You weren't suppose to notice.

The first screen of the blog as I post this has:

1. A folk singer like post about the blog isn't as good as it used to be ;-)
2. Someone reporting on a fab sounding festival in France
3. A bit of reminiscing about a music club
4. Someone pointing out an interesting website
5. Someone suggesting a "Home service" for recommendations
6. Someone pointing out a bizarre newspaper article
7. A bit of a debate about the merits of Stax vs. Motown
8. Trivia test on Nick Lowe
9. Funny joke about hangovers
10. Link to the Grauniad pop quiz
11. Post about the rules for making mix tapes
12. Someone making contact for Cropredy
13. Someone recommending an unknown artist
14. A great thread about whether bands "roll" like they used to
15. A fun thread about popular but untrumpeted artists
16. A thread about great moments in films
17. A thread about unison vocal performances which I'd love to contribute to but can't think of a thing to say
18. A hilarious eBay auction
19. Some git moaning about the podcast being late
20. A thread about happy records

Honestly - you couldn't make that list up. What's not to like?

The RT mafia won't like this.
Actually it's not as bad now as it was when I joined 6 months ago. I find we do discuss a wide range of Topics here and i, for one, respect a lot of opinions on here. Though the bloke who said the best version of "Dark End Of the Street" was the RT/LT one had me reaching for my gun.
There are sacred cows on all blogs.You should see some of the Dylan Ones.
I've discovered great music ,films,books etc thanks to the people who post here and i've also discovered that i can take or leave Fairport Convention, leave for the most part.
Oh no they'll be after me now as well.

Now that you've had your moan about all the moaning old gits on here what is it of interest you have to offer. Spit it out now my man, spit it out. As Twangathon remarked what's not to like???
What music, topics would you like to be thrashed out??

We talk about loads of different stuff on here. We’re a broad church and a friendly, tolerant bunch. We’re interested in each other’s enthusiasms, even when we may not share them. And we have fun.

You want a music recommendation. I’m spending my pocket money this weekend on the new single by Solange, Beyonce’s sister. Because it’s ace and if I still had a satchel I’d be scrawling her name on it.

the best thing is to come up with an alternative thread and steer things in a more productive direction, if you feel that is necessary, rather than getting off on the wrong foot by being negative and having a dig at various unnamed individuals. New blood and fresh approaches are always welcome. Yes some of us do get tired of the repeated points about how no one can sing nowadays and music was better in the past, but generally I find these points argued and articulated really well, worth reading and usually expressed with humour and wit, and not so easy to dismiss. If you disagree then you can easily just make your own point.

are infamous for being repetitive. So when you put the two together. . . .

enjoy it all ... and still listening to new music for that perfect perfect album or another one to appear in my top ten.not so very boring ... and the old stuff ? perhaps i missed something ? or then again just a song i like for now or a laugh or .....

what the hell who knows !

Every single internet forum I've ever visited eventually has a post like this, the general gist of which is "it's not as good as it used to be". Yawn.

Well, it's nonsense. This forum is just as interesting as it ever was. A little bit of repetition is inevitable after a while, but so what? Just read the threads which take your fancy.

The Fairport Convention Fan and its related subspecies the Richard Thompson Fan, have long been prized for their distinctive russet beard hair (used in the doormat weaving industry) and also for their tender flesh which tastes of real ale.

The WORD forums were originally set up with the intention of providing a natural habitat for these persecuted animals, who at the time had been hunted almost to the point of extinction. Unfortunately the reservation has become a victim of its own success. With populations of both species spiralling to unmanageably high levels, the wardens realised that they could no longer rely upon old age and predators to thin-out the aging herd and so reluctantly ordered a selective cull.

As of March 2008, this blog remains the only reserve in the British Isles where Fairport Convention and Richard Thompson fans can be legally hunted under licence. These permits are granted on the conditions that only sick and weak members of the herd be targeted and that they are killed humanely by a spent bullet drilled in a hole in the back.

