February 14, 2001

9:27 PM

Every once in a while I like to throw a big fat monkey wrench into the MetaFilter "post a link and a comment" system and get people to sit down and actually answer questions, instead of lazily following links off into the great blue yonder. And lately I've been hankering for some new & interesting reading material. So tonight, boys and girls: if you could only have one weblog to take with you to the desert island, which one would it be? [Hint: Besides your own log!] Personally, I'd probably go with either Noah Grey's weblog or the Chess Log. What about you?
posted by hanseugene (114 comments total)

Metafilter.
posted by Zool at 9:39 PM on February 14, 2001

Yeah, I don't think this sorta thing is allowed though, without good merit of a proper link anyhow.
posted by tiaka at 9:43 PM on February 14, 2001

Overruled, I'll let it stay, it's a good question. :)

In my daily weblog list, I can't live without eod. I'd also put kottke up there, or consider it a backup. Both offer compelling content, day in and day out.
posted by mathowie at 9:57 PM on February 14, 2001

Wow, never seen the Noah Grey website before-- what a beautiful design! As for others, sadly I can't mention my own because this a family weblog... so I would go with follow me here if the island had a slow connection, and Dr Menlo if it was a bit faster...
posted by chaz at 10:09 PM on February 14, 2001

I figured someone would say Metafilter. I'd kind of assumed that the question had an implicit "Yeah, yeah, besides Metafilter" clause to it, myself. :)

I'd have to say the null device.
posted by webmutant at 10:10 PM on February 14, 2001

This is exactly why I posed this question. See, ye Doubting Thomases? Everybody reads a slightly different set of weblogs and sometimes it's hard to break out of your routine and look for new input streams. I'm not trying to abuse MetaFilter; just use it.
posted by hanseugene at 10:12 PM on February 14, 2001

I like to spend time on Misterpants.
posted by TractorInc at 10:23 PM on February 14, 2001

i'm going to have to also go with eod. greg knauss is a god. he's the kind of guy i'd want to sleep with without ever meeting. i'm also a big fan of harrumph!.

however, i have a sneaking suspicion that if derek powazek were to keep up a public weblog of a personal nature rather than a business-type thing, that would quickly become my favorite.
posted by pikachulolita at 10:28 PM on February 14, 2001

Wow... Just one? Gotta dig the quantity and quality of a danelope or usr/bin/girl.
posted by iscavenger at 10:47 PM on February 14, 2001

If it were only one it would be Metafilter.
posted by davidgentle at 11:09 PM on February 14, 2001

kottke.org/eod/a whole lotta nothing dot org
Any of the above, preferrebly all of 'em, but since I can only pick one, I'd have to go with MetaFilter.
posted by riffola at 11:15 PM on February 14, 2001

Deserted, I'd never tire of Ethel. Unlike most blogs, which come across like phatic conversation, I keep learning from this one.
posted by holgate at 11:20 PM on February 14, 2001

I'd go for people I know. Toasty and bluishorange.

BluishOrange is also up for best weblog at SXSW - natch!
posted by DragonBoy at 11:35 PM on February 14, 2001

Crap, typo... Bluishorange.com
That is what I get for using my six year old Duo 2300 to surf...
posted by DragonBoy at 11:42 PM on February 14, 2001

Mine would have to be Ed's Weblog (recently renamed, and transferred to manilasites). Regularly featuring very interesting and often thought-provoking content.
posted by williamtry at 11:44 PM on February 14, 2001

The XPLANE XBLOG is a good candidate. Otherwise maybe slashdot, or something else (lol, too lazy to think right now).
posted by ookamaka at 11:53 PM on February 14, 2001

I like missingmatter, myself.
posted by malamute at 12:00 AM on February 15, 2001

I would take Kottke. (And I am indeed limiting myself to ONE weblog. All other "A-listers" are just bs (except for Stewart Butterfield). If Kottke is down, for any reason, then maybe I will take usr/bin/girl.)
posted by tamim at 12:07 AM on February 15, 2001

If I was on a desert island, I'd want a weblog which was updated often enough not to frustrate me, which made me think of home, and which was entertaining enough that the thinking of home wasn't too painful.

