Blog Soc - Anybody interested?

aido179

Hey Boardies,

Myself and a few friends were discussing the possibility of starting a blog soc to encompass written and video blogs for students, staff, clubs and societies.

We have a couple ideas already but to get the soc up and running we need some members.

Do any of you write a blog?
And would any of you be interested in joining up and coming along to round table discussions and possibly free pizza and booze?

Ficheall

Have you checked out Writers' Soc, STV, BaCon Soc, or NSS?

aido179

I've looked at writers, and all the bloggers I have talked to didn't think they were catered for. The emphasis in writers is quite different.
BaCon...really? Seems a bit...muddled.
STV...as in student television? Doesn't really suit at all to be honest.
As for Nothing specific? I think anyone who would consider themselves sane would avoid that when trying to achieve anything serious. Nothing against the members of NSS, but this is a bit more focused.

Ficheall

re: NSS, that was a bit tongue in cheek, aye. I don't think they'd be interested.

I was thinking of BaCon and STV from the vlogging side of things - both of those seemed to do a fair bit of youtubing last year.

I would have thought that Writers' soc should surely cater to "writers", which is what I would imagine your bloggers to be? I'm sure if "all the bloggers" you've spoken to were interested in becoming a sub-faction of Writers' soc, they couldn't really object.

aido179

Yeah that would obviously be the next most likely outcome. As an IT student though I'd like to take the opportunity to develop a blogging platform which the college could use, and I would find it difficult to organise that without a separate entity to govern the running of it.

Ficheall

Well then, why not CompSoc?

I think I'm failing to grasp what you want your society to do, save for meet up and eat pizza and drink...

aido179

Ficheall wrote: »

meet up and eat pizza and drink...

...

[Comp soc don't develop, they game.]


Edit:
Let me give you a better counter argument.
From the societies application form:

"The basic requirement for recognition as a Society is a commitment to activity that contributes to the community life of the students of the University. It is expected also that the proposed activity will enhance the reputation of the University and that the role of the proposed Society is not carried out by an existing Society."

Meeting up, eating pizza and drinking would definitely fall under the topic of contributing to the community life of students. Building up a better database or library of online publications by students would fall under building the reputation of the college.

Your point about the writers soc, however does come in here. My opinion would be that writers soc take a very different approach, and occupy a different role. ie. writers allows writers to meet and share pieces, whereas blogs would provide a very different approach, based online.

Maybe forming a sub-group of writers would suit better.

Ficheall

aido179 wrote: »

[Comp soc don't develop, they game.

I've not been to CompSoc in a couple of years, so I won't argue you with you on this one. Maybe the Frog will pop in and elaborate on what they intend to do this year.

aido179 wrote: »

Meeting up, eating pizza and drinking would definitely fall under the topic of contributing to the community life of students.

I hope you'll come up with something better than that if you make it as far as USCG.

aido179 wrote: »

Building up a better database or library of online publications by students would fall under building the reputation of the college.

That would be nice if it worked.
Would you monitor the publications, as a matter of interest? Make sure they were up to a certain standard, appropriate content, etc.?

aido179 wrote: »

... writers allows writers to meet and share pieces, whereas blogs would provide a very different approach, based online.

This is what I don't get - your intention is to meet up and discuss what you have written online? Do you all bring your laptops along and investigate each others' work and give your opinion then? Or is it more a case of "Oh, aido - I was reading your blog online and I thought it was very interesting..." - would not a comment section for the blog be the more appropriate place for such?

Yes, a good blog and vlog service for the college would be a nice idea. I don't see how having a society dedicated to it is going to help develop it, and if it is, I don't see why you should limit yourselves to simply blogging and vlogging - there's an awful lot of fun developing stuff you could do. Of course, that would make you part of CompSoc, I suppose...

aido179

Ahh, the negativity parade. I got this last year too when I had an ambitious project about organising class parties. Severe problem with this in NUIG and Ireland in general. Nothing against you, your points are all valid and well thought out, but I always wonder why people can't suggest a solution instead of pointing out problems. I will however reply, because I really enjoy the debate, and you are doing me a favour. I'd prefer to hear as much as possible now, rather than come up against it when I have invested a significant amount of time.

I've not been to CompSoc in a couple of years, so I won't argue you with you on this one. Maybe the Frog will pop in and elaborate on what they intend to do this year.

In my experience with them, and chats with thecosmicfrog, I dont think there are any plans to go this way. tutorials are pretty much as far as it ever gets.

I hope you'll come up with something better than that if you make it as far as USCG.

That was meant light heartedly. Obviously better social gatherings would be planned, but we all know they all come down to that.

That would be nice if it worked.
Would you monitor the publications, as a matter of interest? Make sure they were up to a certain standard, appropriate content, etc.?

