Reaching a wider audience
I am pleased to report that the number of views of the site, since its inception following the last general election, has passed 100,000. From observation of the daily statistics, the readers appear to be a combination of regulars and those who reach the site in their quest to find answers to particular questions – not least how the Conservative Party chooses it leader, what happens if the PM dies, and whether one should say referenda or referendums.
Some of my colleagues tend to be sceptical of the value of blogs. My view is that they are highly efficient ways of reaching audiences. I may accept an invitation to speak to a group of, say, 20 people at a specified time and venue. Contrast the resources one has to invest to complete that engagement with the ability to pen a message at a time convenient to me and for an audience of 100 to 200 people to read it at a time convenient to them. My posts also tend to be a little shorter than my talks!
“Some of my colleagues tend to be sceptical of the value of blogs.”
Some of your colleagues tend to be sceptical of the value of the voters!
Croft: I was actually thinking of my academic colleagues!
Might work either way LN
BTW having just caught up on some of the sessions on the recall bill the government’s proposal seems to have fewer friends than toxic waste. Quite a remarkable achievement really.
Just seen this; Classic!
http://blogs.news.sky.com/boultonandco/Post:e9f44b6d-1eb8-4f0e-92e0-1023cf19cdf8
Croft: Indeed. There are rather obvious flaws in the proposal.
i agree with Croft… But then again you have to take into account the desire they have to keep everything ‘secret’ and only of their domain and this method of communication can be seen as a threat to that premise and to them.
Out of touch with a changing world. And they will be the losers.
maude elwes: As I mention above, I wasn’t actually thinking of my parliamentary colleagues.
The British Parliament is actually quite an open institution and has become markedly so in recent decades. There is valuable comparative work which shows how transparent we are compared to other legislatures.
@LN
Not according to this little article I bumped into.
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/01/24/leveson-inquiry-hears-of-secretive-whitehall_n_1227868.html
So, if other legislatures are more secretive than ours, they must be the equivalent of the Vatican. Besides, who are these others?
maude elwes: The story is about a secretive Whitehall, not a secretive Westminster. In so far as there is a complaint about Westminster, it is not that it is secretive but that it has not done more to try to remove the secrecy within government.
Lord Norton,
It is indeed a significant milestone. The future trajectory of these things is difficult to project. Yet I venture to suggest that the blogosphere is a worthwhile place to invest one’s time vis-a-vis the future. In large part this is true because of the currently existing advantages you outlime in your post.
Frank W. Summers III: Many thanks. Blogposts can actually be quite time-consuming in terms of getting the wording right and keeping the post succinct. The words ascribed to Churchill are very pertinent: ‘I am sorry this letter is so long. I didn’t have time to write a short one.’
Quite so. Writers of letters really need to make their case by the third paragraph, else bin it.
Lord Norton,
I grew up part of my life in my native United States and wathced Sesame Street on Public television. I think my favorite short letter to write is the lower case “m”. I do not find it takes very long.
Frank W. Summers III:
And you keep ahead of ladytizzy in the number of comments…
,
WordPress tells me to slow down – posting too fast, apparently.
Lord Norton,
There is that…
Well
Dear Lord Norton,
Are you contemplating a House of Lords reception to mark this milsetone?!
How Ridiculous.
How Ridiculous: No, but perhaps a virtual celebration….
@LN:
That is what is known as ‘hair splitting.’
And Sir Humphrey was a master at that.
maude elwes: It is anything but. There is a fundamental difference between Government and Parliament, at the heart of any democratic system.
Dear Lord Norton,
Here in England it is different, so I believe. However, I am now confused, because of your earlier reply.
My understanding is, that England is the only country in the UK ‘not’ to have its own separate parliament.
As a result, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have more control over their country than we do.
Is this no longer the situation?
maude elwes: I’m not quite sure how this is related to the distinction to be drawn between the legislature and the executive..
I regret we seem have some kind of misunderstanding. To start again may add further to the confusion, as I am sure it is me who is not putting my point across accurately.
Your time and patience toward me in this matter is more than expected. So, I will again read up on the connection in England of government and parliament. And thank you for the time you have taken with me and ask you forgive my ignorance.