None of them really fit that bill so I'd just go for something like josh blog which would at least give me some music stuff to think about.

(I realised when trying to answer this that all four of my favourite weblogs either have me as a contributor or are hosted by me, so I couldn't mention them. Who said it wasn't about narcissism, eh?)
posted by freakytrigger at 12:24 AM on February 15, 2001

Can someone tell me, why the kottke residence? I just don't get mediocrity when there's a truck-load of much more entertaining folks in the neighborhood. I'm sure i'll get chastised out the wazoo for this, especially around these parts. But i just can't help it.
posted by jessie at 12:34 AM on February 15, 2001

Hmm. It's not just a load of ass-kissing jessie, I find kottke.org to be interesting on a pretty regular basis, so I read it every day and I mentioned it. No one is putting a gun to my head. I like ethel, follow me here, harrumph, caterina.net, megnut, onfocus, captiancursor, glish.com, and Lancelog, too, but that's my opinion. There are certainly dozens to hundreds of interesting things worth reading every day, each person probably finds something else in their top 10, top 5, or top 1 lists. That was the point of the thread, what's your favorite?

I never understood the backlash to anyone liking kottke, I often hear people wondering aloud why he has any sort of readership given some perceived lackluster output. Maybe it's because I've read it for a year or two, so if it seems mediocre now, I must be remembering the good old days.

So if it's not kottke jessie, what's your favorite?
posted by mathowie at 12:42 AM on February 15, 2001

Were I on said desert island, there's not a weblog I wouldn't trade in a heartbeat for a few gallons of water and a sandwich.
posted by grimmelm at 1:06 AM on February 15, 2001

I don't have a favorite weblog. That's like asking for my favorite movie, for which i'd have the same answer (or lack thereof). But the first words out of my mouth/fingers wouldn't be the same old dozen, give or take, that we're so used to hearing about. We all know they exist; you have to acknowledge this to even play the game.

But what about the little guys & gals who don't get as much traffic as a porn site? They rarely get kudos in any fashion.

I suggest the next posts are used to list people's random favorites that we couldn't have guessed on our own. And i'm not suggesting we try to stump each other with the bizarre and obscure. Just the lesser known...

My contribution is Brent Riley.

And you?
posted by jessie at 1:07 AM on February 15, 2001

Just one? Aaaargh. It's a tie between Tom's plasticbag.org and Meg's Not So Soft. Yep, I'd go with the Brits to keep a smile on my face on a desert island.
posted by prolific at 1:13 AM on February 15, 2001

I like kottke cause he can be "average" with so much more finesse. And I like 0sil8 - which is a display of his on-the-edge creativity. I like Sylloge cause it is somewhat open yet cryptic (same goes for kottke). Another weblog which rarely shows up on any "a-list" lists, but is there, is Weblog Shmeblog by Jishnu. The current design by Jish is just GREAT.

I think most other a-list blogs are totally bs. (Especially when these a-listers spend more time letting their lawyers loose on unsuspecting newbies who copy their pastel look.)


posted by tamim at 1:23 AM on February 15, 2001

Ernie at LittleYellowDifferent.com

I love that kid. Trully I do.
posted by minjungkim at 2:00 AM on February 15, 2001

I'd probably ask if I could swap that blog for a good knife.
posted by pedro at 2:17 AM on February 15, 2001

sapphireblue and the ratbastard. They were the first two that I ever read, and they're still my favorites. Read them for yourself, and you'll know why.
posted by Optamystic at 2:49 AM on February 15, 2001

www.inpassing.org without a doubt. At least it would keep me laughing.
posted by Kikkoman at 3:43 AM on February 15, 2001

Either Need To Know or PopBitch which isn't a weblog, really, but an email newsletter, but it's my island and I'll read what I want.
posted by Mo Nickels at 3:50 AM on February 15, 2001

Oo. Excellent question. Awhile ago I might have said NowThis, but I moved in with the author, (we're kind of the quiet weblogger couple who met online) so I'll exclude that one for obvious reasons. :)

I think I'd have a tough time choosing between Follow Me Here, Booknotes, and Ethel. At least at the moment; my favorites seem to change every few months or so.
posted by Medley at 3:59 AM on February 15, 2001

I would kill myself
posted by Postroad at 4:13 AM on February 15, 2001

Metafilter is the only weblog I check out on a daily basis. And lemonyellow when she's updating, as there is actually something interesting going on there.

