Tuesday, December 14, 2004

First annual UU blogging awards

by Chris Walton

Current BuzzFor many of us, 2004 was the year when Unitarian Universalist blogging finally arrived. A group of UU bloggers launched Coffee Hour in April to find ways to draw the Interdependent Web into some semblance of actual interdependence. If we haven't quite succeeded yet, this year did bring an increasing number of UUs to blogging as readers and writers. UU World wrote about us — not at my suggestion, I hasten to add — and Beliefnet mentioned us. But the most important fact is that the number of Unitarian Universalist blogs has grown. I'd go so far as to say that UU blogging has even improved.

Since 2004 is rapidly approaching its end, I think it would be fun to kick off the new year with awards for UU blogs, journals, online forums, maybe even e-mail lists, in a variety of categories. Our own Oscars, if you will. But we've never done this before. We don't know what our categories are yet. Collectively, I'm sure we can come up with something.

So here's my proposal: Between now and, say, January 7, we'll take nominations for categories. "Best Design," for example, or "Most Inspirational Post," or "Best Quixotic Argument," or "Most Likely to Comment." Who knows? What shall we honor? Brainstorm away.

But there will be a second part to this project. Once we've identified our categories, we'll then turn to nominations for the awards themselves. You'll dig through archives of your favorite blogs looking for posts that moved you — or that you're especially proud of writing — and nominate them. And then, sometime near the end of January, we'll set up free and fair elections open to all members of the UU Academy of Online Arts. (If you read this post, you're automatically a member.)

So tell your friends, tell your neighbors, tell the people in your e-mail groups: We're now accepting nominations for award categories. Post your categories in the comments to this entry, or send them via e-mail to coffeehour@philocrites.com.

Posted by Chris Walton, December 14, 2004 06:18 PM
Comments:

Chris Walton says:

December 14, 2004 08:42 PM | Permalink for this comment

We should consider some award categories like "Best Online UU Community" or "Best UU E-mail List," and I'd think that essays or individual entries in publicly-accessible on-line communities and e-mail list archives should be eligible for some of the individual blog entry categories. Entries in non-public e-mail list archives or private LiveJournal diaries, for example, would be ineligible.

Peg Duthie says:

December 15, 2004 01:24 AM | Permalink for this comment

Best Book Review/Recommendation
Most Intriguing Sermon/Service Critique
Quirkiest Poll
Most Provocative Anecdote/Meditation
Top Candidate for A Wayside Pulpit Poster (=Most Memorable Quip)
Best Proposal to Shout From the Rooftops
Most Likely to Be Turned Into a GA Workshop

Chris Walton says:

December 15, 2004 12:58 PM | Permalink for this comment

Need inspiration for the idea of Blogging Awards? Here's how the Koufax Blog Awards work, for example.

Chalicechick says:

December 15, 2004 02:34 PM | Permalink for this comment

I was thinking it would be pretty cool to have cheap refrigerator magnets printed up that said "Hey, Mom! CC likes my blog!"

CC

Enrique says:

December 15, 2004 07:27 PM | Permalink for this comment


I like Peg's categories. They break the mold of the obligatory press awards token forms. (Of course, I'm looking over Utne's Independent Press awards, and if I see a "general excellence", "best design", "cultural/coverage" for UU blogs my eyes are going to spin out of their sockets.)

Two thoughts: perhaps we should make distinctions between religious professionals and lay uu's for these awards. I observe that professionals consistently have better and more consistent content. (Maybe we could have a debate over that point.)

Also, with so much war, election coverage and spin, I would like someone to be recognized for rising above the fog of cheap analysis (mea culpa) and covering an issue other blogs (uu and otherwise) did not cover.

chutney says:

December 16, 2004 11:32 AM | Permalink for this comment

I sort of like the more generic categories myself. Maybe half from a generic list (best writing, best design, etc.) and half from a more UU-centric list (like Peg's)? I wouldn't want these awards to be too "clubby," like our overuse of cute UU acronyms. That makes the movement inaccessible to outsiders.

And I'm not sure where I would fit in a lay/clergy distinction. I'm seminary educated and technically ordained (for my sister-in-law's wedding), but consider myself laity and don't work as a religious professional anymore. I'm probably not the only one in that camp. Plus, I'm uncomfortable with lay/clergy distinctions for a pluralistic congregationalist polity such as our own (as a matter of principle). I've drawn a lot from the "priesthood of all believers" meme.

Chris Walton says:

December 27, 2004 05:15 PM | Permalink for this comment

I've developed a preliminary list of award categories. Please recommend changes and additions.