I’ve decided to bestow some blog awards to celebrate my upcoming 5-year blogging anniversary, which corresponds with Thanksgiving weekend. Since there isn’t a lot of time to prepare for this year’s awards, it will be a simple, rushed affair. So fitting!
But I’m serious about honoring the recipients, who toil in near obscurity day after day in a non-progressive state (for now). Any light I can shine in their direction, I’ll hope can help their ongoing efforts (which are far more consistent than mine).
I don’t want to infringe on any territory covered by the Okie Blogger Awards that Mike of Okiedoke has been doing such a great job with (this year’s have been postponed). With my concentration on progressive activism, I don’t think there will be. There certainly will not be a dinner, or any monetary component (sorry, maybe next year). Just the glory of one obscure blog being touted by another!
I will mostly, maybe totally, focus on Oklahoma blogs that are left-leaning, i.e. Netroots (unlike Rachel Maddow, I love that word).
I suppose I should have some categories. I was thinking maybe doing something like “Most interactive community”, “Best single-issue focus”, “Most Promising Newbie”, “Most progressive blog posing as non-political”, that kind of thing. Any other ideas?
What about a “Most Prolific Anti-Progressive Troll” award? I already know who’d win this. But perhaps this will just reward bad behavior, so maybe this isn’t advisable — but it would be funny; I’m sure he would post it as a badge of honor, poor thing.
Then there’s the question of whether to include for consideration sites that are not proper blogs. I’d say no, except I would like to honor activist photographers and videographers who post online, and those aren’t blogs. Ah, my first ethical conundrum!
I’d like to have a little web banner that the winner can display on their site (hopefully they will want to!). But my artistic abilities are for crap, which is why I don’t have a logo for my own site. If anyone has suggestions in this department, or wants to volunteer a graphic design, that would be great.
Anyway, I’ll post the winners on Friday or Saturday. Any nominations, category ideas, please post in comments.
Update: Perhaps a renaming would solve the blog/not-blog problem: Peace Arena Awards for Online Activism
What kind of logo do you have in mind for your site?
What kind of logo do you have in mind for your site?
For the site, I’m fairly open. I just want something to have a peace component, without being too literal. I was thinking about using the shape of an arena, or an arena-like marquee in some way. My pathetic attempts at manipulating a peace symbol over the top of an arena were just sad, thus my concern about being too literal. This is why I am not an artist.
Also, at this point, I’m invested in this theme, having spent a lot of time customizing it, so it has to fit with it in style and format. However, the blue and gold of the text elements are easily modified.
Thanks in advance for any ideas or effort you can offer on this.
Sounds like a good idea to me. It’s nice to acknowledge dedication and I’m all for exposing people to new Oklahoma blogs/websites. Bloggers like it and the timing during the holidays seems appropriate.
Choosing your categories can definitely be a little daunting though. That is what has generated the most complaints for the Okie Blog Awards.
Sounds like a good idea to me. It’s nice to acknowledge dedication and I’m all for exposing people to new Oklahoma blogs/websites. Bloggers like it and the timing during the holidays seems appropriate.
Choosing your categories can definitely be a little daunting though. That is what has generated the most complaints for the Okie Blog Awards.
This isn’t a blog, but if you include blog-like activist websites, i would nominate http://www.okcinfoshop.org/. They have a great monthly calendar of events that is worth checking out.
This isn’t a blog, but if you include blog-like activist websites, i would nominate http://www.okcinfoshop.org/. They have a great monthly calendar of events that is worth checking out.
I submit an Okie blog for honorable mention
http://oklavore.com/
Also, I submit this comment, do not feed the trolls. It’s like feeding alligators, I’m from Florida you just do not feed alligators. For obvious reasons.
I submit an Okie blog for honorable mention
http://oklavore.com/
Also, I submit this comment, do not feed the trolls. It’s like feeding alligators, I’m from Florida you just do not feed alligators. For obvious reasons.
I am not too fond of ranking etc. The little guy works their heart out as much as the one who “wins” and is not recognized..However this would encourage on line activists and that is good.
I am not too fond of ranking etc. The little guy works their heart out as much as the one who “wins” and is not recognized..However this would encourage on line activists and that is good.
Oh! How could I forget Oklahoman Bob Waldrop’s blog!?! He is a very engaging writer. Knowledgeable on important issues to Oklahomans. He’s also the one who wrote that great letter on why Oklahomans do not need nor want the National Animal Identification System. It’s not on his blog though. But I believe he would send it if someone asked. I might have it around here somewhere…
http://www.bobwaldrop.net/
Oh! How could I forget Oklahoman Bob Waldrop’s blog!?! He is a very engaging writer. Knowledgeable on important issues to Oklahomans. He’s also the one who wrote that great letter on why Oklahomans do not need nor want the National Animal Identification System. It’s not on his blog though. But I believe he would send it if someone asked. I might have it around here somewhere…
http://www.bobwaldrop.net/
Rena –
This is a wonderful effort.
I, too, am eager to identify and celebrate thos who are helping Oklahomans think in terms of civic affairs, public policy, politics – those things that touch all our lives and can make Oklahoma a better (or worst) place to live.
Good luck with this project. I’ll put my thinking cap on!
Jean
PS Maybe someone (sorry – I can’t help it – I’m bipartisan) will do a Republican award, too, just so we can know who “they” are! 🙂
Rena –
This is a wonderful effort.
I, too, am eager to identify and celebrate thos who are helping Oklahomans think in terms of civic affairs, public policy, politics – those things that touch all our lives and can make Oklahoma a better (or worst) place to live.
Good luck with this project. I’ll put my thinking cap on!
Jean
PS Maybe someone (sorry – I can’t help it – I’m bipartisan) will do a Republican award, too, just so we can know who “they” are! 🙂
Good idea, Rena.
I intentionally attempt to avoid being overtly political in my blog (except as the same might relate to Oklahoma history … and of course such things as my staunchly pro-March 4 vote … and one of these months I’m going to get around to doing an article on the history of the Socialist Party in Oklahoma which is pretty fascinating stuff) since a political bent would detract from my blog’s focus which is Oklahoma City history and the NBA in my town.
That said, you somehow got me correctly pegged by including me in those you e-mailed notice about this project of yours. It was really difficult to restrain myself this year what with the goings-on vis a vis Sarah Palin, Rep. Kern, etc., but I did. I do applaud your and others’ efforts in the political arena. And, yes, I did make a small donation to the Obama campaign and wish that I could have afforded more. Of course, that didn’t help locally but it did make me feel better about myself.
Keep up the good work! Perhaps my grandchildren will come to live in a great state (Oklahoma) which is a good bit more progressive than most of Oklahoma presently is.
I began writing my blog as result of my grassroots work with the Obama Campaign. The problems, the victories, the frustration of living in a conservative state are my main topics. I believe such conservative beliefs are at the root of our state’s decline in education, i.e., increase in student drop-out rates and is stagnating our economic future. Change is On the Way for Oklahoma. Good luck with your site! It is well done!
I began writing my blog as result of my grassroots work with the Obama Campaign. The problems, the victories, the frustration of living in a conservative state are my main topics. I believe such conservative beliefs are at the root of our state’s decline in education, i.e., increase in student drop-out rates and is stagnating our economic future. Change is On the Way for Oklahoma. Good luck with your site! It is well done!