Coffee break
I've been hanging around Internet bulletin boards for the past four or five years or so, and the only offsite encounter I've had with any of the people I met is an ongoing e-mail exchange with a fellow journalist out in Oklahoma.
Until last week, that is, when I got to hang at a local Starbucks with scottishracer9, proprietor of the The Unofficial Everybody's NASCAR Nextel Cup Blog over at AOL. All meetings with people you know from the Internet should go so well.
Four observations:
1. Yes, he's Scottish. By birth -- he has lived in the 'Boro longer than I have, though, and I've been here 10 years.
2. No, he wasn't wearing a kilt.
3. Yes, he's probably beat me down for even suggesting it.
4. And, yeah, he knows him some NASCAR. Me, I just watch a lot of races and talk 3-4 times a day with the N&R's NASCAR writer. (It's my job, after all.) The Scotsman, he actually knows real-life NASCAR people and has more than a passing familiarity with how cars and engines actually work.
I'd like to say we came up with a plan to slay the five-headed monster of the NASCAR blogging world. Sadly, though, we just sucked down our Mega Mochas and talked shop, which was a fine way to spend a Thursday morning.
If you're not reading the Scotsman, you ought. He's got pictures, too.
Comments (4)
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That "five headed monster" seems to sprout a new head each week lately. The "infield" has 7-8 heads that I have noted. Maybe the name should be changed to "Medusa's Infield."
But to be honest it is an improvement. To have actual writers vice "spleen venters" and flingers of invective is a refreshing change.
And the comment sections have been cleaned up also as an added bonus. But how long will it last is the question. Judging from the number of comments in all the threads over there since the change traffic has gone way down.
Not a good thing for the advertisers, but then the four letter word laced diatribes weren't either.
Posted on September 12, 2005 3:55 PM
I have to give KRT props for opening up their blog pages to writers who are fans (and in one case a pit crew guy) and not just some media type.
But I was stunned that KRT seemed to exercise little to no control over its bloggers, much less the commenters. It's bad enough that the writers sometimes get loose in the corners, blog-wise. But the commenters were downright nasty. And don't get me started on their abuse of the conventions of spelling and grammar. ... The blog is a reflection of who runs in, and it's poor form to let people trash the place on your server's dime.
That's a roundabout way of saying that I appreciate the people who post here. Y'all make my job easier in that you don't cuss, you can spell and you know what that period thingee at the bottom of the keyboard does. And y'all have something to say. Keep it up.
Posted on September 12, 2005 4:15 PM
Hey John, how about letting us have a guest post every once in a while? I think that would be a neat twist.
Posted on September 12, 2005 6:21 PM
John:
In keeping with your theme a view posts ago about books and where are the northern drivers, here's a link to a book on Dave Dion, who won the BGN race.
www.thevintageracer.com/dion
Posted on September 12, 2005 10:01 PM