12.6.11

WE ARE FIVE

Today Snooker Scene Blog celebrates its fifth birthday. Doesn’t time fly when you’re having what may loosely be described as fun?

And haven’t things changed in the lifetime of this blog?

Back in 2006 we’d just had a frankly poor world final and the game, though still as fascinating as ever, had fallen off the radar due to fewer tournaments.

We’re now poised for what will be the busiest season in a generation and there is a great mood of optimism around the sport.

The blog was never intended to be political but I could hardly keep quiet about some of the things that were happening in the game.

With Barry Hearn’s arrival and the instant progress he has made we have now gone from thorns in the side of the establishment to broadly supporting them.

As long as Hearn continues to unlock snooker’s potential then he can count on that support.

This was the first snooker blog, as far as I know, which gave me the chance to describe it as ‘snooker’s no.1 blog.’

I don’t make that claim any more. There are now plenty of others, including many in languages other than English, and that is entirely as it should be.

It gives snooker fans wherever they are in the world a range of opinions, outlooks and viewpoints.

I think the importance of blogs is overstated, usually by bloggers. The internet is crawling with them on all manner of subjects but they aren't going to replace newspapers any time soon.

But what is a blog for? To break news? Comment on the news? Provide and share opinion? To rant and rave? To entertain?

Answer: all and any of the above. The truth is, they can be for anything. All you need is a computer, some fingers and a few thoughts. Blogs are instant and they are interactive.

And find a blog that chimes with your interests and worldview and it can be a daily treat.

At the end of the day, you pays your money and takes your choice, except you don’t because blogs are free to access and, for that matter, free to ignore.

I have made no concessions whatsoever in terms of design over the years. I’d like to say this is because it’s ‘all about the words’ but basic laziness would be nearer the mark.

However, I enjoy blogging and shall continue to do so as long as that enjoyment remains.

And to all those who still read this blog, you have my sincere thanks.

When I started writing here in 2006 the game was going nowhere. I now look forward to providing comment on what promises to be a golden period for snooker.

22 comments:

wild said...

I think the importance of blogs is overstated, usually by bloggers. The internet is crawling with them on all manner of subjects but they aren't going to replace newspapers any time soon.
____________________________________

i think regarding snooker they are replacing newspapers and fast. you just get to know nothing at all about snooker by getting a newspaper but by logging on to Snooker Scene Blog,Pro Snooker Blog etc etc its all you want to know about snooker.

the snooker media is changing and blogging is becoming snooker fans Newspapers.

Ramona Dragomir said...

Five years and still counting, Dave! :-)
For me, your blog has been my source of inspiration back when I decided to start my own and I always look forward in reading your articles.

So, a very happy birthday to SnookerScene Blog and keep the beautiful snooker articles coming :-)

Matt said...

For what you do and for quality of writing it is still the number one blog and the one that the rest of us are still following.

Can't believe it is only five years to be fair, feels like longer. In a good way!

Anonymous said...

Well happy birthday blog
May it last another 5 years!!!

kildare cueman said...

Happy birthday Daves Blog.

I agree with the poster above that they have replaced newspapers re snooker.

The detail, early reporting, and the ability to opine, provides a service to fans that newspapers can't hold a candle to.

Dave H said...

I don't think I explained the bit about newspapers very well, and I wasn't particularly talking about snooker.

Blogs generally speaking comment on the news, and who makes the news for them to comment on? - traditional media.

Obviously results and news and so on are increasingly accessed on the internet, sometimes on newspaper websites, but there are still things traditional media does better in my opinion.

Yours, a self-interested journalist hoping newspapers don't close.

Thanks for the kind comments.

wild said...

of course there's room for Newspapers in the World however Regarding Snooker id Rather see Media Room at Snooker Tournaments Full of Bloggers like Matt,Snookerbacker,Snooker Island rather than people from Newspapers because from what i cant see they just wasting time there.

Ray said...

Happy Birthday Snooker Scene blog. Dave I can't thank you enough for your eloquent, erudite and dissembling-free blog. Both the blog and Snooker Scene played a huge role in getting rid of the last Board of reprehensible poppinjays who were euphemistically "running" snooker (yeah, running it into the ground more like!!!)
Keep up the good work, I look forward to many more years of informative enjoyment.

Anonymous said...

Hope Graeme Dott doesn't read your post...!

Dave H said...

Dotty said a lot worse about that final in his book.

Actually, my first 'proper' post on here five years ago was defending him against all the stick he got.

JAMIE O'REILLY said...

Hi David. Happy 5th birthday to the Snooker Scene Blog and Congratulations David. Great first five years. Here's hoping for more. Keep it going. Great stuff.

Anonymous said...

Hi - I am certainly glad to find this. great job!

Greg P said...

I was reading the Telegraph on the bog yesterday and on the back of the "Review" or whatever its called now section, they had a full page ad for a "crossword" competition which any 5 year old could have done and you have to call a premium number with an answer for a chance to win £7000... looked like something you might see in Viz or something, I don't know.

This is supposed to be Britain's posh newspaper read by "the land owning classes" right? And clearly they'll basically take ad money from anyone now.

I couldn't help feeling, at that moment, that the fears for print's future are more valid than I thought they might be.

Anonymous said...

Greg P was it a number 1 or 2???

Anonymous said...

Why do I write these comments on Dave's blog? To break news? Comment on the news? Provide and share opinion? To rant and rave? To entertain? Answer: all and any of the above.

Thanks for a great blog.

147 said...

congratulations on 5 very good years Dave.I agree dave traditional media makes the news as the days of reporting it are long gone they sold their souls years ago just look around the world its self evident.

Toestubber said...

I only buy The Telegraph for the crossword, all the others are downloadable. The papers in this country are just mindless propaganda for the sheeple. Blogs are where the truth is, snooker included!!

Happy birthday:-)

Mat Wilson

tatannes said...

Happy Birthday !

Snooker blogs are brilliant.

I don't read newspapers any more.
Most of the time, they only are able to talk about GOAT (Spain, Barca, Messi, Federer, Nadal...) or scandals in order to sell something.

Anonymous said...

1.45, - Eh?

kildare cueman said...

"The race for instant information is one we book publishers can never win. It is probably one we should not enter, because our mission is not to add noise to noise, but to deliver meaning and to inspire. And speed so often defeats meaning." (Arnaud Nourry, CEO of publishing house Hachette Livre, at the PEN Literary Gala in New York on April 26.)

I suppose a similar principle could be applied to the newspaper/blog debate. Its quality versus speed.

Theres a place for both.

Granpa Redsocks said...

For somone like myself from Canada where snokker coverage is almost non-existent, the blogs and internet are our life-line to snooker. thanks very much and keep on doing what you are doing which is a good job.

Rack and Break said...

congratulations on 5 years of excellent blogging and news breaking stories!