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Posted: 04.24.2003
Don't label me please

When you ping weblogs.com, you give these details for the world to use. That's your opt-in. That data is free game for anybody to play with. BlogShares provides an opt-out mechanism because I want to be nice not because I have to. Weblogs.com isn't for any particular purpose, you opt in to it you opt into everything associated with it. [link]

For the record: I didn't ask for my site to be pulled because I thought it was cool. Or trendy. Or because I wanted to jump on a bandwagon.

I did it because I have issue to the above sentiment that BlogShares is based on. When I ping weblogs.com, I expect that ping to be used for the purpose it was intended -- blog updating tools (like Blogrolling) to notify others when I have updated. Not so that other sites I no longer approve of can use my site and my name. Hence my removal request. I didn't yank my site because I was sitting around bored without anything better to do. I yanked it because -- from the top on down -- I saw behavior I didn't want my site associated with. Period. I didn't "opt in" to Blogshares, no matter how long Seyed wants to sit down and try to explain it me. I did, however, opt out. That is my right.



Hey boy take a look at me...let me dirty up your mind...



I've got five bucks and a bottle of Capt Morgan's Special that says the ROTFLMAO comes before 8:30PM EST.

¤ ¤ credit: Sekimori | 04.24.03 at 07:59 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

For the record: I never said that you or anyone in particular was jumping on a bandwagon. I said I see a bandwagon mentality traveling through the sites I've read today. If someone wants to be delisted, that's totally cool in my opinion. I consider Blogshares another blog tool (not just update tools use weblogs.com, lots of others do too - blog neighborhood ones, others studying blog relationships, etc.)

Opting out is anyone's right. I have a bigger issue with the comments I'm reading about how horrid Seyed is for something that trolls have done, not him. THAT was the point of my post.

You've said it yourself - it sucks to be attacked. I just hope people think before they post.

¤ ¤ credit: Christine | 04.24.03 at 08:05 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

By the way - have you ever looked over at Weblogs.com and found info on just what they allow the data to be used for? I can't find specs on the site, but it would be interesting. From what I've heard, they will let anyone use the XML for anything. I thought that was why people have issues with pinging it at all and have gone to pinging just blogrolling.com directly? Just something to consider...

¤ ¤ credit: Christine | 04.24.03 at 08:08 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

If there's ever one thing we agree on it's this. I've been thinking about dropping blogshares last week. I rarely play, I don't care what my stock is doing. Quite frankly, even if he put all of this hard work into it, that was his doing, I never asked. I think some people take this latest game and blog fad way too seriously. D, had told me that it was hell for him to get off because he should have to opt-out. No, he should have to opt-in. It should have been everyone's choice from the beginning. Just because I ping weblogs doesn't mean I wanted to be a part of blog shares.

¤ ¤ credit: statia | 04.24.03 at 08:08 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

Christine, you pinged my post. You commented in my other entry saying you would expand on your thoughts further at your site. And then you went on to describe exactly what I did today -- asking to be delisted. It's not rocket science.

I never attacked Seyed personally. I only stated I was leaving and cited (with links) the reasons why.

And I happen to like having the ability to ping weblogs.com and blogrolling.com, because even though they should, not everyone uses Blogrolling.

¤ ¤ credit: robyn | 04.24.03 at 08:11 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

I would like to clarify that I, too, opted out of my own volition. I was not jumping on any bandwagons. I've never "gotten it" (call me a dunce -- whatever), and from the get-go it seemed like another tool to make you feel better about yourself. And I'm not talking about anyone specifically, either. For me, personally, ME ALONE, I think it's more trouble than it's worth. Fun or not, I didn't understand it and I didn't want to participate for the sheer trendiness of it. I don't need that kind of validation.

I also didn't like that my site was pulled in without my choice or my knowledge.

When I started participating, I thought...well, let's see how this goes. While yes, coincidentally it all came to a head today, I've toyed with de-listing for a while. I never paid attention to the game...and in light of recent strong-arming by those associated with BS, I decided I'd had enough.

I don't need Smitty or Nino or whomever showing up at my virtual door ready to bust my cyber-kneecaps just because I don't want to play his reindeer games.

Thus endeth my convoluted diatribe. hehe. :)

¤ ¤ credit: Joelle | 04.24.03 at 08:19 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

Joelle, I think it should also be noted that Christine (via Blogomania) is a paid advertiser on the BlogShares site. I wouldn't imagine she would want to see it fall apart either, as a result of that.

UPDATE: Blogomania is merely an advertiser on BlogShares. Just not a paid one. I stand corrected.

¤ ¤ credit: robyn | 04.24.03 at 08:26 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

Robyn, I'm not a paid advertiser at all. Seyed offered me 2 weeks of free advertising awhile back, and I took him up on the deal. I had pointed out several bugs in the forums, and so he offered it up. Also, the moderator that is hosting the Blog portion of the site is a Blogomania client, and I've offered to help her out if her bandwidth gets too high.

