Comments on: Thoughts on aggregators / planets http://strugglers.net/~andy/blog/2008/04/27/thoughts-on-aggregators-planets/ I'll get there one day. Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:38:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.4-bleeding By: Andy http://strugglers.net/~andy/blog/2008/04/27/thoughts-on-aggregators-planets/#comment-51944 Andy Mon, 28 Apr 2008 16:48:24 +0000 http://strugglers.net/~andy/blog/?p=177#comment-51944 Roger: yes, I may even enjoy it more. Roger: yes, I may even enjoy it more.

]]> By: Tony Whitmore http://strugglers.net/~andy/blog/2008/04/27/thoughts-on-aggregators-planets/#comment-51907 Tony Whitmore Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:21:15 +0000 http://strugglers.net/~andy/blog/?p=177#comment-51907 Some planets explicitly set out to represent the community. HantsLUG's planet does this for example. I'm happy to see random witterings on there, although I suppose we might have to do something about explicit material. Not really thought that one through. On the other hand, I can see why a planet might just want to syndicate on a particular subject, particularly if it's not related to a specific community and just wants to collate relevant information. I've heard readers of some planets say they stopped reading because of too much off-topic noise on planets. Personally I have been on at least one planet which wanted to take a specific topic, so I was happy to just add relevant posts to a category. Hell, I did it for my cats, so why not other things. I don't think it's undue editoral control, after all it's their website, they get to chose what goes on there and what doesn't. If I can contribute to it and it's no skin off my nose to do so then why not? Some planets explicitly set out to represent the community. HantsLUG’s planet does this for example. I’m happy to see random witterings on there, although I suppose we might have to do something about explicit material. Not really thought that one through.

On the other hand, I can see why a planet might just want to syndicate on a particular subject, particularly if it’s not related to a specific community and just wants to collate relevant information. I’ve heard readers of some planets say they stopped reading because of too much off-topic noise on planets.

Personally I have been on at least one planet which wanted to take a specific topic, so I was happy to just add relevant posts to a category. Hell, I did it for my cats, so why not other things. I don’t think it’s undue editoral control, after all it’s their website, they get to chose what goes on there and what doesn’t. If I can contribute to it and it’s no skin off my nose to do so then why not?

]]> By: Roger / oojah http://strugglers.net/~andy/blog/2008/04/27/thoughts-on-aggregators-planets/#comment-51880 Roger / oojah Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:03:26 +0000 http://strugglers.net/~andy/blog/?p=177#comment-51880 It depends... I'm all for people writing about unrelated topics, but there is of course a limit. At some point the usefulness of the planet suffers - if only one post in twenty on, say, planet.debian.net was related to debian would you still read it? It depends… I’m all for people writing about unrelated topics, but there is of course a limit. At some point the usefulness of the planet suffers - if only one post in twenty on, say, planet.debian.net was related to debian would you still read it?

]]> By: mrben http://strugglers.net/~andy/blog/2008/04/27/thoughts-on-aggregators-planets/#comment-51879 mrben Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:59:03 +0000 http://strugglers.net/~andy/blog/?p=177#comment-51879 See also http://www.jedimoose.org/index.php/archives/2007/06/15/galaxy-galaxy/ I think it depends on the nature of the planet - there tend to be 2 types of planet (IME): - Planets that intend to inform people about a particular project by virtue of providing input from multiple developers - Planets that extend a community / social network For the former, I would expect the content to be (ideally) limited to the topic in hand. For the latter, I wouldn't. Where this becomes tricky is either where a planet tries to do both, or where you have people viewing the planet from both sides of the coin, but only wanting one... See also http://www.jedimoose.org/index.php/archives/2007/06/15/galaxy-galaxy/

I think it depends on the nature of the planet - there tend to be 2 types of planet (IME):

- Planets that intend to inform people about a particular project by virtue of providing input from multiple developers
- Planets that extend a community / social network

For the former, I would expect the content to be (ideally) limited to the topic in hand. For the latter, I wouldn’t. Where this becomes tricky is either where a planet tries to do both, or where you have people viewing the planet from both sides of the coin, but only wanting one…

]]> By: davee http://strugglers.net/~andy/blog/2008/04/27/thoughts-on-aggregators-planets/#comment-51877 davee Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:49:22 +0000 http://strugglers.net/~andy/blog/?p=177#comment-51877 I agree that the planets should just reflect who is part of them. I got some flak in private email from someone who added my blog to their planet (can't remember which one now, nor can I find it. Guess they removed me!) after I posted http://www.sungate.co.uk/?p=260 which rather surprised me. I agree that the planets should just reflect who is part of them. I got some flak in private email from someone who added my blog to their planet (can’t remember which one now, nor can I find it. Guess they removed me!) after I posted http://www.sungate.co.uk/?p=260 which rather surprised me.

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