Cross-posted locally. So, this blogging thing ... I've been struggling with it lately. What purpose does it serve? For example, should we engage in all-out message war with the likes of the Koch brothers? (Those guys make no bones about it … [Read more...]
Bring Back “Tweet This”
Yeah, it was inconvenient for me. But it was cool, and useful, and well-liked by people who are far more regular posters here than me. So bring it back. Just a suggestion. This is new media after all. Gotta keep moving forward. Plus you … [Read more...]
Sabutai’s blogging GUT
I. Bloggers blog to increase influence I think most bloggers want others to adopt their opinion, whether it be on a sports team, fashion item, or political issue. Sure, there is a thrill to shouting into the darkness, but bloggers … [Read more...]
Rules update: disclose financial affiliations with candidates
As campaign season heats up, we expect that people affiliated with political campaigns will post here with increasing frequency. That's great -- we welcome those contributions to the site, which are often well-informed and helpful to … [Read more...]
There’s diversity, and then there’s insanity.
On the subject of Bob's post in praise of diversity, a little story ...Ever heard of Immanuel Velikovsky? He was clearly a courageous, crusading, independent scientist. Using highly original research, he posited global disasters in the … [Read more...]
A brief history of organizing (plus bloggity blog blog)
Josh Marshall points us to this brief history of political organizing, from veteran organizer Marshall Ganz. If you're reading this site, you need to read it.Here's one of many fascinating tidbits (my emphasis):... [T]he promise of … [Read more...]
The Search Feature
I don't really know where to suggest this, so I thought it should be its own diary. Recently, I've been using the search feature on this site a lot and find it difficult to use. I don't know if there's a way to improve the search feature on … [Read more...]
The Politics of Meta
What should be done about global warming?What should we do about Iraq? Will withdrawal cause a cataclysm? Can it be defunded constitutionally?What should be done about Massachusetts' budget deficit? What combination of taxes, cuts, and … [Read more...]
Feeding the Trolls
Recently, we've had a bit of a kerfuffle over a troll comment, left by a new BMG user who's been trolling a lot of posts. We haven't had a lot of trolling on Blue Mass Group, and as a community we seem to be quite vulnerable to it: … [Read more...]
How to Use Comment Ratings on Blue Mass Group
5 - GoodThis is the basic "good comment" rating: A reasonably well written comment that is comprehensible, clear, and contributes to the discussion.6 - ExcellentIn addition to the qualities of a 5, a comment rated 6 brings in significant … [Read more...]