2008 - Beginning with a Blah
2007 slowed and strengthened us at nonoscience. It also called for some solutions and dissolutions, which we present here as resolutions for the future.
1: Stop ranting or blah-blahing. The collective frustrations of human life is a fountainhead for a quick blog and (un)healthy traffic. But that is exactly why blogging has its negative reputation.
2: Don’t be discouraged by the lack of useful comments and discussions. Cyber-India is yet to mature for Science discussions.
3: Believe in intelligent readership. It is tough to bring out Science comprehensible to all readers. You can keep changing your style and stuff to accede to “critics” and feel like James Bond’s martini or get frustrated and stop blogging on science. Or you can assume intelligent readership and keep writing Science and enjoy it, irrespective of the outcome.
4: Write more original content. If you believe in and enjoy the life full of fresh understanding, this resolution follows. A blog or a post solely made out of copy paste is a collection of bookmarks.
5: Limit non-science stuff at the “science” blog. Nothing wrong with other stuff; do it elsewhere and elsehwere.
6: Increase quality. Decrease quantity. As quality of content improves, readers cannot read heavy stuff everyday. Frequency of posting can decrease. This will cause readership to either increase or stay the same.
7: Try out ramifications of science communication including inviting guest writers, podcasts and videos, book reviews, reporting on conference and seminar talks.
8: Avoid indulging at the blog in luring distractions like popularity contest, counters, technorati authority, blogroll, mybloglog and the rest of the jingle jangles. They are potential health risks (causes one to eat more potato chips in agony) and distract you and the readers. [having said that you can follow me now in twitter or facebook to get distracted]
9: From today, we announce five of the upcoming posts and publication date in the sidebar (feed readers take a note). This disciplines us (Lakshmi and me) and offers a magazine-style regularity for the readers. We plan to update the blog each Monday and, if possible, also on the ensuing Thursday.
The upcoming posts are
1) A Walk Down Hubbert’s Peak - on Jan 2, 2008
2) More Heat Transfer from Elephant Ears - on Jan 7, 2008
3) Stone age Scientists - on Jan 14, 2008
4) Pipe Turbulence - on Jan 17, 2008
5) Q Writing on Your Forehead - on Jan 21, 2008
10: Keep all of the above resolutions. If you don’t listen to you, no one else need to.
A Happy New Year 2008 to all our Readers.
End Note: James Bond martini effect in the picture courtesy our four year old
Filed under: Personal
Arunn
Arul
Niket
Lakshmi
Nice. Best wishes for another year of thoughtful and interesting blogging by you both.
[...] out there who lurk and lurch.My resolution? Here.Our collective familial blog-resolution? Here. Post a [...]
Such a sensible list of resolutions! If you keep your promises, I promise to quit lurking and be more vocal here. (Vocal? Please substitute correct word.) Have a wonderful 2008.
@Bhuvana : thanks for the nice wishes.
@enjay: thanks for the wishes. let’s remain pragmatic. wait for a month and decide.
Pix is true Bond style: shaken but not stirred.
Cheers to your wishes.
[...] I have come across an excellent blog called nOnoscience, and the authors have posted a fine set of resolutions for a good blogger. I won’t reproduce the list here - you should go read their blog! You will surely find [...]
maami:
Yes, the shaken picture stirred the martini in me. Thanks for your cheers.
Cheers,
Arunn
I am wondering if my own blog is qualified to be considered a science blog. Probably not. The set of do’s and don’ts is impressive. Especially the one on original content and discontent.
Rambodoc
Science blog or not, I think yours is an insightful and cheerful blog - precious AND rare (unlike Dennis the Menace).
Having said that, if you would like to write more on the medical (science) front, you are welcome to do so here.
The set of do’s and don’ts are the expurgated (bowdlerized?) version of “insights” gleaned from blogging mostly on science for about two years. In listing them, we (Lakshmi and me) would like to err on the side of optimism to continue with our happy life.
Belated wishes..
Wish to see more visuals based on Tufte’s principles that enhances the post. Also I strongly believe that he really did not have the proof that fits in the small margin.
Thanks for the wishes Karthi. Given the sheer length of the accepted version of the proof, I would agree with you about that one in the margin.
If not apparent, in subtler level most of the graphs and visuals here sould reflect Tufte’s principles.
“Science blog or not, I think yours is an insightful and cheerful blog - precious AND rare (unlike Dennis the Menace).
Having said that, if you would like to write more on the medical (science) front, you are welcome to do so here.”
Thanks for the honor and the offer.
(Blush) Tush, Arunn!
As I tell the girls, anytime you are ready, babe!