Even though I have already dispatched several of these living throwbacks to the cretaceous period of the music industry, I will freely admit that the inner majesty of their lumbering, dinosaur-like aspect has more than once caused my finger to waver momentarily on the trigger.

but do not consider myself elitist in any way. I agree that there is some repetition but it is actually very hard to avoid given the increase in postings to the site and the substantially greater number of contributors. Surely both of these points are testimony to the success of the site? The great attraction for me is that you never know what debate will come up next and if anything the difficulty these days is that there is so much contribution it is much easier to overlook something that you would really like to involve yourself in.
Personally I dont know of any other site that is as much fun - if you ignore the stuff of no interest to you,there will still be plenty to immerse yourself in.

I think the blog is in great shape.
I admit that I have posted some absolute tosh here in my time.
The hangover ratings for instance, no thought went into that, it wasn't there to provoke a debate just a laugh I hoped.
There's enough room here for Richard Thompson and Richard Madeley if we so wish.

It's your fault then. We will soundly hit you about the head with a rolled up copy of Sounds and leave it at that.

It's easy to get sidetracked when you are among like-minded loonies. However good or bad the topic, it will inevitably drop off the page to be replaced by some other pearls of wisdom. For every Dad's Army there are several 'Ello 'Ello.

For newcomers, there are posting guidlines here

http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/faq

Particularly:
- keep things clean (like Brian Clough said: no swearing, gentlemen, please), friendly, and polite.
- any comment you make can easily be taken the wrong way. If in doubt, leave it out.
- if you do offend someone, apologise.

recently posted to guide us on a more enlightened path?

dipping of the toe into uncharted waters is always the most scariest. Everybody needs time to find their place in The Word Love-In.

Are 2 different things.

The mag is editted and presented to appeal and to be bought by as many as its demographic (whatever that may be) as possible. It's interesting, witty, informed and at this point in time the best of bunch, if that bunch is said to include Uncut, Mojo etc.

The blog is another thing entirely and operates of its own will. It's uneditted, it's parochial, it's repetitive, it's frivolous, it's irreverent, it's endlessly diverting, it's inclusive.

It's immense fun to read and contribute to. It may be driven by Word's content but it's its own beast. To judge or compare it to the mag is irrelevant. It's a blog. Therefore it will be all those things that can irritate or amuse as blogs do.

I don't see any point in getting unduly huffy about it.

because for every Grandad Crowther like me, there is someone extolling the virtues of Bunghole Carrotcake or whoever the latest thang happens to be.

Long may it run...

You may actually have a point about repetition. Yes I think we all know who likes who, but isn't that the point. Half the fun of this site (IMHO) is the fact that people NEVER SHUT UP rabbiting on about the artists/things that rock their world. "Over and Over again" to use your words.

And they keep telling us (to use Status Quo), "Again and Again"!. Maybe it is like the NME in the 70's or 80's but hey....if you are here, you are the boys and girls who never want to grow up. Its Neverland for the Big Kids.

If you don't like it you just give it a miss. There IS other stuff to read or digest. OK mine might not be much cop, for that Mr Squire I apologise but I hope you understand I just don't have the time to sit down and compose the ditties that you rail against. If I did I'd more likely be standing up and saying guilty Mr Squire, Your Honour.
So I confine myself to short little ditties that might be funny ( to me anyway) or interesting.

I think you should lighten up, there is enough bad karma around without having a go at generally nice people spouting on about their favourite acts. Even if these are Richard T, Fairport, The Band, Dylan, Yes, Gilbert O'Sullivan (you know who you are) etc.

The joy of ever meeting these characters will be in taking the piss, not having a go.

So I would say have a nice weekend a lighten up. And I promise to always hit the search button and never to repeat myself again.And I promise to always hit the search button and never to repeat myself again. Oh shit.

Yours in musical differences,

The one they call Springer. (Only because he told so many stories I might add.)

The consensus seems to be that repetition is OK and the site and the magazine really don't relate on a certain level. (That level being if you keep belting out the usual sacred cows some cow shit is bound to stick).