I would rather read Zeldman's columns than his blog. Camworld cares about Web content issues and so do I, so I read that every few days, but read the CMS list he mothers everyday. Slashdot is a blog, right? That would be every few days, too.

I want to say something about the utility of blogs but I think I'll do it for my own site. But I was thinking this morning that most blogs seem to be social things more so than artistic, intellectual, or spiritual things. The writing isn't very good, there is too much topical rehashing of news items, too little challenge. (Now sinceritybird will email me and call me a poser or something.)

And the "A-list" thing is silly, isn't it?

Sorry. Where's my damn latte?
posted by tranquileye at 4:17 AM on February 15, 2001

Semistatic.com and mood-indigo.net - for quite a long time now (in weblog-life terms, anyway), they've been my leading inspirations in design, in sense of style, and in everyday grace. (And they happen to be my friends, too, but nobody's perfect.)

I've a feeling this guy has a great future ahead of him, as well. Of course I'm biased, but isn't that the whole point here? =)
posted by Noah at 4:23 AM on February 15, 2001

Well, since we are magically limited to one weblog link based logs like memepool or usr/bin/grl are out. Wockerjabby might be my choice, since Rabi updates every day and talks about the little things in non-desert-island life that I think I'd quickly begin to miss. Also, she has blogvoices so I could post my situation and get rescued. *grin*


posted by Nothing at 4:36 AM on February 15, 2001

I've got your damn latte right here, pally! ::throws coffee::

Well hell, wouldn't we need to define what a weblog is first? Must it have links, brief comments, and groovy catchphrases?

In any case, drawing from the precedent set by listing An Entirely Other Day, which usually has only one of the above, I'd take James's Daily Bleat, especially if I was permitted to have the entire website, including The Galley of Regrettable Food to stave off those annoying pangs of hunger.

If Lileks was disqualified because the lack of external links (which would DQ Knauss for all intensive purposes, being that pretty much all of his links are to his own writing), and I couldn't give the obvious "MeFi" answer, I'd follow the sheep and take Kottke.

Baaaaaaa!
posted by Avogadro at 4:38 AM on February 15, 2001

I have gone to all the blogs listed and to the blogs I daily go to. Comparing those prefered to those I like shows me a lot of Who I Am because of What I Like. Beats expensive therapy.
posted by Postroad at 4:47 AM on February 15, 2001

I'd probably take As Above. Or perhaps megnut or josh blog.
posted by palnatoke at 4:52 AM on February 15, 2001

Hey, don't dismiss that therapy idea just yet, Postie. ;-)
posted by Optamystic at 4:56 AM on February 15, 2001

Is it bad to choose one that I created? (Locombia.org) Both reading and producing it gives me so much pleasure, I couldn't do without it!
posted by locombia at 5:15 AM on February 15, 2001

I'm sorry, but I just can't justify the selection of Camworld for a remote island. You're on an ISLAND! What use could you possibly have for links about Open Source and Mozilla? :-)
posted by Succa at 5:25 AM on February 15, 2001

I'd have to go with dack, his bitterness amuses me.
posted by Mick at 5:28 AM on February 15, 2001

hmmm.... speechtherapy or svn
posted by dagnyscott at 5:39 AM on February 15, 2001

So a desert island implies that I can't keep my beowolf cluster of linux machines, so Slashdot is out... Kottke.org please!
posted by machaus at 5:57 AM on February 15, 2001

Good thread to find what MeFi people are reading.

