Monday Meta Madness

In part because we have some new Admins on board I’d like to discuss scheduling a bit.

I strongly believe in appointment blogging.  Just like TV I think people tune in at specific times to catch their favorite authors and chat.  Of course, like a DVR, the content is always there so you can interact at your convenience and carry on extended conversations.

Still, there’s nothing sadder than pounding your refresh button and finding nothing new.

At DocuDharma we have 14 regular Front Page posts per day.

• 6 am Robyn’s Muse in the Morning
• 7:30 am mishima’s Docudharma Times

At 9, 10, 11, and noon I do Front Page promotions from member content.  I generally pick them between 3 am and 8 am so if you want your subject featured in the morning it’s best to post your essay previous to midnight the day before you wish it to appear (especially if the subject is time sensitive).

• 1 pm buhdy’s Open Thread
• 2 pm buhdy’s Editorial
• 4 pm my Afternoon Edition

At 6, 8, 10, and midnight buhdy does Front Page Promotions of member content.

• 3 am mishima’s Late Night Karaoke

So as a reader of this blog that’s what you can expect when you click in, along with whatever our members contribute whenever their muse smacks them upside the head.

Now as a Guest Blogger, Contributing Editor, or Admin the expectations are somewhat different.

You have the ability to post directly to the Front Page or promote someone else.

Our strong custom is to allow each author at least an hour of prominence at the top of the Front Page so in practice if you wish to post directly the available slots are 3 pm (actually highly desirable lunch time on the left coast), 5, 7, 9 (dinner time left coast), and 11 pm (Jay Leno likes this spot).

In practice most of our contributors post on the right in the Recent Essays list just like any regular member and allow buhdy and I to promote their pieces at an appropriate time or not.  And I think I can say that I’m not generally a Front Page hog though I’m not afraid to create content if I consider it necessary.

Slackers.

But there is another method of regulation that has fallen into disuse that I’d like to remind people about which is our Admin Site.

Yup, it’s “secret”.

As in because if you’re not a Guest Blogger, Contributing Editor, or Admin you won’t get access to anything but the public areas because I’m good like that and it’s easy enough to do if you’re not a total UGOG Moran.

And we do use it to plot and scheme…

About DocuDharma.

It’s used for general Meta, Money, and Discipline; but primarily for Scheduling.

Each week I’m supposed to post daily blank schedules so that each Guest Blogger, Contributing Editor, or Admin can designate the times they’re interested in reserving the Front Page or which Essays they want to promote and when; and for 2 years straight I maintained it and religiously posted each morning’s schedule of promotions.

Crickets.  It’s buhdy and me and because we so often agree that we hardly ever need to communicate (only once ever on the phone) sagebrush rolls through the streets of ghost town.

I abandoned it in October because I’m lazy.

Mea culpa.  Mea maxima culpa.

Starting today because Robyn said she reads it I’m firing it up again.

And if you have access take all the screenshots you want.  I’m not ashamed of a single word all of which since the founding are preserved, but it is a bannable offense to betray that confidence.  It is a private forum and I intend to keep it that way.

I’m personally much more comfortable conducting my business in public without pretense and I usually do, much to the boredom of others.

Transparency you know.

Missing Members-

• Christian Avard
• clammyc
• Sidof79
• thereisnospoon
• Valtin
• Edger

Out of the goodness of my heart I’ll not list the 16 culls.  Too late.

Next week I’ll talk about discipline, which I know is the topic that gets people all hot and bothered.

Better bring protection.