Folks –
You may recall last week, I proposed addendum to Eric Raymond’s Anti-Idiotarian Manifesto which was focused on the idea that we should be practical about what it is we, as weblog authors and readers, can actually accomplish to make the world a better place.
Well, come Monday, I’m going to “put my blog where my mouth is”, so to speak, and launch a new weblog project here at TTLB called The Weblog Action Center.
The idea is to provide a forum for folks to share information and opinions on what actions people can take to make the world a better place. Actions can be anything, as long as they are legal: an argument for why to vote for a certain candidate or ballot measure; a request for donations to a charity or cause you feel worthy; a suggestion to write letters to Congress in support of a pending bill.
The idea, in short, is to provide a focal point for weblog writing that strives to bridge the gap between words on a monitor and actions in the real world.
The site will be set up as a massively collaborative weblog, in the same style as Blogcritics, the successful arts and entertainment review site. Folks will post their entries at the Weblog Action site and, if they choose, can also post the same entries back at their own weblogs.
The public launch is most likely going to be this coming Monday, and I’m interested in getting as many posts up in advance before then as possible. In particular, I’m very interested in collecting as many posts as possible that will help folks make intelligent decisions in the coming election.
So think about it: posted a commentary on a politician lately? Have a favorite NGO or charity you think deserves support? Ballot measure coming up that you think must be defeated at all costs? Or is there just some other burning issue you want folks to take action on?
If the answer is ‘yes’ to any of these and you’re interested in broadening your audience, drop me a line, and I’ll set you up with a posting account and send instructions on how to get started. As with Blogcritics, contributors will get a nice free permalink on the Weblog Action Center home page.
I hope you’ll join in, and thanks for the support…