I didn't realize I had pinged your post, but I did it accidentally because yours was one of the many windows I had open when I hit the "Post to MT" shortcut in my IE toolbar. I thought I had cleared out all the pings. What I described in my post was something I saw on about 10 other blog sites besides yours, if not more - and it wasn't in direct reference to anyone in particular.

Solonor's was where I saw it first, I linked to him. I linked to Eric's post. And I wrote what I thought and felt. Haven't you always said that that is what one should be able to do on their own blog? Without fear? I see the posse-like comments, and it makes me sad. I hate it when people get attacked like that, and I've told you that before and supported you when you've been under attack yourself.

¤ ¤ credit: Christine | 04.24.03 at 08:36 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

Do you not realize by calling people "this is bullshit...I want to be delisted...bandwagoners", all you've really done is pigeon-hole and label others in return -- making them feel attacked by you?

¤ ¤ credit: robyn | 04.24.03 at 08:43 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

I chose the word bandwagon because several used it on their own sites, saying they were getting on the bandwagon and asking to be delisted. I said that if you want to be delisted, that's your choice. I also said I don't feel it's right to attack Seyed over what trolls did to Maria. None of that was an attempt to pigeonhole people and make them feel attacked. It was just my feelings on the whole thing, and a statement that everyone should stop and think before they do it.

I've said many times already tonight, if you want to be delisted, that is your right. I agree with you 100%. Now I'm on a mission to find out just what can be used with my weblogs.com ping data. Want to join me? I think it's a valid question, and I want to know who is using the data. Don't you?

¤ ¤ credit: Christine | 04.24.03 at 09:03 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

Rereading my own post - I still read it as "don't attack Seyed because of what the trolls did." I never said that asking to be delisted was wrong. So no, I'm sorry if you took it as an attack on you (which is the impression I get from this post) but it wasn't. It was just a request not to attack him.

¤ ¤ credit: Christine | 04.24.03 at 09:08 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

girl I was trying to say that in my "deleted" post was that I didn't agree with both sides necessarily but that I could associate with anything that bullied people be it the blogshares the blogshare groupies or even bloggers who threatened to delink other bloggers associated with the blogshares. The whole mess stinks and I chose to untie myself from the blogshares because the attitude over there sucks.The way they talk down to everyone the way they feel they have the "right" to do what they will with our sites because we ping. Now it sucks we have to defend why we choose to delist. Damn blog drama making me want to drink! :)

twister anyone? :P

¤ ¤ credit: gnome-girl | 04.24.03 at 09:11 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

Mmmmmm...drunken Twister!

And I'd love to help you Christine, but I'm going to be otherwise occupied for the next few days...

¤ ¤ credit: robyn | 04.24.03 at 09:14 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

mmmm...drunken naked blogger twister? wait...you did say naked,right?

¤ ¤ credit: Joelle | 04.24.03 at 09:22 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

mmm...drunken naked blogger twister...wait. You did say naked right?

¤ ¤ credit: Joelle | 04.24.03 at 09:23 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

so good, I said it twice. sorry about that.

¤ ¤ credit: Joelle | 04.24.03 at 09:23 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

thats gonna be one hell of a long twister game robyn

¤ ¤ credit: jay | 04.24.03 at 09:28 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

When there's a will...there's a bottle of tequila!

¤ ¤ credit: robyn | 04.24.03 at 09:32 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

well it is spring weekend at a lot of colleges starting tomorrow - might as well be a blogger spring weekend :)

don't forget the webcam for any drunken naked twister.

¤ ¤ credit: craig | 04.24.03 at 09:38 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

did someone say liquor???

¤ ¤ credit: yvonne | 04.24.03 at 09:40 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

oh naked too!! yipee and my only comment on this whole thing is this. If you are going to write a post like you did christine, the people who are posting on this issue are going to think you're talking about them, because YOU WERE, so why not just stand behind what you said rather than backpedal???

¤ ¤ credit: yvonne | 04.24.03 at 09:42 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

Where there's a will, there's Anna Nicole...

I opted out because, whether the jerks were under the control of Seyed or not, his comments (as pointed out by Robyn) and my feelings on the matter don't mesh at all. If that's the way he feels about it, fine, but I'm moving on out. That and the fact that this shouldn't have been an issue in the first place pretty much turned me off BS.

Now...where in the hell is this Twister party, because I haven't been to a party in years and I'm seriously considering trying alcohol for once to see what in the hell the big deal is...

¤ ¤ credit: Mike | 04.24.03 at 11:28 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

Comments are now being closed on this entry because I wouldn't find it fair to make Statia police them...

¤ ¤ credit: robyn | 04.24.03 at 11:55 PM | link--this ¤ ¤




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All old ping links have been removed from this blog. Die spammers, die!




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