But what's the point of the "desert island" if you are at your computer and online? Is it a vacation? Is this the new asceticism, being restricted only to certain websites (in which case I'd rather just visit China or Iran, interesting cultures with restrictive access)? Or is it a search for the reality "digest" that best represents our POV (besides your own blog, if you have one)? I'll take the "Great Blue Yonder" myself. . .

My favorite "blog" is the Net itself.
Give me a good search engine instead, and my intuition will do the rest.
posted by aflakete at 5:59 AM on February 15, 2001

Hmm... The Null Device for starters, though I'm somewhat biased :) but jeez Follow Me Here and Ethel come close. They beat talking to a volleyball.
posted by Graham at 6:10 AM on February 15, 2001

This has been an interesting exercise, and I've discovered some great blogs that I hadn't heard of. I was thinking of posting a comment to meta^2filter about the ubiquity of newsblogging and the preponderance of similar links. It was reminding me too much of Chomsky's "Manufacturing Consent." But then I read all of these cool different blogs and am feeling less whiney. Whiny.
posted by mecran01 at 6:13 AM on February 15, 2001

living colours, no question. (not that I wouldn't terribly miss all my other daily visits.)
posted by rabi at 6:14 AM on February 15, 2001

If I were stuck on a desert island, I'd die of boredom from stuff like kottke.org. Nope. Gimme all the debauchery I can get. StileProject.
posted by crunchland at 6:31 AM on February 15, 2001

I would second the nomination of usr/bin/girl. When he's posting regularly, Robert's Bump is a great read too. I wish he'd quit his job so he'd be able to post more often :-)
posted by darren at 6:38 AM on February 15, 2001

I think this defeats the whole point of the web and of blogging. To me, the whole idea is to get the personal slant from a lot of different people about what's interesting on the web. And hell, so many weblogs inter-link anyway that no matter which one you start with, you're bound to end up on all the others anyway.

You mean I can't follow the links? Blasphemy.

If limited to just one, I'd arrange to get myself voted off the island. Screw that.


posted by mikewas at 6:49 AM on February 15, 2001

just one? arrghhh. toss-up between prolific, harrumph, misterpants or obscurestore.all the valentine's day mush has made me indecisive!
posted by lia at 7:17 AM on February 15, 2001

True, but if we're going to actually bring *realism* into the analogy, we'd have to start with the problem of having sustainable power and net access on the island in the first place...
posted by Noah at 7:18 AM on February 15, 2001

I'm with Optamystic: the ratbastard and sapphireblue were my portals into this whole shebang. Dance with the one what brung you, says I. Doesn't hurt that they're still my favorites.
posted by gleuschk at 7:21 AM on February 15, 2001

Well phooey on you, mikewas, for being a party pooper: I was all set to say that if I could only have one, it'd be WOIFM?. But since you had to get all technical and wetblankety on us, I'll second Jish's Weblog Schmeblog.
posted by Dreama at 7:22 AM on February 15, 2001

Hmmm, tough call. For combined practical and entertainment value (interesting chat with the possibility for medical consult via his built-in discussion group) I'd have to go with Q. Although I have to admit that with the sheer eclectic nature of Booknotes and ObscureStore I would be more likely to use them to McGuyver myself off the island.
posted by Alwin at 7:34 AM on February 15, 2001

The first one I check every day is WDWWW, a former coworker who posts something every day (and usually with a secret treat or two). And now he's off to london, so were I on a deserted island I'd want to see what his new life was bringing.

posted by jmackin at 7:42 AM on February 15, 2001

i'm with locombia. i enjoy doing mine so much, that's the one i'd take. plus, you'd get some scary-cool posts if i was on a desert island with only my weblog.

otherwise, for reading, MetaFilter. no question.
posted by Sean Meade at 7:48 AM on February 15, 2001

Give me Unknown News, maybe Grim Amusements, and Dawn Wells as Mary Ann.
posted by swanson at 7:48 AM on February 15, 2001

Am I the only one who scrolled through these comments desperately wishing for someone who found my little 'blog enjoyable?

Whenever I read of the cool weblogs (i.e. the recent 'Bloggies) I feel like the kid in the corner - unloved, quietly eating paste.

