Ordovicius posts a list of the top 10 Welsh blogs according to WIKIO.
This is his list:
1. Peter Black AM (=)
2. ORDOVICIUS (=)
3. Don't Trip Up (+1)
4. Paul Flynn - Read My Day (-1)
5. Miserable Old Fart (+1)
6. Valleys Mam (+1)
7. Normal Mouth (-2)
8. Dylan Jones-Evans (=)
9. Miss Wagstaff Presents* (=)
10. Ceredig (=)
If there was a Welsh version of the Scottish type love in meme, most of Wikio's top ten would be in my top ten of Welsh blogs too.
The one I have difficulty with is no 3 in the list Don't Trip Up, a good blog, which I read often and is in my "feeds reader". It is Written by Stephen Farrington who is based in Cardiff, but is it a "Welsh" blog?
If it wasn't for the fact that Matt includes it in the Welsh Political News wire and that it mentions Cardiff as the blogger's domicile in the profile, I wouldn't know that it was a Welsh blog.
The posts suggest that Wales doesn't exist in this blogger's mind, that he is unaware of the existence of the Assembly on his doorstep and if he is aware of it he couldn't give a toss. So does he deserve to be called a Welsh blogger?
I feel the same about Mr Eugenedes who is regularly mentioned in the Scottish Roundup, but who rarely has a word to say about Scottish politics.
The fact that the most popular Scottish blog and the third most popular Welsh blog can blog politics without even acknowledging the existence of the countries in which they post from is a very sad reflection on Welsh and Scottish politics.
"The fact that the most popular Scottish blog and the third most popular Welsh blog can blog politics without even acknowledging the existence of the countries in which they post from is a very sad reflection on Welsh and Scottish politics"
ReplyDeleteI would disagree. For one, Mr Eugenides' all-night dissection of the Holyrood elections is a testament that the man is as nerdily interested in Scottish Politics as the rest of us.
But my main point is this. I see Mr E as the Cristiano Ronaldo of blog writing.
And similarly to the greasy Portugese striker, where I am sure noone in his home country are too aggrieved that he is using his skills to fry bigger fish than Boavista or Sporting Lisbon, Scots bloggers understand the need for Mr E to hone his international pedigree.
I am fascinated by Scottish Politics but it is often a turgid affair and those precious few possessing enhanced creatvity require constant sources of news and twists in order to deploy the first rate commentary that Mr E, for one, is blessed with.
Scottish politics cannot compete with the intrigue of US elections, with the brutality of Chinese rule, with the lovely Cabinet ladies in Italy nor with the corruption and incompetence of Westminster.
To saddle the greatest bloggers (be they from Wales, Scotland or further afield) with only discussing their local politicians and domestic matters would be a criminal waste of talent in my book.
We get sufficient Scottish Politics chat from our champ, and the rest of our dull but necessary discussions can be supplied by the lower league bloggers that I am happy, nay proud, to be numbered alongside.
Well, I recently asked Matt to update WPN to include all the new blogs on my blogroll, which is why DTU is on it now. I've qualified the blog as a Welsh one because it is written by someone who lives in Wales. Admittedly he doesn't blog on Welsh matters, or has yet to do so, but don't we have enough bloggers already doing so? It's a tricky question which personally I prefer to avoid. Of course, if Mr Farrington were to move out of Wales he would -due to the lack of Welsh content on his blog- no longer qualify as a Welsh blogger.
ReplyDeleteAs for Mr E, he does regularly comment on Scottish affairs, just not on a daily basis.
Mind you, looking through his posts you do seem to have a point. His brief take on the Assembly elections was woefully misinformed, and today's post demonstrates an ignorance of the fact that the Anglican Church has long since been disestablished in Wales (seems to think the Church of England is the Church of Britain!)
ReplyDeleteHe also doesn't reply to comments. I think I'll have another word with Matt...
The fact that my blog is above some others such as Miss Wagstaff is a bit of a shock. I am also surprised that Glyn Davies is not up there. However, to have eight blogs in the top 100 is good news for the welsh blogosphere.
ReplyDeleteI like Wikio (at present)!
ReplyDeleteOn Scottish Politics, I think it needs a Slugger; the space is there as no one covers nearly everything.
On Welsh blogs in the aggregator - I do my best, but prefer to put them in rather than leave them out (which is going to get me into trouble with some that aren't out). The nice thing about RSS is that blogs that go dormant can be left in but won't contaminate current posts with old material.
I posted some thoughts here the other day:
http://www.mattwardman.com/blog/2008/06/12/can-political-blogs-encourage-local-politics/
>seems to think the Church of England is the Church of Britain
Of course our church is currently run by Welsh and Ugandans...
Matt
Pah. My latest thoughts on blogging here:
ReplyDeletehttp://tinyurl.com/5f6xdd