Knowledge of Bonsai Sponsored Blogs

PaulStokes

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the following message has been approved by BonsaiNut staff

The Internet has become a valuable tool for experienced bonsaists, for intermediate students, and for newcomers to the art. More often than not the newcomers and intermediate students greatly outnumber the experienced and the very experienced artists on Internet forums and web sites. The experienced artists are therefore often underrepresented because of the shear number of new comers and intermediate students or because they lack the knowledge or resources to create a viable web presence for themselves.

We at the Knowledge of Bonsai forum believe that every bonsai artist of high caliber should have a viable and easy to locate presence on the web on which to share their thoughts and knowledge in a professional, easy to manage and understand format.

With this belief in mind, we have created the Internet's first and only professional bonsaist blog community, where advanced artists can easily post to their own blog, without the hassle of creating or managing it. A blog is a publicly accessible personal journal which is typically updated on a regular basis. Blogs simplify and accelerate the publishing process.

The Knowledge of Bonsai blog community already hosts some of the most respected names in bonsai and is sure to become a hot spot of activity for those interested in the pursuit of knowledge and unfiltered content.

We hope you'll agree with us that this collection of advanced artist blogs is a unique and valuable tool. For a complete listing of all the artists currently in our blog community, please use this link.

http://www.knowledgeofbonsai.org/blogs.php
 

John Hill

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Paul,
This is a great idea, I know that I feel that on some of the forums I will reply to a post and it dies? It makes me feel that I am not liked and most do not want to reply. I can not figure it out. I just post from trail and error and maybe it is not the norm.
I think that a personal blog on a forum is spot on because I do not know how to blog. I have tried but don't know how to set it up with pics and such. There are so many different experiences out there that do not go with the books and such so a lot are not sure to post on forums or not, afraid to be claimed as an ediot. I have done some weird stuff in the past that have worked but to some may sound far fetched. So to read some of the more experienced artists trail and errors would be a GREAT welcome.
Thanks Paul for the info.

A Friend in bonsai
John
 
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So, what kind of qualifications does one need to get a sponsored blog?

I think such questions, out of respect for BonsaiNut, should be address through the PM or email functions.


Will
 

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I have 5 questions.

1. Do you have to register using your real/actual/legal name?

2. What does KOB blogs offer that all the dozens of other "real" blog site on the internet not offer?

3. Are KOB blogs moderated or censored?

4. If KOB goes off-line, what happens to the blog?

5. Are images stored on the KOB server, or on a seperate photo-sharing website?


There are alot of people on blogger.com and typepad (and many other blog sites) who specialize in bonsai. I believe Mr Pall has a blogger.com blog.
 
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1. Do you have to register using your real/actual/legal name? Yes, as always at KoB, the members there that do have blogs certainly don't mind.

2. What does KOB blogs offer that all the dozens of other "real" blog site on the Internet not offer? Let's see, a community of only bonsai bloggers hosted on a bonsai forum, and all the other advantages mentioned in the introduction. Do we need a secrete decoder ring to be a "real" blog site?

3. Are KOB blogs moderated or censored? Nope, see the disclaimer in the introduction.

4. If KOB goes off-line, what happens to the blog? Errr, same thing that happens if any host goes off-line.

5. Are images stored on the KOB server, or on a separate photo-sharing website? Paul will need to Field this question.


There are alot of people on blogger.com and typepad (and many other blog sites) who specialize in bonsai. I believe Mr Pall has a blogger.com blog. True and KoB has a lot of very good artists in their blog community now.


Before someone makes the statement that they wouldn't do this, KoB blogs are invitation only.


Will
 

Boondock

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Just a few follow-ups

Q. Is the purpose of this thread solely advertisment for KOB blogs?

Q. How long has KOB been on-line?

-------------------------

And I will answer a question. "Do we need a secrete decoder ring to be a "real" blog site?" No, what you need is to point your browser to one of many blog websites. Any person (without being invited by KOB) can register a name, and blog to their hearts content. When I asked the questions in my previous post, I thought that KOB was looking for people to blog on KOB. So my apology for my mis-informed line of questioning. I now understand, that the blogs are used to drive traffic to the forums at KOB. The idea of a blog is a good one. Nothing is better than seeing a tree going thru a step-by-step method of training. I love seeing a series of pictures over a couple of years. Another bonsai forum has a journal, but it's text only, but for any registered user.

I can't remember when KOB came on-line. I remember when it was new, I would stop in from time to time. But I have not visited in 6 months. I am so turned off by the user name policy that I will not even read the site. With all the thousands and thousands of internet forums, covering every topic imaginable. Why does KOB have to reinvent the wheel?

Here is an example. BonsaiNut came online sometime in late 2006. When I was linked to the site, I immediatly thought, that this was a sleek, and spiffy site. It is logically organized and had eye appeal and I planned to make it my new "home on the web".

This same thing happened last summer when I was linked to KOB. I thought "WOW, this looks good"

In less than 2 months of operation, BonsaiNut has half the members of KOB and many more visitors per day. I believe it is the user name policy for the most part. Look, there is nothing wrong with trying something new. Coke did it. They made a new product. And look where it got them. They knew immediatly that is was a mistake, and corrected the problem.

I think KOB is supposed to be like a "sister-site" to AOB. Well, it's turned out to be the "ugly step-sister" (to use a Cinderella analogy)
 
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Thank you for sharing your opinions.