At any rate I've become hopelessly addicted to Zeldman and Loobylu. We're I trapped on a desert island, I'd love to bring them with me. Of course, I'd probably bring my Skillet along with me too.

Look at that self referential link . . . no wonder no one likes me.
posted by aladfar at 7:48 AM on February 15, 2001

I think I'd go for either rc3 or q if I had to choose just one. And yes aladfar, I was doing the same thing.. "Gee, I wonder if anyone's going to mention me.."
posted by zempf at 7:51 AM on February 15, 2001

I knew damn well no one would mention me. :)

Otherwise, my favorite one that hasn't been mentioned yet is Pop Culture Junk Mail, which is a truly entertaining blog.
posted by norm at 8:11 AM on February 15, 2001

Zeldman, because I often know what he's talking about.

lemonyellow, because I often don't know what she's talking about.

posted by idiolect at 8:16 AM on February 15, 2001

Leaving aside the fact that without MeFi I would probably just inhale a whole lot of seawater, here's the company I would try to keep:

Dack

Wetlog

and, since I would have to, er, entertain myself a lot,

The Breast Chronicles.
posted by Skot at 8:22 AM on February 15, 2001

Aside from the previously mentioned misterpants and PCJM, I would have to trade off between Wetlog and metascene (although honourable mention goes to twernt for years of service).
posted by jess at 8:26 AM on February 15, 2001

Ah, I'd be happy enough to know that I have 'net access at all. But if you insisted that I took one weblog with me and I might not go to any other site, I'd probably take Fairvue, just for the fact that it has some downloadable songs that I like and can bear listening to. Weblogs I can do without, but I simply can't live without music.
posted by Firda at 8:28 AM on February 15, 2001

Frykitty, cause she was the first person to ever link to me. You always have a special place in your heart for your first.

Although I'm not sure what's up with that Paul guy...
posted by bondcliff at 8:32 AM on February 15, 2001

Harrumph! was one of the first blogs I discovered and I still look forward to Heather's updates, but I've just recently found torrez.org and I laughed and laughed. Some of the smartest and funniest writing I've found on the web. Davezilla also makes me laugh regularly, and let's face it, if you're on a desert island, you want to laugh.
posted by jmcnally at 8:36 AM on February 15, 2001

If she would update consistently, lemonyellow would be the one.
Two others I enjoy are:
rebecca's pocket (passion, honesty, dare I say "moxie"?)
jimwich (always interesting & unpredictable, but the island better have DSL or cable access)
Thanks to all for the great links!
posted by gimli at 8:51 AM on February 15, 2001

i will vote for ratbastard if he will vote for sapphireblue...

but seriously folks, it would *have* to be metafilter. there isn't another weblog that makes me get the jitters when i'm away too long. all my other *really* hardcore addictions are still journals. Brandon, Scott, Bryan.

i am soooo 1998.
posted by Sapphireblue at 8:57 AM on February 15, 2001

fairvue?..kottke?..jish?.. boring, log-lite.. try badassmofo and any other e/n site. I'm dispatching the monkeys right now, and I'm not giving them any orders.
posted by riley370 at 9:28 AM on February 15, 2001

i check out contrasts every couple of hours along with jonno's so it would be a toss up between the two.
posted by victor at 9:48 AM on February 15, 2001

I'm going with the "besides MetaFilter" model, because MeFi is not a choice, it's an addiction.

As for others, I'd have to choose between two:

2xy.org because my darling Jerwin would know I was lost on a desert island, and he'd blog all the good dish for me.

Bondcliff because Jim is funny as hell, and he uses Blogvoices, so I could get rescued. If anyone took me seriously.

posted by frykitty at 10:02 AM on February 15, 2001

Andrew. It's always been Andrew. No journal/weblog has ever made me laugh harder, or want to flush food down the toilet more, than his site.


posted by perplexed at 10:28 AM on February 15, 2001

I guess I'll be a smart-ass and say the one most likely to have a link to the US Coast Guard or any other similar naval rescue operation organization. (Yeah, if I had a wish, I'd wish for more wishes, too.)

