AOL Journals: Magic Smoke

Wednesday, March 8, 2006
6:18:00 PM EST
Hearing bis, It's All New

Okay folks, here's a little bit of blog programming I mentioned a few months back. I thought I'd give it a test run and see how it does.

Now, I love the Guest Editor's Picks (and why shouldn't I? I came up with it), but as many people have noted, it's a little limiting, because we only have one editor a week, and it's not fully harnessing the power of the whole "wisdom of crowds" idea.

Also, over time, there's a tendency for the a lot of the usual suspects to keep cropping up in the picks again and again (especially since we need better tools for exposing you to other cool Journals -- we're working on that). I've blogged about some of the other concerns with the Guest Editor's picks.

Now, the Guest Editors picks are not going away; like I said, I'm looking for new ways to bring new and interesting Journals to light -- some that involve programming, others that use technology.

Here's one of the programming bits: My working title is the Blog Six-Pack Picks.

I wouldn't call it anything unique or brand-new -- it's actually an extension of the Guest Editor's Picks. 

It's kind of a Journals passaround, or a variation of a blog carnival (blog carnivals typically involve you submitting a link to one of your own "best" entries on a theme).

It's almost, but not completely dissimilar to blogger John's Weekend Assignments and such.

This isn't an awards show; these aren't nominations of any kind -- I'm just trying to find new ways of exposing people to more of your neighbors. Like a block party. (Blog Party?) 

I'm not sure if it's going to be a regular feature yet. Here's how the Blog Six-Pack Picks will work:

1. Pick 6 blogs. Why 6? For starters, it's one better than five, which means a Top 6 is 20% better than a Top 5. Also, six rhymes with picks.

2. We're playing fast and loose here, so none of the requests I usually make of the Guest Editors apply -- your six can be all AOL Journals, none, or anything in between. They can be bloggers we're sick of seeing; they can be all your friends or family members. If you're an egomaniac, they can be 6 of your own blogs (if you have six, that is). You can make up a theme of your own, or you can just go themeless. Just no porn, no spam and only one link per blog (so no lameness like 6 different entries from the same blog).

3. Do a blog entry listing and linking to your six picks. Descriptions or commentary would be great, but do what you want.

4. Leave me a comment in this entry with a link back to your entry.  Since it's kind of unofficial, this is open to anyone* who reads this entry -- the only requirement is you have to have a blog of your own; it can be AOL Journals, AIM Blogs, Blogger, TypePad, LiveJournal... whatever blogging platform you like.

*Since you have to leave a comment here with a link back to your blog to participate, you have to have a screen name, though it can be an AIM Screen Name (which you can get at AIM.com.)

5. Leave the link to your blog in the comments here by Noon ET, Wednesday 3/15 (yes, the Ides of March), and check back on Thursday to see what I do with all the picks.

What am I going to do with all of them? I'm not sure, myself. I will probably do a blog entry listing out some or all of your picks, with summaries (it depends how many I get). There are no waivers, photo releases, etc. involved -- it's all just a bunch of links.

If this works, I will explore doing some other Blog Six-Pack Picks, maybe on a regular or semi-regular basis. 

Here, I will get you started -- here is my six-pack of "B" blogs that have been languishing in my "pending Journals" file, picked either by myself or my predecessors. You may know them, but I'm pretty sure none of them have been featured on my watch before; all of them have been updated fairly recently (I refuse to feature stale blogs), and they're all pretty literate and good, although I can't say that I'm intimately familiar with each of them:

1. Bendy's World - http://journals.aol.com/bendyhendy/BendysWorld

2. Beyond the Invisible: http://journals.aol.com/pvodogaz/BeyondtheInvisible/

3. Bottled Dreams: http://journals.aol.com/terrydreams/TerryDreams/

4. Brandie's World: http://journals.aol.com/mnchickluvsocc/BrandiesWorld/

5. Butterfly Girl: http://journals.aol.com/lv2paynt/butterflygirl

6. Bert's World: http://journals.aol.com/flossiepumpkin/journalsaolcomflossiepumpkin/

Anyway, check them out and leave them a comment. Tell 'em I sent you.

Even if this Six-Pack Picks thing doesn't work (whatever that means) -- I will still continue dipping into my pending blogs file and exposing you to the velvety blog goodness held within.

Thanks -- Joe

Tag: I'm going to use the tag Six-Pack Picks.

If you want to tag your own blog Six-Pack Picks blog entry, just paste the following HTML into your Six-Pack Picks entry -- make sure it says "View as HTML" in the formatting toolbar when you do this:

<a href="http://technorati.com/tag/six+pack+picks" rel="tag">Six-Pack Picks</a>


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This entry has 40 comments: (Add your own)

• #40 Comment from qwicherbelyakin 
  3/22/06 2:41 AM | Permalink

  wow....you really need to set some time aside to clean off that desk!!!  *winks*
  
  
  http://journals.aol.com/qwicherbelyakin/LookingUpToHeavenForMama/
  *hugs*
  ~b
• #39 Comment from journalseditorEntry Author 
  3/20/06 5:39 PM | Permalink

  I think you misspelled holla. Holla. -- Joe
• #38 Comment from alphamoon65 
  3/19/06 11:55 PM | Permalink

  Thanks Joe, I love to visit new blogs. When I started my journal it was about me, I now find it's about sharing.  I really enjoyed all 6.  I need to do this also, but out of time tonight. Take care
  Dwana
  http://journals.aol.com/alphamoon65/MoonlightDrive/
• #37 Comment from unixmiah007xxl 
  3/17/06 11:53 PM | Permalink

  yo- ure like mad ugly. i bet ure smart n' shit. im from NYC> lol. hollar.
• #36 Comment from dornbrau 
  3/17/06 1:53 PM | Permalink

  http://journals.aol.com/dornbrau/DUSTBUNNYCLUBOFNORTHAMERICA/entries/1649
  I know its late but I thought I'd share anyhow.

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