Just about ready. In fact, the first posts should be up later today.
Here!
Unfortunately, I haven't heard from Dwight since his computer meltdown last week, and he was working on at least three of the categories. However, as we tend to put out a few posts at a time, I imagine all will be worked out as we get to those down-the-harddrive-rabbithole posts.
The response this year was astounding. After transferring the various comment sections into MS Word, we ended up with 338 pages of comments. That, on top of a few hundred emails.
I imagine that with all these nominations to sift through, I'll make a mistake or two (three? ten?), putting people in the wrong categories, leaving them out altogether. If this should happen, please let me know (email is best) and I'll fix it as quickly as possible.
We're asking again for financial support, namely because we found out last week that our single paying consulting gig has been postponed due to the death of one of the parties. While this is obviously tragic for the family, it also means it's fish-cut-bait for us in determining whether we pay the ISP costs ($264.86) or fill the oil tank with what's left in our checking account. Seriously, it's down to that until we can drum up more business or start flipping burgers. We have until Monday to make that decision, and if it's the latter, Wampum closes down. The PayPal contribution link is at the top of the page, and thanks to all in advance who click through it.
Update 1/6/05: Due to Dwight's computer meltdown, there's a relatively good chance that he lost many of the nominating emails. Thus, if you sent Dwight an email linking to a particular post or blog you didn't see mentioned in any of the comments sections, please resend the email to me at wampum-at-maine.rr.com.
Posted by MB Williams at January 9, 2005 11:46 PM | TrackBackSomething's seriously wrong with the labor economy if people like MBW and/or EBW must even contemplate flipping burgers. What happened?
Posted by: Peatey at January 5, 2005 11:51 AMThe meltdown of the tech sector. Outsourcing. The transfer of those few remaining tech jobs to the military-industrial complex, thus requiring security clearance. ICANN's accrediting hundreds of new domain registrars, flooding the market. Willingness of bloggers and other website hosts to use cheap pro-Republican registrars such as Go-Daddy, over more expensive Progressive registrars.
Add to that the desire to remain in Maine for the sake of our autistic children, as the few states which still have tech jobs (California, Virginia) suck in the delivery of services to autistic families.
Posted by: MB at January 5, 2005 11:58 AMWell, the Operating System market died when Microsoft and Intel pushed monopoly past the tipping point. That had profound consequences, mostly adverse.
High performance computing died when the Cold War ended, since there isn't a lot of money in climate modeling or epidemiology or computational molecular biology.
The "web is the new paradym" sucked all the money out of tech and into telco buildouts and bad speculative plays, and flooded the tech sector with people underqualified to be realators.
Militarism is a more hermetic culture now than when Joe McCarthy was in power.
Most bloggers use either a monopoly (Network solutions) or a Xtian Fundie dimes-over-cost to get domain names, and use "free" (ad based) hosting service.
Did I mention monopoly in the telecoms sector? Yup. The day the FCC in a 3-to-2 killed Universal Service, just weeks ago.
On the bright side, over a hundred people in Maine put their names on a petition in the second decade of 1800s, against the Cherokee Removal. Even today we know their names. We're not going to get rich, or even keep our home, but the triumph of fascism in the United States doesn't change us. We're Indians.
Posted by: Eric at January 5, 2005 12:20 PMOy.
Some of my friends really like govt contracts and grants (relatively small ones). But you've probably already considred leeching from the death star...
Posted by: Peatey at January 5, 2005 05:40 PMLet me know what it would cost to register schatzie.com with a progressive registrar for five years. I am about to renew and would prefer to not renew with Network Solutions this time.
Posted by: River at January 6, 2005 02:58 AMhey wampum crew, i just kicked in ten bucks for your bandwidth costs. i know it's not much, but hopefully others will do the same and get your costs covered. it was the least i could do considering all the hard work you folks put into this blog. thank you for doing it and keep up the good work!
Posted by: anna at January 6, 2005 01:10 PMOkay, well, I guess I got outvoted regarding the splitting of the "Best Blog" category. But can we PLEASE at least call it something less condescending and cheap-sounding than "Best Blog by a Non-Professional"?
How about "Best Sponsored Blog" instead of the "pro" category?
And instead of the "non-professional" category, maybe:
"Best Individual Blog"?
"Best Independent [or 'Indie'] Blog"?
"Best Unsponsored Blog"?
"Best Unaffiliated Blog"?
ANYTHING but "non-professional," which is an insult to the polish and professionalism of all of your fine nominees.
Posted by: Thad at January 6, 2005 05:04 PMhow do we vote? In the comment section under each catagory?
Posted by: Alice Marshall at January 7, 2005 12:19 PMYes, Alice, or via email to me at wampum-at-maine.rr.com.
Posted by: MB at January 7, 2005 12:21 PMActually, independent blog sounds pretty good, JMO.
Posted by: julia at January 7, 2005 11:03 PMWhat happened to the "deserving of more attention" (or whatever it was called, I don't remember exactly) category? Just curious...
Posted by: Robert Schumacher at January 8, 2005 12:47 AMMost Deserving of Wider Recognition
That was the category I was looking for.
Posted by: Robert Schumacher at January 8, 2005 12:49 AMMore categories are coming - we only put out a few at a time, so people have time to read through all the great sites they might have missed over the year.
Posted by: MB at January 8, 2005 07:04 AMGotcha!
Posted by: Robert Schumacher at January 8, 2005 07:57 PMI hope someone nominated georgia10 for something.
I was unfamiliar with the great universe of liberal blogs so did not do it myself.