Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Tracking Tuesday- "History of the Cat Blog"

Hello TK and Squashies' mom here. Squashies told me that some of you kitties were interested in the research we were doing together about the Cat Blog world. She asked if I would explain our methodology.

The way we started was simple: we looked for the longest blogging kitties we could find and then clicked on their earliest posts' commentor's links to see when each of the commentors started. It sounds simple enough right?

There are 3 major problems with this approach- a) large social groups tend to clusters in to like-minded subsets, so getting a true picture of the whole kitty blog world requires more than one “Origin Blog”, b) getting caught in the web of crossing links can be daunting; c) reading blogs in the order they were written is a lot of fun… and tremendously distracting.

Quite a few of you have volunteered to help out with the project, so what I would like to propose is that we make Tuesday our Tracking post day. We will publish what we have to date in that post and anyone that has anything to add they can post in the comments. Your data will be added on the following Tuesday. This also allows us to archive the research we do.  I'm not sure how we should present our data so if anyone has ideas, I would love some advice. I'd like to keep it relatively simple to start, but chosing a final format may dictate the data we collect. For instance the most detailed format would be to do a relationship chart. (Like the one that was popularized by The L Word.) This would require all origin-blog searches be documented individually, and all commenters recorded. This is probably more work than anyone has time for, and would quickly burn-out out researchers, which would mean we would end up with nothing at all. (But wouldn't that be cool!)

Anyone that would like to help add a new line (origin-blog,) can volunteer to search a specific blog, you can even if you want to start with your own blog. We’ll add/update your selected blog as an origin-blog  in the list below with an asterisk before the name and the name of the researcher after the blog and start date. This should mitigate redundant searches.

I have three requests:
1) If everyone can make sure that they have an Archive button somewhere in their sidebar, it would make researching your blog a lot easier. If we can't find your 'first post' you can't be counted!
2) If we want this to be accurate we MUST have a link (documented proof) that supports any claim we make. Even if that link is just to someone else’s blog post for which the blogger in question has commented.
3) If you see an error, omission (especially older blogs) we want to know!

So here is what I have so far-
Starts
__________________________________________________________________________________
Max October 26, 2003
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Jasper McKitten October 25, 2004
William of Mass Destruction December 28, 2004
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Skeezix March 15, 2005 (whose very first comment was from some dude named EE, saying that Skeezix was ugly.  So hey, EE- how do you like him now!?! You're gone and he's an icon. )
Eponine's Cowboy July 1, 2005
Sanjee July 3, 2005 (later merged with Boni to form HOT (M) BC)
Little Cat Feet July 7, 2005
Oreo July 19, 2005
Manx Mnews (Abby) August 15, 2005
Boni October 11, 2005 (Later merged with Sanjee to form HOT (M) BC)
Derby November 3, 2005
Crews' Views November 7, 2005
Dolce December 19, 2005
The Big Piney Woods Cats December 20, 2005
__________________________________________________________________________________
Meezer Tails January 2, 2006
Chey and Gemini January 11, 2006
Fat Eric January 24, 2006
Kismet April 15, 2006
HOT (M) BC June 15, 2006 (Also see Sanjee and Boni)
Luxor June 29, 2006
Rocky July 6, 2006
DaisyMae Maus  July 10, 2006
Emma July 13, 2006
Eric and Flynn July 20, 2006
Darling Millie August 5, 2006
Rosie and Cheeto August 10, 2006
Junior and Orion September 14, 2006
Purrchance to Dream September 18, 2006
Jeter Harris October 14, 2006
Kattonics Cats December 5, 2006
Daisy December 18, 2006
Karen Jo (Herman blog starts November 20, 2009 but Karen Jo commented on Karsota Castle Feburary 3, 2007)

33 comments:

  1. Hello mum to beautiful TK and Squashies!! I'm absolutely in awe at how you found these really early kitty blogs. I've just clicked on Skeezis blog and read that horrible comment from some evil creature called EE!!! I love how Skeezis just ignored such evilness and carried on - what a gorgeous kitty!!!

