Sunday, March 1, 2009

Change in Direction

Today marks the launch of a new blog maintained by the Association of Convictional Baptists (see here). Also, some of you may have noted my addition to the band of brothers at SBC Today, noted in a post titled "Change We Can Believe In" or something like that. Finally, although we know that every Southern Baptist pastor 40 and over, of course, tends to suffer with geriatric dementia and other ailments that make them of no importance to our future, those of my readers younger than 40 may remember that I indicated in December (see here) that I wished to make major changes in my manner of blogging. Today, those changes become a reality.

The Future of Praisegod Barebones

The format of this blog will remain the same. I will post posts. I will be very lenient in having your comments. The only thing that will change is the subject matter. I will be posting here regarding (a) things about me, (b) things about FBC Farmersville, (c) things about secular politics, (d) anything else that doesn't fit elsewhere. Praisegod Barebones is my personal blog and will continue to function in that manner.

A Partnership with SBC Today

As a member of the SBC Today "staff," I will be contributing at that site with articles and video items related to current events in the SBC and beyond from a genuinely Baptist point of view. I've contributed the occasional item over there in the past, and I already have a wonderful fraternal relationship with the SBC Today gentry, so I have nothing but optimism for our future partnership over there.

A Brand New Blog

Today I announce the launch of the Association of Convictional Baptists blog. This blog will embody the approach that I detailed in my December aspirations linked above. An introductory post is already up over there. I'll be posting something substantive in the next few days, followed at irregular intervals by other authors' posts.

The ACB blog employs a platform known as BlogEngine.NET. I hope that it presents a good user experience for everyone. It is an open-source blogging platform written in C#.NET, which is one of the programming languages in which I have attained proficiency. Thus, I've been able to tweak the BlogEngine.NET platform a bit to make it do what I like (and to shake out some of the bugginess that plagued it in its original incarnation). Because this platform doesn't have the same robust track record as WordPress or Blogger or Typepad or the like, I am interested in hearing whether it fails you in any way. Feel free to indicate any problems with the blog in the contact page.

As the opening post on the ACB site declares, I'm trying to design that blog as a blog built for readers. I'm guessing that blogs have lots of people reading who never post a comment. Rather than design the blog for the author's benefit or the benefit of those who comment, I'm trying to design the format of that blog with the reader in mind. I hope that you will be edified (and if it is compatible with being edified, pleased) with the results.

14 comments:

Bob Cleveland said...

Bart,

So far, the page won't load on my computer. I get one of those "doesn't exist" messages.

The link is showing "http://blog.convictionalbaptists.org/" ... is that correct?

Bart Barber said...

Bob,

That's the one. Hmmm. It ought to be working. It works from here. It sure would be embarrassing if it DIDN'T work. Would it impose upon you too much to ask you to try again?

Bob Cleveland said...

Bart,

Yes but I'll try anyway.

:)

Bob Cleveland said...

So now it works. I guess that means I can only see it on my laptop at the kitchen table (where I am now) and not on my desktop in the den.

Hope my desktop doesn't find out about this.

Groseys messages said...

Ahhh guys... it works at a distance... the further you are away from it the better it looks.
:)
Steve

CB Scott said...

The blog is ugly like your picture at TODAY. I have been deleted. I am hurt and feel unwanted and bad and mournful and without a friend in the world.

Gloom, despair and agony on me.

If it weren't for deleted I get no attention at all.

cb

Bart Barber said...

Thanks, folks. I'm glad to know that it now has a circulation that spans multiple continents! ;-)

I've received email notification that a couple of people have posted congratulatory comments over at the actual ACB site. Unfortunately, that post does not really lend itself to generating any comments that fit the comment rules on that blog. In other words, although "Great idea!" is an appreciated sentiment and a fine thing to say, it does not provide any new substance to the conversation. Comments that congratulate without making a further point will not be approved at that site (nor will those that condemn without making a further point).

Your accolades are greatly appreciated and warmly received on this site, however! ;-)

Bart Barber said...

CB,

All pictures of me are ugly. Talk to the Lord about it.

Scott Shaffer said...

I'm looking forward to some thought provoking posts. One week delay in comments? That's pretty tough for those of us who have a hard time controlling our tongue or shooting from the lip!

Ian D. Elsasser said...

Bart:

Readers may not be directed to the new blog because the hyperlink in your article is http://praisegodbarebones.blogspot.com/2009/03/blog.convictionalbaptists.org rather than http://blog.convictionalbaptists.org. Correcting it may resolve problems readers have accessing it through your link.

Bart Barber said...

Thanks, Ian! Actually, there were TWO links in the blog. The first was broken. The second was working.

Now they are both working. Thanks for the catch.

Bart Barber said...

Scott,

As I indicated, you can MAKE comments right away. They just won't APPEAR until a week has passed. So, you can still "shoot from the lip"; now you simply have the tremendous blessing of being able to take it back before anyone else knows.

Wayne Smith said...

Bart,

I did a plug for Bonham, Texas on the Historical side as I know you like History, does that count for commenting on you first release of comments? By the way I had to add Bonham to the spelling dictionary.

Wayne

From the Middle East said...

Brother Bart,

I will add the new one to my feed. I think the commenting rules are innovative and discussions will be excellent... but am interested to see how it all works out. Now you have a traveling reader!

Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East