tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507242165120640932.post7784704786288916068..comments2023-05-05T14:09:49.745+01:00Comments on From Oedipus to Samuel L. Jackson's Wallet: Bon Anniversaire...TheTelfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10726790253029374308noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507242165120640932.post-15230470963859003352008-07-24T01:11:00.000+01:002008-07-24T01:11:00.000+01:00What do I think of the first year? A triumph, and ...What do I think of the first year? A triumph, and something of which I'm very proud to be a part. FOTSLJW (pronounced fotsul-je'wuh - I still love that acronym) has given me a true outlet for my writing, which my previous blog - and indeed many other writing pies I've had thumbs in - I feel never afforded me. Whether I have taken advantage of that outlet to its fullest is another matter. What I can say is that the times I've been posting here regularly - I mean two or three posts a week or more - have been fantastic. Then life comes up and I become inactive here for a week or two, and instead of helping to collate things to write it just makes writing something again that much harder. Hopefully once my life has some sort of order from September onwards I will be able to get back into that wonderful feeling of routine here.<BR/><BR/>I like the fact that we have as many contributors as we do, and I'd be happy to see more and more (and indeed see those who are here posting more - especially those who are more sporadic in their entries, including myself). I like reading the comment threads following entries, as they often contain the really interesting discussions built on the foundations of a single entry. I like the fact that I feel I know everyone here in some way even though I only know about half the contributors well in person, and haven't even met every single writer (yet). I like the feeling of active debate here, of friendly rivalry, of strong friendship interspersed with a wide spectrum of opinion, of an open forum for anyone to stand on their soapbox if they wish without being shouted down, but knowing they'll get a challenge if they do, and relishing that. I like the reviews. I like the links. I like the blog.<BR/><BR/>I don't want a theme. I think the looseness of the abstract at this blog's inauguration has helped it no end. Talking about anything and everything means that I'm constantly wondering what I'll be reading about next, and whether I'll have an opinion about something I didn't have one on before. As for the questions at the end of the entries, I'm not fussed either way about them. I'm just as likely to post a comment or a reply entry with them than without them. They may prove to be a good way of getting others to comment if they don't very often, so I'd keep them if you're happy with them.<BR/><BR/>My resolution for the next twelve months is to make sure I write here whenever I can about whatever has taken my interest - essentially what I've tried to do this past year, with mixed results. To paraphrase Armand Tamzarian, I'll make a game of it: see how many entries I can post in a year, then try to break that record. But never at the expense of quality, which is something FOTSLJW has managed to maintain very well.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, I'm rambling, so happy birthday PulpFact, thanks to all the contributors, and I look forward to continuing my writing and reading here.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507242165120640932.post-30159889923293918782008-07-21T09:42:00.000+01:002008-07-21T09:42:00.000+01:00Cool - cheers for the feedback. In terms of forget...Cool - cheers for the feedback. In terms of forgetting or getting distracted, I would say that there's no problem in going back and commenting on an older entry if you think of something weeks or months later. With the comment sidebar and email alerts, it could even provoke discussion.<BR/><BR/>As to your point about questions being an unsubtle prod that provokes churlishness, are you saying that having previously been thinking about commenting on a post, the fact that it finished with a question encouraging you to do so would make you less likely to?<BR/><BR/>The questions at the end of posts are intended to act as a prompt for people who "have nothing interesting to say" by giving them something direct to answer. I'd be interested in what others thought about the usefulness of this tactic.TheTelfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10726790253029374308noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1507242165120640932.post-44368804340296257042008-07-21T09:32:00.000+01:002008-07-21T09:32:00.000+01:00Firstly, well done everyone. I have enjoyed readi...Firstly, well done everyone. I have enjoyed reading the last few months of this. (Nothing wrong with the previous ones, I just wasn't a regular reader before that). <BR/><BR/>As far as a lack of comments goes, I guess there're a few reasons from my point of view. Sometimes it's just that I don't have anything particularly interesting to say, and I don't believe in commenting in that case. Other times, I need to think about something before I can form my thoughts properly, but then I forget or get distracted and so never quite get around to putting my thoughts down here. Still other times, the question posed at the end of an entry feels too much like a rather unsubtle prod to try and garner comments, which invokes a churlishness on my side and makes me less likely to say anything.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, just a few thoughts. Here's to the next year!happylittlecynichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12157310428910153564noreply@blogger.com