I'm not trying to be huffy but editorial common-sense should apply. You wouldn't mind but many of you work in the media so you should know better.

I mean come on some posts here smack at "look at me Mr H. Aren't I a good writer". Seriously! Send in a CV and do us a favour.

I agree with Springer...and intead of criticising why dont you inspire us with your own threads and contributions...as Mr Springteen says "You cant tell people [what to think or do], You gotta show em"....

I'm a fantastic writer and I should have a byline in the mag.

But I'm not and I won't. I'm very much the enthusiastic amateur and that's how it will stay. I'm repeating myself here, but I don't particularly care. It's a blog. It's populated by an ungoverned, disparate, ever-changing group of strangers with no set editorial remit or agenda. It is bound to be unrelentingly samey and unstoppably trivial. The only way it won't be would be to govern it. That is edit it and set some scope. Therefore for it to become another publication.

To get hacked off with a group of people you have no knowledge of or control over and berate them for not being as interesting as you think they should be is an odd way to spend a weekend. Have a lovely one anyway! I'm going to write 'Blue Oyster Cult' on my pencil case.

I do realise I was trying a bit too hard to grab the attention of Mr Hepworth with my stupendous hangover ratings post.
I have already given notice at work in readiness for my upcoming Word post.

doing this is my first experience, after all these years, of putting some comments out there in the public domain on any subject, let alone pop music. And yet inspite of my late discovered, clear talent and suitability for being a writer on the subject those bastards have never once mentioned my comments in a podcast or published anything I've written here on the letters page. They'll pay for it one day though, just you wait.

OK Hepworth, admit it, you are The Squire and are just winding up the group before buggering off on holidays! Look at the facts, 1 blog entry, joined 1 hour before posting it, probably packing for France with a big grin thinking about us thrashing about. Charming.

and if I didn't I would go and find something I did like.

I'm sorry you've all taken offence. I actually do like the Blog contrary to what other posters might think. Maybe I should lighten up on this but then again, so should you all.

However I do think my main point is still valid and correct. If all I've done is made you think about what you post then I think my job here is done.

I am not Mr H nor do I work for Development Hell. Any likeness to them is entirely accidental.

For now I bid you adieu!

I don't recognise The Squire's description at all. Although I passed the stereotype test with flying colours (40something male who buys cds and longs for TOTP etc...) I don't have a particular liking for Richard Thompson and positivey dislike Fairport Convention (I'd rather go to a Cliff Convention). My one sadness about the blog is that I don't have time to keep up with it all as there is so much interesting and diverse stuff on here. So guys keep it up, keep me entertained and I'll try to chip in when I can.

NME letters pages of yore were pretty good a lot of the time. Better perhaps than the 'legendary' black type at Smash hits. Fighting Talk?

Bob Dylan, Prog Rock, Pentangle, Eric Clapton and I think the Beatles are overated - BUT I still love the Word Blog!

There's always something of interest and I enjoy spleen venting and enthusing over music and of course - making lists!

I would just say to The Squire that surely if you are moved to write and complain about the content then people might take you more seriously if you had actually contributed something mind-blowing, witty, interesting, informative or different to the Blog?

I've emigrated here from another music message board which is on the verge of closing, but which was also the sort of place where you could get the same sort of civilised and friendly music debate. But there are several things I don't like about the Blog format:
a) there's no easily accessible index so it's easier for me to start a new blog on, say, Bob Dylan, than look to see if there's an existing discussion
b) The hot topics over the last 7 days/4 weeks is useful but it's easy to miss a discussion which is less popular but still potentially of interest
c) There's no breakdown of topics, for example the blogs could be put into categories such as "Word Announcements" "Bands/Artists" "TV" "Music Formats" etc so that I could go straight to the discussions that interest me.

There are plenty of others, that just make it less "user friendly" than a traditional message board. It's not as if it's difficult to set one up - there is plenty of excellent message board software around (e.g. vBulletin)

Anyway, there's my 2p worth