries appear.
Commentaries posted to the blog and main site will each be archived. The main site's archived content is familiar to everyone by now I'm sure. The blog's archives are located in the right-hand column of the blog, listed by month and year.
A search engine is available on the main site and at the very bottom of the blog to look up specific information.
I may occasionally put something on the blog that doesn't appear on the main site but content of that sort will, in all likelihood, be light-hearted in content much as my post yesterday on Tuvok Obama was. Hey, even a fundamentalist nutjob like me likes to loosen up once in a while. HA!
Having said all that, let the blogging begin!
In Christ,
Mike