Thank you. I would not personally monitor the publications. However I (or whoever is in the position of editor/moderator at the time) will monitor anything featured on the site. If you check out blogify.org you will see the idea I am working on. It is obviously impossible to monitor everything, but an active community, even with a tiny percentage of bad content, would look immeasurably good for the college.

your intention is to meet up and discuss what you have written online? Do you all bring your laptops along and investigate each others' work and give your opinion then? Or is it more a case of "Oh, aido - I was reading your blog online and I thought it was very interesting..." - would not a comment section for the blog be the more appropriate place for such?

Surely chatting to someone face to face is more encouraging to a person than a comment online. Personally I would really like to chat to people about their blogs in person. A face to face meeting can reach a much greater depth than any comment online.

joeKel73

aido179 wrote: »

possibly free pizza and booze?

Careful now - you'll soon learn you're not allowed to advertise drinking in your posters, emails etc... hence so many societies offering "refreshments".

Ficheall

aido179 wrote: »

Ahh, the negativity parade. I got this last year too when I had an ambitious project about organising class parties. Severe problem with this in NUIG and Ireland in general.
Nothing against you, your points are all valid and well thought out, but I always wonder why people can't suggest a solution instead of pointing out problems. I will however reply, because I really enjoy the debate, and you are doing me a favour. I'd prefer to hear as much as possible now, rather than come up against it when I have invested a significant amount of time.

No parade here. I've no issue with people having the cojones to set up a new society and go for something under their own steam. I do have an issue with people creating a society to get the college to just subsidise them to eat and drink, so if that's not your aim, then I've no problem.

aido179 wrote: »

Thank you. I would not personally monitor the publications. However I (or whoever is in the position of editor/moderator at the time) will monitor anything featured on the site. If you check out blogify.org you will see the idea I am working on. It is obviously impossible to monitor everything, but an active community, even with a tiny percentage of bad content, would look immeasurably good for the college.

I wouldn't be 100% sure on that. Bad content weighs an awful lot more than good content. We've had huge difficulty trying to get the SU to keep boards.sin.ie because the powers that be are afraid of "negative exposure", whatever that might be.
I don't know if you're around long enough to recall the furore over the "Gettin' the Shift" Sin articles.
Consider also that some students are semi-illiterate, and that empty vessels make the most noise. How comfortable are you with telling people that their blog needs a serious amount of improvement, for example? Given that you're presenting it to the entire online community.

aido179 wrote: »

Surely chatting to someone face to face is more encouraging to a person than a comment online. Personally I would really like to chat to people about their blogs in person. A face to face meeting can reach a much greater depth than any comment online.

Is that not contrary to the entire idea of blogging though? Is it not very much an online thing?


You should also note that societies aren't supposed to have a "completable goal", for want of a better description. As in, you should have some plan prepared for when you finally get your blog site up and running. One of the reasons for rejecting a society aimed at achieving a united Ireland, for an extreme example, was that the society could not proceed if Ireland were united...

aido179

J o e wrote: »

Careful now - you'll soon learn you're not allowed to advertise drinking in your posters, emails etc... hence so many societies offering "refreshments".

One year as a club secretary, one year as captain and one year as vice. I'm quite used to it No need to be formal about it here though. We all know that's what it boils down to.

(I actually have strong opinions on how the alcohol policy is being enforced in a horribly bad way. but that's for another day.)

Ficheall:

so if that's not your aim, then I've no problem.

You have no problem.

How comfortable are you with telling people that their blog needs a serious amount of improvement, for example?

re: sin article, I've been around a good while. I remember that alright. That was quite ridiculous, by every account.
I've been involved in clubs for a few years. Telling someone they need to improve an article is nothing compared to telling someone they don't make a team.

Is that not contrary to the entire idea of blogging though? Is it not very much an online thing?

It is in the most part an online thing, but that does not mean it has to be entirely. The simple fact is bloggers want people to read their blogs. They write about things in the 'real world', and their readers are people living in the 'real world'. Personally I would love to talk face to face with anyone who read my blog, or infact some of the blog writers I follow. I suppose this is one of the questions that will only be answered through trail and error, trying it out, and seeing of it flies. and if not, there's no real harm. There's no real cost to the college either. especially since the service is already hosted.

Re the completable goal, we would have a goal to get things up and running. Once that goal is completed, we move into maintanence mode. For example, the year sin was created, the goal was to set it up and get it published. Now they have a continued goal of creating content, and keeping the issues coming. it would be quite similar in our case, though arguably easier.

Ficheall

Sounds good then. All the best with it.
I may even sign up on Socs Day.

aido179

Cheers buddy. Hope to see ya there!

LoonyLovegood

IT'S ALIVE...

aido179

Yes some of you may have noticed that the Nuig blog soc has indeed become a thing. Thanks to everyone to signed up on socs day and helped to make this happen. Will be sending out email later with some more details.

If anyone is interested you can sign up on the socs website socs.nuigalway.ie.