Speak Truth to Power
A few of my incoming links have me thinking about some things this morning.
First, Stan Goff over at Feral Scholar posted my whole entire post on the War on Women in Nicaragua and the recent of election of leftist Daniel Ortega. There is some brilliant commentary over there which is well worth reading. Thanks, Stan!
Then, Incurable Hippie has signed up and is doing her part for the cause.
Finally, this neocon woman blogger growls that my blog is the “most drab blog she has ever seen,” then moves on to devote an entire blog post of her own to a sort of in-depth analysis of a side-issue of a side-issue of side-issue she found in a comments section here, finally flouncing off in a huff calling us “feminazis.”
You know, I have observed that those who are most virulently critical of the technical or graphic acumen of other bloggers often don’t seem to have much going on in their own blogs, however — in their own, or someone’s mind — graphically lovely and technically state-of-the-art theirs might be. I asked someone who knows me well whether I should, like, spend a bunch of time making my blog look all like Pandagon or Twisty’s Place, now that I am getting all of this attention. “No,” was the response. “That would be like Carla Emery trying to make her work look more like Real Simple.” Only some reading will get that without clicking on the links (and maybe not even then!), probably only a very few, but if you do get it, well, I’m betting you are saying it’s not only a great compliment, it’s true. And I’m proud of myself, drab and all. 🙂
Heart
Let me hasten to say, that is not to in any way, shape or form be remotely critical of Twisty or Amanda!
I think their blogs are gorgeous. It’s just, I have my own way of doing these things that is, in its own way, deeply political, intentionally so.
Heart
Posted by womensspace | December 12, 2006, 7:09 pmI bet ginmar feels me. 🙂
Heart
Posted by womensspace | December 12, 2006, 7:10 pmWhen neocons start calling you drab, Heart, you know you’re doing something very, very right.
Don’t change a gahdam thing. You rock the potluck!
Posted by Sassafras | December 12, 2006, 10:11 pmHa! In the .2 seconds it took me to post that, my cache refreshed (or whatever – I ain’t so smarts when it comes to the internets) and I see you changed a whole bunch of stuff! Ah well, whatever you choose looks great – besides it’s the content that keeps me coming back.
Posted by Sassafras | December 12, 2006, 10:14 pmNah, I changed it back already!
🙂
WordPress put out a new template which looked like it might be interesting, but I can’t make the columns work right, so never mind.
I’m just going to keep it drab like it is. 🙂
And thanks, Sassafras!
Heart
Posted by womensspace | December 12, 2006, 10:16 pmDrab? I think it looks nice the way it is.
Posted by Radfem | December 12, 2006, 10:18 pmThanks, radfem!
I do, too, actually. I’ve dinked around with it, tried many of the bajillion different templates. I always come back to just clean like this one is, and then I can post cool graphics which don’t get lost in all the other stuff together with clean, readable text.
I get insecure when someone criticizes my web skills. I’ve taught myself to create my own websites, and they are nice ones, I think, to create them on notepad/wordpad using html code, edit them, make new pages, use css style sheets, and I’ve administered bulletin boards for years, and have learned all sorts of stuff just by plunging in and doing it. But still, I feel like not a *real* techie. I just figure things out by trying this, that, see what works. Then again, I know that that’s really all “real” techies do, themselves! Most of the time anyway.
Heart
Posted by womensspace | December 12, 2006, 10:36 pmOkay, I’m sorry, but is it ‘okay’ for me to have a very hearty laugh – over this neo-cons selection of quotes?
My gosh, Lucky, even when you don’t try – you’re quotable!!! if only this woman knew when you actually do let it all out!
😉
Posted by AradhanaD | December 13, 2006, 12:29 amHeart – don’t change a thing.
It’s what’s said here that’s important – not what it looks like.
(Besides, if you change it now and I visit I’ll wonder where on Earth I am and I’ll spend five minutes saying to myself “but I was looking for Women’s Space – what’s this?” and then I’ll say “phew” when I realise I’m actually here and then I’ll spend twenty minutes muttering “what did she do that for?” to myself while I’m trying to read. Elderly? Moi?)
Your webskills are fab – it’s the neocons who are drab 🙂
Posted by witchy-woo | December 13, 2006, 12:52 amWhen you want the opinion of some self proclaimed blog expert, you’ll ask. Until then, what? You think we come here for the fancy titles and sidebar widgets? You know, whatEVA! I come here because it’s the only place I know can readily find the info you dig up, bless you, and the truly insightful commentary by your readers. You don’t know how many times I refer to this blog in conversation with others. It’s ridiculous. I’m such a suckup. LOL
Posted by Ginny | December 13, 2006, 1:10 amHeart she may have in her eyes a fancy blog, though I don’t see many comments.