    I would love to help but I am already completely confused by the research methodology. It's sounds so totally scientific and logical and as Charlie will testify - these are not my strongest points!

    But I am thoroughly enjoying the links here!!! If I do come across an early kitty blog though, I'll be sure to post a link here!

    GOOD LUCK!!

    Take care
    x

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  2. What a great idea you gots! We wondered about when the first cat blog was made, especially as we have only been doing it a couple of years. When Luxor got his wings, it made us think of the impact that the beginners had on making this place so special!

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  3. I had an idea. What if we posted an item on the CB and asked everyone to come and leave a comment stating when they started blogging and a link to their site with original post? Then we just have to arrange the info that is submitted into an easily accessible format. How does that sound?

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  4. Well that would sure make things easier Cat!

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  5. Here is a post Cheysuli did in 2006 and the blogs we were reading: http://www.chey.mysiamese.com/?m=200603.

    Chey starts in 4/2006 I think (not just me posting) I had a blog for Gemini that started back in 8/2005 but it never got updated in blogger as I hadn't written in it since 2007. Kukka-Maria, the Feline Empress was the cat blogger who found me--here's Kukka Maria's first post: http://felinesovereign.blogspot.com/2005_07_01_archive.html from July 2005.

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  6. Oh and several years ago, we did this squidoo lens, so if you haven't checked out the favorites there, it might be helpful to do so for older blogs: http://www.squidoo.com/catblogs Not all are still blogging.

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  7. Oh and Karen Jo started with http://kittylimericks.blogspot.com/ in 2/2007. (Yes we have been around for awhile...)

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  8. Hey Chey and Gemini- we had you on our list but missed putting you in the blog. We have corrected this oversite. THANKS!

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  9. Wow this is such a cool idea! We had to go look - we wanted to see the first comment we got (which wasn't necessisarily on the first post, because we have comments on older posts I have linked to), so I used that new comment tab in blogger and went to our very first comment - we have 8954 comments and it only posts 25 per page, but I discovered a way to skip ahead (just change the page number at the end of the url after you go to the second page - in case anyone wants to try it). Our first post was on 8/7/08, and our first comment was on 1/22/09 (though there are earlier posts with comments, this is the first date any comment was on on site), and the post was http://houseofcats-amy.blogspot.com/2009/01/virgil-close-up.html (that was right after Virgil was on Cute Overload). The commenter was Mr. Scrubby, who we hadn't met before, because I didn't know how to get to others before - but I know now. His blog is at http://www.misterscrubby.com/ (I went and met him - he is a cutie). He looks to be more of a twitterer but he does have a blog, though I can't tell what year it started it may not be as old as the above - it looks like he was rescued in 2006, so probably started the blog in 2007, maybe 2008 - not really sure like I said.

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  10. This is gonna be fun, I'm so glad you are doing this!

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  11. That IS a great idea. You can use us, we have an archive button.

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  12. Jasper McKitten-cat is the blogger who got me started. Would you believe he has been blogging since October 25, 2004?

    here is the link to his first post:
    http://jaspermckittencat.blogspot.com/2004/10/meow-hello.html

    My first post was June 5, 2008 and my first comment from from Jasper McKitten-cat. You can find this post at:
    http://sweetpraline.blogspot.com/2008/06/my-first-day.html

    This is great!

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  13. We think Cat is a genius! That would sure be interesting to read.

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  14. Thanks for the info Praline! Jasper has been added!

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  15. Wow, that is a lot of work, but such a great idea=we really think it is awesome!...Hope you all have a fun week, kisses to our handsome TK and beautiful Squashies=we love you both...Calle, Halle, Sukki

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  16. We started blogging on July 20th 2006. Right above the archives on our current blog is a link to our original blog. The archives are there but when we just checked them, for some reason our first post didn't show. We went to dashboard for the link and it is:
    http://ericandflynns.blogspot.com/2006/07/here-we-are-at-last.html

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  17. Thanks boys, we got you! It was both happy and sad to see your first shout-out was to Eric.

