Yeah, you read that correctly.
And it makes me upset.
The Times Union is once again populating its Best of 2014 poll to the public. And here’s the choices for “Best Local Blogger.” Certainly these are worthy selections:
- Andrew Franciosa http://keepalbanyboring.com/
- Greg Haymes http://www.nippertown.com
- Greg Dahlmann http://alloveralbany.com
- Daniel Berman http://www.fussylittleblog.com
- KC Orcutt http://keepalbanyboring.com/
- Steve Barnes http://blog.timesunion.com/tablehopping
- Mary Darcy http://alloveralbany.com
- Kristi Gustafson Barlette http://blog.timesunion.com/kristi
- Alan Ilagan http://www.alanilagan.com/
- Matt Baumgartner http://www.fridaypuppy.com/
- Other (check this selection and write in your choice below)
Barring the obvious – that Kristi will win this award again, followed by Steve Barnes in second place and Matt Baumgartner in third –
What’s conspicuously missing from this list?
That’s right. Not a single Times Union community blogger is available as a clickable choice. Yeah, you could write in a candidate, but come on, shouldn’t there be at least one community blogger in the TU blog portal that has earned enough readership and consideration to be part of this feature?
Well, you know that doesn’t sit well with me. It didn’t sit well the last time, or the time before that. And it’s not like the TU hasn’t offered some community bloggers as votable choices – Amanda Talar and Kevin Marshall were both on the lists years ago. But now? Not so much.
Yeah, it bothers me. And before you say to me, “Aw, Chuck, cry me a river, you didn’t get listed in the polls, waah, waah, go get a crying towel, you crybaby,” rest assured that I do NOT want to be in the poll. Every year that I’ve been part of the TU blogging portal and this poll has come up, I’ve written a blog post telling people NOT to vote for me.
What I DO want you to do, my beloved readers, is to consider any one of the following Times Union community bloggers and write in their names. The “Best Blogger” should be based on the quality of their work, and these Times Union bloggers deserve your consideration and your votes. Don’t vote because you might win an iPad. Vote because you believe that these community bloggers are worth reading every day.
You want some names to consider? Here’s just a small sampling.
- Roger Green
- David Kalish
- Stephanie Snyder
- Ken Screven
- Jason Purvis
- Liz Lemery Joy
- Sonja Stark
- Gina Peca
- Mary Martin
- Teri Conroy
- Dan Lyons
- Fran Rossi Szpylcyzn
- Rev. Alan Rudnick
- Lawrence White
Someone. Anyone. These community bloggers move heaven and earth to get quality blog posts written and published. At least give one of them your vote for the TU’s best blogger. Let them know that you appreciate what they write and what they say.
And if there’s someone else on that list who’s also a TU community blogger, then for crying out loud, consider them as well. Just make sure you don’t vote for me. As I’ve said before, I’m happy enough that you read my blog. Personally, that means more to me.
But yeah, let give the Times Union community bloggers some love, shall we?
Chuck The Writer 
Chuck, your sense of justice awes me. Thanks for your passion and for your concern. I don’t really care if I am on any list, but you are right, you’d think that someone would be there. (My focus is not for everyone, is it? 🙂 )
Thank you. YOU should be on the list, for your tireless blogging and for your passion.
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I don’t know why they don’t just create a second category for TU community blogger. I don’t read as regularly as I used to (or blog for that matter), but the community bloggers certainly offer a lot interesting content to the blogosphere.
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I would have voted for you, if only for your Herculean effort to get the TU to recognize us in print.
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Yes!
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That’s disappointing — and it sends a bad message to the people who contribute their work.
I don’t know how to measure who the “best” blogger is, but they could have easily included one or two or the community bloggers, even if it was just based on who gets the most traffic.
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Thank you Chuck.
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…and YOU definitely deserve to be on this list!
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Truly you are an amazing man Chuck. The more I read your blogs, and see your artistic talent through photographs, the more I want to meet you in person. You are an inspiration to me, and I believe the Times Union community as well. Thanks for making this world a better place, and thank you for being you 🙂
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Baumgartner stopped blogging for most of 2013-14, didn’t he? So did Barlette. Both should be removed, or I am overthinking this?
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I was just thinking the same thing!
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Hi Chuck. The names listed on the Best Of survey are those bloggers who received the most votes in the previous year. And in previous years, Amanda Talar and Kevin Marshall were listed because they got the votes. That’s how it’s done for all categories.
Would it be fair to them to add bloggers (whom I like and respect) who haven’t received enough votes in the past just because they’re TU community bloggers?
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Mike – if that were the case, then I would argue that the category be renamed “most popular” instead of “best.” That, or provide a voting category for “best independent blogger” or “best TU community blogger.” Without that, then it’s a vote of exclusion instead of one of inclusion. You can’t get votes from the previous year unless you get a bunch of write-in votes from your readers, which then turns a blog into a “beg-a-vote” portal.
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@Chuck, I can’t see changing the name of one of the dozens of categories. As it’s used here, the word ‘best’ is completely open to interpretation. It’s not a vote of exclusion; it’s a vote of a reader’s preferences.
Do a Google for this query — Best Of AND survey — and you’ll find it’s a name used across the country for these sorts of reader surveys.
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But what’s wrong with adding the “Best of TU Community Bloggers” Category?
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Because we already have a ‘best blogger’ category. I checked the 2013 results, and only one of every three ballots even bothered to vote in the ‘best blogger’ category.
We get complaints every year that the ballot is already too long, and I just don’t know if there’s a wide call for a second category only open TU community bloggers.
Chuck and I talked this afternoon. I’m open to suggestions to improve Best Of, but ultimately it’s a product of the newspaper’s Arts/Entertainment department, not my department.
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Thanks Mike, for your thoughtful and considerate answers. I never saw this as something fully in your hands. As far as I am concerned, you have never done anything but support me fully, and for that I am so grateful. Plus I am not interested on being on such a list, if it were to exist, but Chuck’s post did hit me. Thanks for all you do… and Chuck, thank YOU!
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I could write a dissertation on the things I found wrong with the Best Of poll, not the least of which was the fact that I had to write in close to half of my votes. I’m not sure the method of choosing candidates based on the previous year’s votes is the most effective method and seems to have left many categories woefully lacking in choices. Also, while we’re at it, can they stop doing stuff like lumping chain restaurants into categories with local restaurants?
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The TU’s Best Of is totally meaningless. It continues to be a weak imitation of something Metroland has done for much longer and much better.
I read TU blogs every day and enjoy them. It saddens me that they seem to treat you people like dirt.
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Speaking for myself, I have never been treated poorly, and in fact, have been treated quite well!
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There are at least a couple of blogs which have been turned OFF. Parent to Parent and Mr. Huber’s are two which aren’t on at the moment. Will they be ON again?
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