Tuesday, 14 September 2004, 21:51:01 EDT

It seems some of you that read these words are confused about what this web site is. The part that gets the most attention does indeed fit the bill for a private weblog which people are want to call a "blog." The word "blog" sounds like what one does after drinking a bottle of cheap vodka. I loathe that word and I ask that you do not call this web site a "blog." If you wish, you can call it a "weblog" even though that is not what this is. Yes, the portion of the site that is most often read is the journal portion. That does not mean, however, that the whole site is the journal. This web site has many parts and all the parts make up the whole. I did not arbitrarily pick the title Room Full of Mirrors just because it is one of my favorite Jimi Hendrix songs. No, the title accurately describes the intent and content of this web site. The journal portion allows me to communicate in ways that I am unable to vocally (Joel just wrote a piece on this very thing). It allows me to voice my opinions and feelings in an impersonal manner. It allows people, such as my Grandfather, to keep up with me or even learn who is behind the stoic exterior. Please, calling this web site a "blog" is an insult to the time and emotion I put in to it.

That said, you all seem to think it strange that I would want to copyright my words. I have written at length about many things here that are not necessarily unique to me or my point of view. If someone were to stumble upon it and think that it would be easier to just copy and paste my words to whatever they wish then I want to be credited for it. If someone downloads some of the scripts or code I make available and then modify and distribute them I want them to give me credit for the original work. If someone downloads the music I have available here and decides to remix it or redistribute it I want them to give me credit. When people see that there is no license attached at all then they generally feel they can get away with whatever they wish. If they see that the person is only asking for simple credit then they are more than likely going to acquiesce to that person's desire. It is not uncommon for people to wish this of their work and if you are using a third party content managment system like wordpress you can easily add it to the CMS.

Categories:

No offense meant, however you do fit the part. Dictionary.com reads the following for "weblog":

"a personal Web site..." CHECK

"...that provides updated headlines and news articles..." CHECK

"...also may include journal entries, commentaries and recommendations compiled by the user..." CHECK

I suppose the definition rides on what is considered a "recommendation compiled by the user". You compile the music, code an images that complete this site.

Call it what you will, especially if the word "blog" makes you nauseous.

Posted by Mr Frosti on Sunday, 19 September 2004, 22:29:46 EDT.

That defines one area of this web site. The phrase "recommendations compiled by the user" refers to links interspersed in the weblog postings. If you actually read what I wrote you will see that I said I can live with you calling this a "weblog." That is not what this is but whatever. If you must call it a trendy name I don't care; just use the whole word instead of the bastardization of it.

Would you call heXum's site a "blog"? I would certainly hope not because it isn't. Believe it or not but this site is modeled after his. The front page of both is sort of a news, opinion, or personal musing section while the rest of the web site is basically a talent dump with some extra stuff on the side.

A "blog" in my opinion is a site like this one, this one, or this one. The first two have multiple people that are allowed to post and are targeted towards a specific theme while the third is run by a single person. What is the common factor among the three of them? They have absolutely no content other than the posts. Unless you are interested in the person, case number three, or are interested in the material being posted about, cases one and two, then the web sites have absolutely no value or point at all.

Sure, you can say the same thing about this site. Whatever. It is still more than a weblog. It doesn't matter that the only part you read is the weblog portion of it. That doesn't change the fact that that is not the goal of the web site.

Posted by James Sumners on Sunday, 19 September 2004, 22:52:53 EDT.