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  18. WE lost all of our comments because when we first started blogger did not have comments, you had to go to another third party,and we chose Haloscan. AT the beginning of this year they merged with Echo and started charging for comments, so we decided to change over to Blogger comments. Well guess what? You can't import comments to Blogger, so we lost 17,000 comments......we were really bummed about it, but there wasn't anything we could do. Unless we paid Echo and we didn't think that made sense when Blogger was free.

    I'm going to try and remember some of the early bloggers....so many of them don't post anymore.

    purrin
    xo
    Abby

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  19. Oh gosh, this will be fascinating! I totally remember how skerred I was to start my bloggie!

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  20. What a great idea!! The first blog we found was The Psycho Kitty, Max. Then we found the Cat Blogosphere and the rest is history!

    Our blog started in December 2007...originally it was our mom's blog but in March 2008 we hi-jacked it and took it over!

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  21. Our blog started on 7th August 2008, so I guess we are newbies. Milo was borned on April 24th 2008 ~ so he was only little when he ferst started blogging. An' I started blogging in November 2008 when I was gotchad.

    Alfie xx

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  22. Wow that is a good start! Actually when I started blogging all my friends were dogs, not kitties.

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  23. Oh my gosh what a commendable project...Mom and I will have to go look at some past post to see what is going on. Somehow we missed that. We were away for several days earlier in August.
    We will be checking back though.
    Madi and Mom

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  24. Hi there TK and Squashies, and their Mom!

    What a great (but daunting) project. We started our blog (Animal Shelter Volunteer Life) in December of 2008, so we're kind of new to the game. :)

    Here's the link to our first post:

    http://animalsheltervolunteer.blogspot.com/2008/12/and-so-i-begin.html

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  25. Honored to be part of the history. Almost five years later and I still sometimes get sad ... My Gabby and I are having fun, moving forward and keeping busy. Gab has never gotten into blogging ... just too expressive and talkative. Eponine just was so contemplative and had so many thoughts to share. I don't visit as often but I've never forgotten my cat friends.

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  26. Ahh...memories, memories. We knew Max was the first blog we found but couldn't remember who all came after that. It's hard to believe we're coming up on our 5th blogiversary in a few months.

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  27. Oooh I found a really early kitty blog!! Still going strong. I hope this helps - Abbie is a kitty who writes poetry!!

    http://abbie.blogspot.com/

    Take care
    x

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  28. You two have been busy. That's a lot of work.

    Karen Jo started Kitty Limericks in 2007. First post
    http://kittylimericks.blogspot.com/2007/02/getting-started.html

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  29. Wow!!! We are truly babes in the woods in the blogging world compared to many of you!!! This will be interesting!! Bravo for taking the time and energy to put it to paper (or, computer screen!). Purrs Lautrec

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  30. OMC!! Wot a huge project! You are sure in fur a lot of werk!
    Speakin' of werk...a lot of extry werk is why our mom was furry, furry notty, and missed your gotcha day, so happy, happy, belated Gotcha Day to you boff!
    Next, she wuz also late in lettin us git around to fank all our furriends fur stoppin by our blogoversary pawty, and helpin to celebrate.
    You came to our pawty, and we missed yours. Now we feels reely bad! Mewf!

    Well, fur your projeckt, our bloggie started on 8/20/09. Hope dat helps sum.

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  31. Wow - that a lot of blogging years to start in 2003! Mom is fairly new at this from 2008. Great project.

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  32. Great job!
    ....and Great Big Job!
    Thanks for doing this!

    Our friend we discovered first was Timothy Dickens and his profile says he & his mom Jen started September 04 but we can't seem to get to any archives. He's the one that got us started. He doesn't post real regularily now but all the older bloggers will remember Tuxedo Timmy! He was quite the ringleader for a time!

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