Comments on: Elder Ballard’s Advice–Start a Blog

By: J. Stapley

J. Stapley — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 08:33:20 +0000

California Star, spamming typically doesn't get anyone anywhere. If you make intelligent comments at other blogs, people will want to check out your own blog, naturally. Spamming typically results in the opposite behavior. I think Dave's advice is pretty sound and I recommend you check it out. After you have a month or so of posts under your belt, contact the folks at ldsblogs.org as well. PS: I removed your handle link, because it appeared spamillicious.

By: California Star

California Star — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 05:32:19 +0000

I have a question about starting an LDS blog.

How does one advertise it?

Do you spam the other LDS blogs?

By: Lizzy

Lizzy — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 19:11:59 +0000

I’ve been a member for 19 years, much of it in active. I’ve been active now for the past 2 years and reading several blogs has helped tremendously. They’ve made me feel less isolated. I know there are people out there that don’t equate questioning with apostasy, that separate doctrine from culture, and are Mormon. In my ward there are some wonderful people but I find there is little in the way of real discussion, and I was feeling stunted and strangled. The bloggernacle has been invaluable to me.
Thank you!

By: Heidi Whitaker

Heidi Whitaker — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 01:10:44 +0000

Cyberspace can be Satan’s best friend when it comes to spreading condemnation for the church.

Before I was aware of Elder Ballard’s request I starting doing research on the top political candidate’s positions on certain topics for my business blog. It was then that I realized how HORRIFIC the slander is against the church because of Mitt Romney’s candidacy.

Today, I used my business blog to do my part to make others aware of the consequences of bigotry towards Mormons and others who have been targeting during this pre-election time.

I will let you know if it is an effective tool. Only time will tell…

By: Geoff J

Geoff J — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 02:09:12 +0000

You see the plug you got in the SL Trib Steve? Pretty cool.

By: David H. Sundwall

David H. Sundwall — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 22:20:35 +0000

m&m -

Thanks for the plug!

Part of the reason for the daily onslaught of new updates is that I went for months letting the submissions pile up. Recently, I’ve been able to do better. But I thought I was caught up last month but then discovered a new cache of untouched emails.

So I know how hard it is to keep up with. Part of the problem of blogging is that real life – family, callings, job, life gets in the way.

By: m&m

m&m — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 18:45:20 +0000

I do, however, think that a lot of people wondered about what to do with the net

I don’t disagree. I was one of them! Although I think many of us had some sense that it really was important to have faithful voices out there. It is nice to have some validation of that sense.

I do also agree with you. about the fact that this talk says new things. I wasn’t meaning to suggest otherwise, so sorry that was unclear. I just don’t see this as necessarily meaning that now somehow ward websites won’t still be restricted, for example.

I love this talk. It is specific, which I thought was wonderful. I do find myself reflecting on how he is encouraging us to spend our time in this regard. I’m not convinced that our typical bloggernacle discussions is what he has in mind. Using Bookslinger’s example and mentioning actual video testimonies suggests that he is likely encouraging something different than what we typically do. I am thinking my blog time might change some because of this.

I’m not saying I don’t think online discussion doesn’t have merits of its own. But I don’t think that is in particular what Elder Ballard was encouraging. Does anyone else feel this?

Jared and Steve H., there is someone who updates ‘new mormon blogs’ almost daily. The blogs clearinghouse website that he seems to be running is http://mormon-blogs.com/
His own blog is http://www.asoftanswer.com/

I have been astounded to see how many new blogs show up. There is simply no way to have them all on the MA, so I am not sure how on earth this will continue. Jared, at least you could go to that website above to add your site if you haven’t already.

By: John Mansfield

John Mansfield — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 13:34:05 +0000

Thanks for pointing out Elder Ballard’s talk. I’ll have to take a look at it, and see how my own little contributions compare.

By: Steve H

Steve H — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 06:36:21 +0000

m&m,
I think you are right on about the way the web works. It’s just one more way to talk to some extent. It’s a legitimate form of interaction. I also think your comments on the talk are relevant.
I do, however, think that a lot of people wondered about what to do with the net, since the policy on unit sites was (and is) control, and since we generally hear so much about the dangers of the internet and so little about how to use it positively. I think this talk does say new things. That may be because the net has simply reached a critical mass at which it is simply impossible to have any control over what is out there. I remember when you had to dial into boards to post there. So it’s probably only in the last five to ten years that a talk like this makes sense. It is only in that time period that the internet became nearly unavoidable as a communications media.
Jared et al,
It may be that there needs to be a new way of linking together LDS Blogs, but I don’t know what that would be. It’s been a while since I’d looked at the actual Mormon Archipelago page, and it’s more than a grouping these days. If the range of Mormon blogging expands any time soon, it may be difficult to come up with a way to organize it. The MA started as an affiliation of a few blogs that didn’t have the readership of some of the really big LDS blogs and thought affiliation might increase exposure. Each of those blogs, it seems to me, had a distinct character. Perhaps as things expand more affiliations of like-minded blogs or blogs with similar content could be formed with the possibility that someone, perhaps MA or perhaps someone else, could list blogs in groupings rather than single blogs, so that communities develop. The problem with big communities is that people need a way to orient themselves. The question is, who has the time for such an adventure? Administration, as J points out, is much less fun than participation.

By: Horebite

Horebite — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 04:57:02 +0000

Jared, I was confused by the website your name linked to in your first comment. I see you’ve fixed that in your last comment and now it makes a lot more sense.:)

J. Stapley, I understand the time limitation and the desire to not list every joe-shmoe who starts a blog (whether it be because the content is just not that great or because they might be anti). I don’t have any hard feelings.

Not to criticize (ok, I am criticizing, but only in my most friendly manner), but I find the more static blog listings to be less than useful. After a month of using one of them, I transfered all of the web sites to Google reader which I can customize as I see fit. So it was a good starting point but with the amount of stuff out there, it’s nice to be able to personalize it to just what I’m interested in , as well as add sites that the blog listings are too busy to add–like Jared’s . With the growth that is destined to happen in the bloggernacle, I think static blog listings maintained by human admins are going to get harder and harder to manage, and less and less relevant. I’m not saying Google reader is amazing, but it is a start and they are showing signs of doing cool things, like the new Recommended blogs feature.