New Reader FAQ
If you are a new reader of The Bluegrass Blog – and maybe to blogging in general – you may find answers to a lot of common questions here.
- What is a blog?
- How often is The Bluegrass Blog updated?
- Why are the newest posts on the top of the page?
- What are the Category links?
- What are Tags?
- What is The B?
- Do you provide RSS feeds?
- How do you define what is and isn’t bluegrass?
- Are comments allowed?
- Do I need to register to read The Bluegrass Blog?
Q: What exactly is a blog, and what is this site all about?
A: The word blog is actually short for “web blog,” with the two words combined as “blog.” This sort of web site started as a forum for personal journals but has evolved into a variety of themes and types. The Bluegrass Blog is designed as a news and information site with a wide array of useful data of interest to anyone who plays, studies, promotes or simply enjoys bluegrass music.
We have a number of posts that cover these questions in detail. Click here for links to these introductory posts.
Q: How often is The Bluegrass Blog updated?
A:
We will update daily, usually several times each day as news and information becomes available. If you log on regularly you can keep abreast of “what’s going on” in bluegrass music. Postings on the weekend and over holidays may be a bit lighter, and postings during major bluegrass events (like the IBMA convention) will be much higher.Q: Why are the newest posts on the top of the page and not in chronological order moving down the page?
A: This is the most common way in which web logs display new items, though many new blog readers have expressed some confusion when they first encounter it. It is done so that regular and returning visitors can immediately see new content instead of needing to scroll to the bottom for recently posted items.
Q: What are the Category links?
A: Each article posted on The Bluegrass Blog is also listed in one of more of our several news categories. If you click on the CATEGORY link near the top of each page, it will take you a list of categories in the left hand sidebar into which the posts are organized. If you click on a category name, you will see a list of all posts in that category.
If you are primarily interested in news about new CDs or bluegrass radio news, you could select one of those category listings and see only those posts. Likewise, if you were mostly interested in news about instructional or online resources relating to bluegrass music you could select one of those categories.You can bookmark the category links once you arrive at the display, making it more convenient to return and see the news of particular interest to you.
Q: What are Tags?
A: Tags are like shortcut links to other posts on The Bluegrass Blog that deal with the topic named by the tag. They are typically included just under the post title, one line beneath the post author and date. If you examine the image taken from a recent post below, you’ll see the tag line, with tags highlighted.
This particular post discussed a YouTube video that featured Jethro Burns performing a talking blues tribute to prominent mandolin players, joined on stage by Red Rector and Bill Monroe. Each of the tags shown (Bill Monroe, Jethro Burns, mandolin, Red Rector, YouTube) will link when clicked to all articles we have published which reference either Bill Monroe, Jethro Burns, mandolin, Red Rector or YouTube.
Following tags is a great way to quickly find other information on The Bluegrass Blog that may be of interest to you.
Q: What is The B?
A: The B is our reader-directed blog site on The Bluegrass Blog. Any registered user can submit articles for publication on The B. All submissions to The B are moderated prior to publication, but any that are bluegrass related will be approved.
This is a great place to promote your band, your festival, your radio show – or just tell a story that you think will be of interest to other readers. You might want to share your impressions of a new CD, or a concert performance you’ve just seen. Perhaps you want to vent about an issue facing bluegrass or acoustic music that is on your mind.
It’s all welcome on The B. It’s your site!
Q: Do you provide RSS feeds?
A: Yes. We have a feed that includes all the posts published on The Bluegrass Blog as well as a feed for each of the different categories.More information on RSS feeds and links to our feeds are here.
We also have a feed set up, pre-configured to show recent headlines, which can be displayed on your web site by inserting a few lines of code. Click here to learn more.
Q: How do you define what is and isn’t bluegrass?
A: In a nutshell, we don’t. Our treatment of the subject will be intentionally expansive, including news about artists who some bluegrass fans may feel are more focused on old time, folk, country, newgrass or another musical style other than “bluegrass,” strictly construed. It might be best to say that we will post news and information of interest to fans, students, players and purveyors of bluegrass and related musical styles rather than simply news about bluegrass music. We trust that our readers will be quickly able to discern which content is of interest to them and follow the links provided for additional information.
Q: Are comments allowed?
A: Yes! The Bluegrass Blog is conceived primarily as an informational resource, not a discussion forum, but we encourage our readers to share their thoughts about anything we post. To post comments, you must be a registered user with The Bluegrass Blog. There is no charge to register, and the process takes only a few minutes.
To comment, simply click the “COMMENT” link which appears in the navigation panel at the bottom of each post. Do the same to read any comments that have been added to a post.
Comments are not moderated as a rule, but each new poster’s first comment must be approved before it is displayed. After that first comment is approved, all subsequent comments will display immediately.
We only have one rule about comments, but it is strictly enforced.
No foul, obscene, scatological or profane language will be tolerated. If you aren’t sure whether a word is acceptable, it probably isn’t. Our belief is that if you are unable or unwilling to make your point without resorting to profanity, the point is probably lacking in merit to justify inclusion.
Comments that violate this rule will be edited or deleted at our discretion, and repeat violators will lose their commenting privileges.
Q: Do I need to register to read The Bluegrass Blog?
A: No. At this time, the only reason you would need to register is to add your comments to one of our posts, to submit posts for The B, or to vote in our annual IBMA Awards Poll. Registration is not required to read comments.
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