Which reminds me, I think that bastard volleyball Wilson stole my design. Slave to the meme, that ball is.
posted by kevincmurphy at 10:37 AM on February 15, 2001

It would have to be momorgan.com for me. I need something a little meatier than links and one-liners.
posted by ericbrain at 10:42 AM on February 15, 2001

Sheer genius:
I Really Must Insist You Leave.
posted by brittney at 10:54 AM on February 15, 2001

Drew! because he's GOOD! and uses strange punctuation@!&!!!
posted by jennyb at 11:13 AM on February 15, 2001

Rebecca's Pocket.

No, I don't know why, but I keep going back.

-Mars
posted by Mars Saxman at 11:28 AM on February 15, 2001

I applaud the inclusion of Bluishorange and Toasty, and since those two are taken, I'll go with Thirtyfour.
posted by Hackworth at 12:18 PM on February 15, 2001

i'd probably choose calamondin for the great writing and arty- entertaining-educational links.
posted by centrs at 12:32 PM on February 15, 2001

Dreama:

The reason I threw such a hissy-fit is that the artificial restriction of the question would have forced me to throw overboard either B&L&F&R or T@R, and I just wasn't prepared to abandon either one.

Besides, as a lawyer, it's my job to get technical and wet-blankety.
posted by mikewas at 12:36 PM on February 15, 2001

We deal in hypotheticals. "Desert island" is a prop and a time-honored trashy literary device. Taken literally: what good would a weblog be on a desert island anyway? Not even enough meat for a meal or alcoholic content to drown your sorrows.
posted by hanseugene at 12:45 PM on February 15, 2001

People, people. You're ignoring the rules. You can only take *one* weblog. ONE! And it's supposed to be one *other than* your weblog.

And begging to be listed? Well, that's just lame...

(I personally would take /usr/bin/girl, but I'd known Z for years before she became a weblog.deity, so I'm better than you. Nyah!)
posted by Danelope at 1:14 PM on February 15, 2001

For me, it's a toss-up between BroadwayStars (best theater dish) and Bradlands/Daily Brad (cuz he's just wonderful). But mad props to whoever mentioned Pop Culture Junk Mail, which is insanely great.
posted by bjennings at 2:20 PM on February 15, 2001

Without a doubt, Reality Blurred. I mean, what better way to pass time on a deserted island by reading about people on a deserted island? Like, duh.
posted by littleyellowdifferent at 2:31 PM on February 15, 2001

Mikewas - I never read the "technical and wetblankety" clause in the canons of ethics. (How come it's your job and not mine?) Uh, anyway, you gave me props so I forgive your earlier quashing.

Did I say something about Jish?
posted by Dreama at 2:37 PM on February 15, 2001

Boy, this thread has just turned into the sweetest clusterfuck of incestuous crosslinking, hasn't it?
posted by crunchland at 2:47 PM on February 15, 2001

Could it have ever been anything else, really?
posted by Dreama at 3:25 PM on February 15, 2001

Um, nastyassholes.com
posted by gtr at 3:31 PM on February 15, 2001

Oops, one more. Can't forget Fresh-Hell.
posted by gtr at 3:48 PM on February 15, 2001

Because I am a nerd of the highest order, I read Scripting News, Slashdot, and Media News...
posted by owillis at 4:09 PM on February 15, 2001

Bjennings, I humbly accept your "mad props."
posted by norm at 4:29 PM on February 15, 2001

Portrait of a Katie

posted by krakedhalo at 7:05 PM on February 15, 2001

Well, if I were to choose just one to read on a desert island, I wouldn't necessarily choose an absolute favorite. I'd choose MetaFilter because it has the best all-around sampling of links and commentary without the need to visit another weblog.
posted by Nikolai at 7:17 PM on February 15, 2001

/usr/bin/girl gets my vote, but I do have to add mad props for bliznog and dack, because they're so goddamn funny.
posted by evixir at 7:22 PM on February 15, 2001

gmtPlus9, Abuddhas Memes, Unknown NewsAnd myself of course. I'm pretty damn interesting ;)
posted by Mr. skullhead at 7:29 PM on February 15, 2001

I'd go the more journal route with squishy if I must choose. I couldn't live without both the journal and the forum. it's practically my life..haha.

of course, if we're going with weblogs, I'd also go with prolific, harrumph! and detuned radio.


posted by aekastar at 8:05 PM on February 15, 2001

Alamut.

