Rude about Left wing blogs..... The only one worth reading is..oops forgotten which one it was!.
What you forget Bob is the blogs are a reflection of the times,so go on, dont be a spoilsport............. it couldnt be perhaps that you know that a Labour blog has no chance of winning period.

It's brilliant when someone comes to read your blog and then says there is only one worth reading!

However, your memory must be as 'distracted' as the old bat of Finchley herself if you can't retain the name for even a few seconds.

Also, you clearly haven't got a clue what you are talking about. I strongly suspect a 'left' blogger will finish top (or win, if that's what you want to call it) of the top 100 left bloggers list.

Muppet!

Is this like the Pistols refusing to play Top of The Pops ?

You really are rather unpleasant are'nt you...
You may have a point in the fact that votes are being split into categories for blog awards, but theres no need to be so damned rude. Thats not how understood it. I was sent a e mail asking to vote for my top 10 (Dont worry, You weren't in it, hadnt heard of your insignificant blog before.)

As regards to manners, First you call me a muppet, then you refer to Mrs Thatcher in an extremely disparaging manner. Rather nasty in fact. You can take your blog and stick it. I dont need abuse from someone like you
Enjoy a decade or two in opposition, itll humble you a bit no doubt..

Actually, I think you will find I made disparaging remarks about the old witch before I called you a muppet.

Just for accuracy.

Maggie Thatcher Fan:

"You really are rather unpleasant are'nt you..."

Yes...........He is! :O)

But it's bloody useful being able to post his rants across the blogosphere as an example of how Labour react to dissent. LOL

Nice to see you back, David... or do I have to call you Silent.

Either suits me B O B!

Is that the hand of friendship being proferred perchance? ;O)

Ah!..........if only you were sincere about that.

I take it that you've calmed down since our last little spat?

Aww. C'mon Bob. Yes Mrs. Dale can some times be disparaging about left-wing blogs. Not to put too fine a point upon it, I suspect your own praise of right-wing blogs has been rather thin on the ground as well. That's no reason not to take part surely? At the moment right wing blogs seem to be more in favour with the general public (I wonder why that should be?), however, in a few years time who knows if that will still be the case? To declare "I'm not playing because the other side are more popular" just sounds like bad sportsmanship.
Or on the other hand, perhaps you lefties are just 'Frit'?

I may have been critical of right-wing blogs Mr Jolly (now, that's a proper blog tag - not like the pretentious tit calling himself 'Silent Hunter') but if I had I would hardly expect them to help me compile a list.

It isn't about right-wing blogs being more popular. I accept that. It's so much easier to be critical in opposition - particularly when the Government is as inept as the current one. I've no idea what we could be 'frit' of though, that just sounded like a playground jibe when the withered old bag said it, and it doesn't sound any more grown up now.

Maggie Thatcher's Fanny and Silent Hunter -

Unpleasant? You ain't seen nothin' yet!!!

I don't see why Iain Dale compiling this list makes any difference. If the left-wing blogs want to throw in the towel then fair enough, but surely it's best for everyone if we get the most accurate reflection possible the strength of respective blogospheres?

I understand where you & LC are coming from Bob but I'm not sure it's the wisest approach (and not because you kindly suggested a vote for me or because of my loose association with Mr D).

The main argument here is that Iain's list / book is the only game in town, however flawed. Yes we could all probably write the eventual top 10 now (1. Guido 2. Iain etc.) but that's the logic of those you might have met on the doorstep 20 years ago asking the point in voting Labour, the result was a foregone conclusion so why bother?

If blogs like yours and LC (I've urged Sunny along the same lines elsewhere this morning) decided to 'flame' these lists, get passionate about it and urge readers to vote then you could redress the balance a bit in favour of some of the excellent blogs from the left that get too little attention (Tom F, Bill, Hopi, Don P etc.) not to mention some of the more moderate and less swivel-eyed on the right.

Granted the top 10 might not change that much but the overall 100 could shift significantly. Then, when the book & list get the profile it inevitably will more & more people will check out these other blogs and audiences will grow - it's an organic thing but it won't take off without a push from those already in the game....

And yes I agree that Iain hasn't been entirely fair to blogs on the left - don't think that changes the thrust of this though....

LFaT, it isn't a question of throwing the towel in. Like a lot of people here you are misreading this. My blog featured fairly highly in Iain's list last year and the year before (top 5 of left bloggers I think) so its not sour grapes.

Liam, together with a few other people, last year I spent a fair bit of time assisting Iain with the book. I wrote one of the introductions, and spent ages poring over a convoluted spreadsheet of shortlisted blogs helping to mark them. And I think we came up with a pretty good list of left-ish bloggers.

Only to find Iain on a few occasions since dismissing those blogs as 'rubbish', which frankly, I found bloody offensive because there were some damned good bloggers on that list.

So, I'm not urging a boycott, and I did plug the poll... I'm just explaining why I won't bother this year.

In relation to Liberal Conspiracy, I wonder how many of its readers it takes to change a light bulb?

I thought that this was a good take on blog-rankings a while ago:

http://stumblingandmumbling.typepad.com/stumbling_and_mumbling/2007/09/against-web-ran.html

.. not just because it gave mine a mench, either...