First Blogoversary!
A little over a year ago, Porcupine received a phone call from Walter Brooks, whom he knew as a news editor from the Register years ago. He was seeking to exapand his on-line paper, and would Porcupine like to write a blog?
Porcupine had read blogs, and enjoyed them, but had no more idea of how to start one than to build his own aeroplane. Ah, cried the Blogfather, I shall take care of all that. Don't you have things you'd like to say? You were always good for a letter or two, or three, or...
Porcupine leaned back and considered. There was much he would like to say, and Walter made it all sound so easy. He consented, and on April 12, 2005, the first post was made.
Between the regular blog (which Walter first set up and Porcupine has maintained ever since) and the Cape Cod Today posts, Porcupine has had over 20,000 distinct and individual readers. Even now, when he knows about enormous traffic blogs like Hugh Hewitt and Little Green Footballs, Porcupine still regards his own readership as a remarkable achievement.
During this past year, Porcupine has become a Large Mammal in the Ecosystem of the Blogosphere, has been elected to The Wide Awakes, is part of two webrings and is a member of the Life, Liberty and Property Community which hosts the Carnival of Liberty. The most recent development is the one he is proudest of. It is gratifying, but not astonishing, to be recommended by like-minded souls and peers, but after some correspondence with Charley on the MTA, he is now also featured on the ultra-liberal Blue Mass Group on their 'Differently Winged' blogroll, and has set up a reciprocal 'Differently Winged' blogroll on his own site. (Len Stewart, are you listening? Cape Cod Works belongs there!).
Worst moment? When a post about Islamic extremism was featured on a white-power web site, bringing some extremely questionable traffic. Proudest moment? When a poem written to memorialize Sen. Eugene McCarthy was read not once, but twice, on the computer in the Cloakroom of the United States Senate (I emailed that hit to Walter!).
Porcupine still has amititons. He has never had an 'Instalanche' (a single mention by Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit can trigger over a thousand hits in a single day!). He looks forward to developing ties with other political blogs during this election year. But mostly, Porcupine would like to recognize a few cyberfriends who are not on his blogroll, as they are not at all political. These are blogs Porcupine reads all the time:
Eccentric Father - Porcupine is so caught up in the continung adventures of Lumpy and Bombaloo, and their eccentric dad, Ken, that he got their actual address and sent them Christmas presents.
OneManBandwidth - Dr. Lonnie Hodge is a classic Berkley liberal, teaching in China. He has to risk a great deal to even read other blogs, much less write one, and his perspective on that country is fascinating.
Random Thoughts from Marybeth - Housewife, receipe collector and amateur foreign poicy analyst, Marybeth is a great writer and a regular treat for Porcupine.
Waking Ambrose - Doug Pascover's homage to Ambrose Bierce and language in general.
The Frog Blog of Louis LaVache - Louis and I met through the Roger L. Simon blog, and while we email about French foreign policy, the blog is about history, painting and patisserie in Paris.
These five are only a small slice of Porcupine's burgeoning Favorites bookmarks, but for all of you, please - visit a strange blog today!
Walter, thank you for the opportunity and the beginning. Last March, I was truly afraid that I would run out of things to say after a month or so. Now, Porcupine will now continue into the second year with undiminished zeal, always on the lookout for the next bright thing.
Porcupine had read blogs, and enjoyed them, but had no more idea of how to start one than to build his own aeroplane. Ah, cried the Blogfather, I shall take care of all that. Don't you have things you'd like to say? You were always good for a letter or two, or three, or...
Porcupine leaned back and considered. There was much he would like to say, and Walter made it all sound so easy. He consented, and on April 12, 2005, the first post was made.
Between the regular blog (which Walter first set up and Porcupine has maintained ever since) and the Cape Cod Today posts, Porcupine has had over 20,000 distinct and individual readers. Even now, when he knows about enormous traffic blogs like Hugh Hewitt and Little Green Footballs, Porcupine still regards his own readership as a remarkable achievement.
During this past year, Porcupine has become a Large Mammal in the Ecosystem of the Blogosphere, has been elected to The Wide Awakes, is part of two webrings and is a member of the Life, Liberty and Property Community which hosts the Carnival of Liberty. The most recent development is the one he is proudest of. It is gratifying, but not astonishing, to be recommended by like-minded souls and peers, but after some correspondence with Charley on the MTA, he is now also featured on the ultra-liberal Blue Mass Group on their 'Differently Winged' blogroll, and has set up a reciprocal 'Differently Winged' blogroll on his own site. (Len Stewart, are you listening? Cape Cod Works belongs there!).
Worst moment? When a post about Islamic extremism was featured on a white-power web site, bringing some extremely questionable traffic. Proudest moment? When a poem written to memorialize Sen. Eugene McCarthy was read not once, but twice, on the computer in the Cloakroom of the United States Senate (I emailed that hit to Walter!).
Porcupine still has amititons. He has never had an 'Instalanche' (a single mention by Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit can trigger over a thousand hits in a single day!). He looks forward to developing ties with other political blogs during this election year. But mostly, Porcupine would like to recognize a few cyberfriends who are not on his blogroll, as they are not at all political. These are blogs Porcupine reads all the time:
Eccentric Father - Porcupine is so caught up in the continung adventures of Lumpy and Bombaloo, and their eccentric dad, Ken, that he got their actual address and sent them Christmas presents.
OneManBandwidth - Dr. Lonnie Hodge is a classic Berkley liberal, teaching in China. He has to risk a great deal to even read other blogs, much less write one, and his perspective on that country is fascinating.
Random Thoughts from Marybeth - Housewife, receipe collector and amateur foreign poicy analyst, Marybeth is a great writer and a regular treat for Porcupine.
Waking Ambrose - Doug Pascover's homage to Ambrose Bierce and language in general.
The Frog Blog of Louis LaVache - Louis and I met through the Roger L. Simon blog, and while we email about French foreign policy, the blog is about history, painting and patisserie in Paris.
These five are only a small slice of Porcupine's burgeoning Favorites bookmarks, but for all of you, please - visit a strange blog today!
Walter, thank you for the opportunity and the beginning. Last March, I was truly afraid that I would run out of things to say after a month or so. Now, Porcupine will now continue into the second year with undiminished zeal, always on the lookout for the next bright thing.
posted by Peter Porcupine at 9:06 AM
3 Comments:
I have to thank Messr. Porcupine for mentioning my humble site and to congratulate him on his achievement. Since he has described his accomplishment as a receiver of readers and links, I'd like to hold up what I consider the more singular achievement. A thoughtful, well-written political blog of any leaning with fresh perspectives and well-bounded party loyalty is, in my appraisal, the unique product of Mr. Porcupine, late curmudgeon.
Well done, Mr. Cobbett, and thanks again for the mention.
Congratulations on the blogoversary, and great post. I'm checking out the links.
congrats
continue the quest for truth
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