It’s been a short time coming (and a long time avoiding), but today seemed like the ideal day to start this weblog–the significance of the day matches the significance of the blog.
For those of you who read Cites & Insights and wonder how Walt at Random relates to it, the only possible answer is: I don’t really know yet. The blog may be an extension of (and largely replacement for) my LISNews blog lite. It may add those comments about cruising (on rivers and oceans, for those looking for ambiguity), music, food, and all those other subjects that are still outside C&I‘s scope. It may include updates that seem to require immediate attention or comments too snarky for the journal.
It may even wither, like most new blogs. Maybe I really don’t have much more to say than the quarter-million words I typically publish each year. We shall see.
Some thanks right up front:
- Dorothea Salo provided a range of useful suggestions on software, themes, and finishing touches. I never took her doubtless good advice on proper ways to do HTML for C&I, but this time I listened to her.
- Blake Carver
- All the people who did not follow Steven Cohen’s suggestion that they push me to start this weblog. I don’t generally respond well to pushing, particularly from people who don’t pay my salary. (Note that HTML portions of C&I didn’t show up until people stopped demanding them…)
- And, of course, Michael Gorman. Without his LJ BackTalk, I might never have gotten around to starting a weblog.
(this link’s for his LISHost persona) and LISHost, for providing the hosting, installing WordPress, downloading the theme I wanted, and downloading the Creative Commons plugin. And for providing worthwhile feedback on the aesthetics of the site. Neither Dorothea nor Blake can be held responsible for what finally appears here!
I’m not a “blog person,” whatever that might be. But as of now, I am a blogger.
A note about comments: They’re enabled for now. Supposedly, the options I have set require that I approve the first comment from a given email address (and I won’t allow anonymous comments). It’s not clear that this function is working. I have no compunctions about deleting inappropriate comments. If comment spam proves to be a problem, I’ll take appropriate steps–but not until it’s necessary. And of course I’ll read comments!
I’ve had to cope with comment-spam problems on the blogs I host for my friends. I can’t recommend Spam Karma highly enough. It just works. If you do run into comment-spam issues, it’s what I’d recommend.
Be wary of its offer to keep the spam around in a separate table, however. I’ve heard that can do bad things to response times.
Welcome to the blogsphere, and I do thank you for the kind words!
Welcome aboard, Walt.
So strange to see my old and new professional lives slowly beginning to merge…
Welcome! I’m glad you’re blogging!
Welcome Walt! The LIS Blogosphere is an incredible place….
Welcome, Walt! Glad you’re here 🙂
Welcome to the club! It’s not often that you know you’re going to subscribe to a blog without even having to read any of it…
Welcome aboard, Walt. Looking forward to comments too snarky for “more sophisticated” forms of publication.
Welcome to the Land of Blog! I think you will find this new blog to be well worth your time.
Hey, you’re getting linked and trackback’ed already 🙂
Can A-list-ery be far behind? 🙂
Welcome Walt! I have to agree with John above.
I’ve been hoping for this for a long time. Welcome!
Now Walt has a blog — maybe there is something to this blogging stuff after all. 🙂
First Walt, then Michael Gorman? If the latter happens, we’ll need to change the name of ALA to the American Blogging Association.
Congrats!
Woo hoo!
I’m especially looking forward to the food posts. If you can tell me where in the South Bay I can get good pancakes other than the Stacks in Campbell, I’d be evah-so grateful …
Tell me this isn’t an April Fool’s joke–more words from Walt, please!
No April Fool’s joke, except the deliberate timing. The more words just posted should indicate that. (Eli: We don’t go out for pancakes, so I’m no help there…)
I got the link to your new blog from Dorothea, and I have to say I’m looking forward to it. In addition to her suggestion of Spam Karma (which is wonderful), may I suggest Spaminator? Spam Karma, great as it is, doesn’t seem catch everything on my blog, but both of them seem to do a great job.
Congratulations Walt–glad to see you’ve joined the fray! I look forward to your posts. Walt on a more regular basis than C&I provides is definitely a good thing 😉
Welcome to the club!
My favorite method that I’ve seen used for dealing with trolls is to “disemvowel” them – remove all the vowels from their posts.