You brought up many things about KoB in this thread which (and remember I didn't post it) I imagine was to announce the collection of blogs by very experienced artists, located in one easy to access place, certainly a resource that is not only unique, but educationally valuable for all bonsaists, no matter what forum they frequent the most.

Although I would hate this thread to be a debate on the merits (or lack of) of KoB, you made some statements that I feel needs to be addressed.

"Is the purpose of this thread solely advertisement for KOB blogs?"

It would appear so and it would also appear that Paul obtained permission from the administration here to do so.

"No, what you need is to point your browser to one of many blog websites. Any person (without being invited by KOB) can register a name, and blog to their hearts content."

While this is true and no one is debating this, KoB has managed to create a blog community consisting solely of very experienced bonsaist from all over the world(the editor blogs not withstanding). A collection of blogs on one subject (bonsai) in one place. Certainly you can see the advantage of this.

"I now understand, that the blogs are used to drive traffic to the forums at KOB."

No, the blogs are to have a place where fellow bonsaists can go to and see the blogs of many great artists, all in one spot. A person can go to these blogs and never have to go into the forum proper. In example all the artists featured there now have their own url such as http://www.knowledgeofbonsai.org/rob_kempinski which they advertise themselves. These links go directly to their blogs and not to the forum.

"I am so turned off by the user name policy that I will not even read the site."

So many have said. We find the user name policy promotes honest, polite, professional conversation and it will not be changed. That's the nice thing about freedom, no one is forcing anyone to join anywhere. What we have found is that most people still read, they just never join.

"With all the thousands and thousands of Internet forums, covering every topic imaginable. Why does KOB have to reinvent the wheel?"

I'm not sure where you get your numbers from, but there certainly are not thousands and thousands of bonsai forums out there. This is the same argument we heard with AoB, yes we reinvented the wheel there and it remains the only site of its kind out there. KoB was set up first as a knowledge base not as a forum for massive amounts of chatter. Take a minute and look under every article section and you'll see a thread in each called "other resources" where we link to articles on the subject from all over the web. Think about it, we may be the only forum who actively sends people to where other quality information is. I've been banned from a forum before for doing that.

Reinvent the wheel? Hardly, KoB has a niche as does AoB, IBC, and this fine forum we are on. The visitors will determine who succeeds, I think KoB is doing just fine, it attracts different people than bnut does. Remember, they said AoB wouldn't last a month over two years ago, now it is the only place where you can see so many galleries and profiles of the top names in bonsai in a single place. it is also still the only forum devoted to the artistic aspects of bonsai. And AoB has always had the user name policy you so hate.

But the real key is all forums getting along and supporting each other. I belong to many forums and help run two of them, I participate here also. Why, because this forum is different, as are the others I frequent. Jim Lewis at IBC is a great host and I enjoy my time there as well because, well IBC is different too.

There are many clones out there, I can say for a fact that KoB and AoB are anything but "clones" in fact, most criticism is because we are not the same, don't have the same policies, or are doing different things, like compiling experienced artists blogs all in one, easy to access, spot.

In less than 2 months of operation, BonsaiNut has half the members of KOB and many more visitors per day.

Yes, I personally invited a few of the visitors here myself.

Quality vs quanity, content vs babble, experienced members vs inexperienced, yadda, yadda, yadda, these are arguments I will not be drawn in to. Bonsainut is doing well, it will continue to do so, I like to think I am helping, in some small way also. I support bonsainut as do others from AoB and KoB that post here (four others I think) and I will continue to do so. There is plenty of room for more than one forum on the net, I seriously doubt that AoB or KoB (both non-profit, non-advertising, sites) is a threat to most forums out there, they reach a different crowd.

Again, forums should work together and support each other in the common cause of advancing the art, err, the knowledge, err okay, the practice of bonsai.

I think KOB is supposed to be like a "sister-site" to AOB. Well, it's turned out to be the "ugly step-sister" (to use a Cinderella analogy)

Well, darn, now we'll just have to close it down.


Will
 
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Boondock

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thank you for your reply.

I hope that you did not take my post as an attack. I was just asking questions about KOB blogs and expressing my opinion of KOB in general.

With all the thousands and thousands of Internet forums, covering every topic imaginable. Why does KOB have to reinvent the wheel?"

I'm not sure where you get your numbers from, but there certainly are not thousands and thousands of bonsai forums out there.


Actually I meant all internet forums. I am a member of over 40 presently, and I have visited many more. And my name is the same on every one. None require actual names. As a matter of fact, I only know three that do. I'm sure there are others however, I just have not encountered any.

"I am so turned off by the user name policy that I will not even read the site."

So many have said. We find the user name policy promotes honest, polite, professional conversation and it will not be changed. That's the nice thing about freedom, no one is forcing anyone to join anywhere. What we have found is that most people still read, they just never join.


I think it promotes people to click that little X in the upper right corner.

Again, thank you for helping me to understand
 
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darrellw

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Hi Will & Paul,

Just a little feedback on the design of that page. It took me a few visits to scroll down and actually see the links to the blogs, I was expecting them to perhaps be over where the "recent posts" list is.

But maybe I'm just too lazy!

-Darrell
 
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I hope that you did not take my post as an attack. I was just asking questions about KOB blogs and expressing my opinion of KOB in general.

Not at all, opinions are always welcome.

I guess there are many areas of KoB, some like http://www.knowledgeofbonsai.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=70 are more developed. One thing is certain, you can't please everyone, everywhere, all the time. Someone is always unhappy, lol. ;)


Will
 
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