Tumbleweed….tumbleweed….
Posted by sparklematrix | December 13, 2006, 2:49 amI love this blog, Twisty’s too. Apart from the obvious, all the wonderful posts you make that make me think, and somehow, in spite of their subject matter, always also make me hopeful…I love that this blog loads fast. Lots of photos and Firefox shuts down for the night.
I have never been part of a community of such brilliant and communicative women. I wonder if it’s something particularly American, or maybe generational because several of you aren’t American. I don’t talk much, and don’t hang much (one of those people who unplugs her phone and doesn’t answer her door) altogether prefering the bush and those critters. So I come here to get knocked back by the way you all communicate so easily so well, so richly.
I also like that this blog is easy for me to enlarge type on.
Posted by Pony | December 13, 2006, 4:18 amHey, you’re dial-up friendly and even my old boxes load this place reasonably quickly. I appreciate that. Most of the world is on dial-up even if the US isn’t.
A simple, clean page is easier to read and more accessible to more of us..
Posted by anonymom | December 13, 2006, 7:40 amIf the best thing they can come up with is ‘your site looks drab’, then you know they got nothin’!
By the way, I love the way your site looks. It’s fresh and easy to read, and inviting. And of course, what you write is amazing. I feel right at home here.
Love you, Heart.
Posted by Laurelin | December 13, 2006, 10:58 amI like this blog the way it is for all the reasons given by everyone else on this thread. Don’t change the “look”. It is the content, not the look, that is important. I like the clean “look” of it. Much as I like Twisty’s blog, I have had problems scrolling down on it ever since she changed the template. When I scroll down, the page moves in chunks instead of smoothly. It’s probably my computer, I have plenty of problems with it lately, but I did not have that particular problem until the template was changed.
Posted by Branjor | December 13, 2006, 12:55 pmThe first thing my fellow students want to know is how I tweaked the template! I always tell them to create content first. They can play with the look later if they so choose. No one comes back because your blog is pretty. They come back for you… and in this case for the dialogue.
I play with my template sometimes cuz I’m all artsy like that. 😉
But I know that it’s the content that people want.
“Your site looks drab” comment – just like when in an argument, one side resorts to personal attacks. It just means they don’t have a leg to stand on.
As for me and my house, I’m adding your drab self to my ‘roll.
xoxox
Posted by Christi Nielsen | December 13, 2006, 2:59 pmHi heart, can you email me? My address is on my profile.
Posted by Amananta | December 13, 2006, 5:27 pmSeriously, does anyone really notice what a blog looks like unless it’s harsh on the eyes or impossible to navigate? I come here to read what brilliant women have to say, and I appreciate being able to do that without all kinds of extra distracting crap.
Posted by Melissa | December 13, 2006, 6:01 pmHey, thanks, everybody! I like my blog the way it is, too. 🙂 branjor, I have the same problem with Twisty’s blog, especially long threads. It takes forever to scroll down so I just give up.
Heart
Posted by womensspace | December 13, 2006, 6:08 pmHi. I’ve been reading you since BB recced you a while back. I don’t comment much, but you expand my horizons, and show me things I’ve been blind to. Thank you.
As for a ‘drab’ blog — how about ‘basic’, ‘uncluttered’, ‘clean’ and ‘functional’? I never have any problem with your blog; it’s one of the few I don’t have to make adjustments to read.
I’ve taught myself to create my own websites, and they are nice ones, I think, to create them on notepad/wordpad using html code, edit them, make new pages, use css style sheets, and I’ve administered bulletin boards for years, and have learned all sorts of stuff just by plunging in and doing it.
That’s about 250% better than most of us do. You don’t need to waste one second on what ‘other people’ think. Your blog is yours — your space, your voice, your vision. You’re all about don’t compromise, and we like that; keep it up.
Posted by starwatcher | December 14, 2006, 11:12 pmI think this blog is elegant, and I love how the photographs and artwork is utilized. 🙂
There’s a lot of areas in our lives when we have to compromise. But blogs should be space to exercise your freedom of choice in what to write about and how to express yourself. When you are hip deep in the crap of corruption be it on a small-level or much larger, some times a blog can be therapy. 😉
I’ve been blogging on this officer-involved shooting and I can not believe the measures the city and department are apparently taking to cover it up. It creates a disgust that there are no words for. But there’s blogging.
Posted by Radfem | December 15, 2006, 7:41 amWell so far I haven’t seen any man-hating propoganda on this site, so I doubt you would be concidered Femenazi in the least, just as far as I’ve seen. I say you write a post about taking over the world, then you could rightfully claim the title of femenazi!
Posted by girlwrestler | December 21, 2006, 11:35 am