Or splorp.

Or 8 Facts.

Or
posted by rodii at 8:09 PM on February 15, 2001

Can we also suggest who we'd like to send to the Island? ;)
posted by heather at 8:43 PM on February 15, 2001

Oh wait... if it's one WEBLOGGER we can take to the island, that's a whole different story!

C'mere Heather.

Hail to the king, baby.

posted by CrazyUncleJoe at 8:52 PM on February 15, 2001

I can't believe k10k.net didn't make the list?
posted by 120degrees at 9:37 PM on February 15, 2001

My choice would be Ghost in the Machine. But this is a silly exercise, as Mike pointed out. I hope it leads some of us to new blogs, though.

For myself, being stranded on a desert isle would be great: I'd get a lot of writing done. And I've always maintained that I get more out of writing my weblog than I do out of reading any single one.
posted by dhartung at 9:42 PM on February 15, 2001

Well, I think being from India, I am biased towards Bhask.org. Hope I have given you a brand new log to look at.
posted by asamee at 10:07 PM on February 15, 2001

Not a blog, per se, but I love and hate this guy...and re-read his stuff when I'm in my cups and trying to hang on familiar turf for a bit before a deep breath and off into the ether again...like right now...


posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 1:37 AM on February 16, 2001

It's really more a list of connected links and curious findings than a blog, but Garret's dangerousmeta kick starts more serendipitous adventures around the ether than any other site I gander at. There are other blogs that I must read, but this one I must visit.
posted by grant at 8:17 AM on February 16, 2001

You know what this thread has shown me? That all blog names sound like either British sitcoms or rock bands.

I don't know if I have a favorite blog -- but I know that I tend to prefer blogs that are more like journals, and more sincere and personal, than blogs that spew out only daily links or daily doses of humor. I'm definitely not saying the latter types are bad -- they're just not my preference. I like to know about what's going on in people's lives; when people chronicle their lives skillfully, it can be very enlightening. I think that our culture today sometimes relies too much on humor and coolness -- people don't want to confront their pain head-on. Being directly sincere has somehow come to be seen as a bad thing.

I hope this doesn't make me sound like some sort of Jedediah Purdy-type freak.


I've always maintained that I get more out of writing my weblog than I do out of reading any single one.

I have to agree with that.
posted by Tin Man at 11:31 AM on February 16, 2001

dagmar chili: fight incest with Mother's pancake rattlesnakes
posted by dgfitch at 12:35 PM on February 16, 2001

WOCKERJABBY, WOCKERJABBY !!!!!!
posted by terrapin at 1:40 PM on February 16, 2001

It's too hard to choose one. I'd probably go with NotSoSoft or Interconnected.org...
posted by barbelith at 10:11 AM on February 18, 2001

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned 37 Signals.
posted by cedar at 4:21 PM on February 18, 2001

I must say, I find Kottke boring and bland. I can find webdesign ramblings elsewhere, ala Zeldman.

I'd like to bring along MORON. An amateur group blog with diverse residents...
posted by Yardsale at 8:30 AM on February 19, 2001

one of the reasons why kottke rocks is b/c he consistently has the best content coupled with the least ego: he genuinely strikes me as someone i could tolerate being stuck on a desert island with.

for example:
while some blogs are impruriently entertaining for the voyeuristic glimpses into soap-operatic lives, kottke resists that. while other blogs are self-impressed with either their self-prescribed rock-star status or the regular name-dropping opps, kottke resists that as well.
posted by pupper at 5:20 PM on March 7, 2001

Dagmar Chili or Alamut. I'd also try to bring some09 20i,md
posted by Joseph Gurl at 3:47 PM on March 19, 2001