2011 at Bob From Brockley
2011 has been a strange year at BfB. Lots of guest posts, some of them inciting considerable controversy, and sometimes acrimony. The controversy made me think I was doing something right, but the acrimony made me think I was doing something very wrong, and there was a period in the middle of the year when I came close to shutting up shop. However, my most persistent irritants moved on after leaving a few stinkbombs, and things have returned to normal, with some of the more interesting regulars from the bobmunity returning quietly.
I also feel I have become even more obsessive in posting about a few topics again and again - the English Defence League, Gilad Atzmon, the "Arab Spring", the Occupy movement, left antisemitism - and neglecting all sorts of other topics - from books, films and music, to the Coalition government. I have also retreated from blogging about Brockley or Lewisham, partly because of the proliferation of very good local blogs, of which the very comprehensive Brockley Central and the excellent Transpontine are leaders. In 2012, I plan to spend more time on UK politics and also on non-political topics, especially music.
Greatest hits
So, these are my most read posts in 2011. Some of them were written before 2011, and I guess I should be pleased at their enduring appeal.
1. So, the time has come not to renew membership of the Green Party.
23 Feb 2011, 205 comments, 3,165 Pageviews
This is one of the guest posts, by Toby Green, on antisemitism in the Green Party, which circulated quite widely.
2. Triangulating Bobism 1: Harryism and indecency
24 Aug 2010, 96 comments, 2,064 Pageviews
I am pleased this older post has a high spot in the greatest hits, as it is one in which I set out something of the core agenda of the blog.
3. Uzbekistan porn
6 Oct 2005, 1,253 Pageviews
On the other hand, it is really irritating this has such a prominent position, as it is basically completely content-free, and its enduring popularity speaks of everything wrong with the worldwide web.
4. Jewish Hero or Israeli Criminal?
19 Apr 2011, 56 comments, 1,028 Pageviews
Another guest post, by HP regular Michael Ezra, on a fascinating post-Shoah story.
5. STOP RAISE YOUR BANNERS FROM HOSTING THE RACIST GILAD ATZMON
22 Nov 2011, 28 comments, 998 Pageviews
The most recent hit, on the antisemitic jazz maestro Gilad Atzmon at a festival in Bradford, with a Lewisham angle.
6. Influential left-wingers
18 Sep 2010, 25 comments, 948 Pageviews
Another semi-oldie I'm pleased to see here, with five good influences on the left, five bad influences, and five who ought to be more influential.
7. Triangulating Bobism 2: The Furedi cult
29 Sep 2010, 38 comments, 885 Pageviews
This is my long analysis of the former RCP/Living Marxism cult, now mainly known as Spiked.
8. Guest post: Islam and the left – against secular fundamentalism
11 Oct 2011, 15 comments, 832 Pageviews
A strange unsolicited guest post by one Ali H calling for Islamic communism.
9. "Influential left-wing ideas"
21 Dec 2010, 45 comments, 732 Pageviews
10. Political influences 4: John Lennon19 Sep 2011, 3 comments, 696 Pageviews
Top Referrers
I also feel I have become even more obsessive in posting about a few topics again and again - the English Defence League, Gilad Atzmon, the "Arab Spring", the Occupy movement, left antisemitism - and neglecting all sorts of other topics - from books, films and music, to the Coalition government. I have also retreated from blogging about Brockley or Lewisham, partly because of the proliferation of very good local blogs, of which the very comprehensive Brockley Central and the excellent Transpontine are leaders. In 2012, I plan to spend more time on UK politics and also on non-political topics, especially music.
Greatest hits
So, these are my most read posts in 2011. Some of them were written before 2011, and I guess I should be pleased at their enduring appeal.
1. So, the time has come not to renew membership of the Green Party.
23 Feb 2011, 205 comments, 3,165 Pageviews
This is one of the guest posts, by Toby Green, on antisemitism in the Green Party, which circulated quite widely.
2. Triangulating Bobism 1: Harryism and indecency
24 Aug 2010, 96 comments, 2,064 Pageviews
I am pleased this older post has a high spot in the greatest hits, as it is one in which I set out something of the core agenda of the blog.
3. Uzbekistan porn
6 Oct 2005, 1,253 Pageviews
On the other hand, it is really irritating this has such a prominent position, as it is basically completely content-free, and its enduring popularity speaks of everything wrong with the worldwide web.
4. Jewish Hero or Israeli Criminal?
19 Apr 2011, 56 comments, 1,028 Pageviews
Another guest post, by HP regular Michael Ezra, on a fascinating post-Shoah story.
5. STOP RAISE YOUR BANNERS FROM HOSTING THE RACIST GILAD ATZMON
22 Nov 2011, 28 comments, 998 Pageviews
The most recent hit, on the antisemitic jazz maestro Gilad Atzmon at a festival in Bradford, with a Lewisham angle.
6. Influential left-wingers
18 Sep 2010, 25 comments, 948 Pageviews
Another semi-oldie I'm pleased to see here, with five good influences on the left, five bad influences, and five who ought to be more influential.
7. Triangulating Bobism 2: The Furedi cult
29 Sep 2010, 38 comments, 885 Pageviews
This is my long analysis of the former RCP/Living Marxism cult, now mainly known as Spiked.
8. Guest post: Islam and the left – against secular fundamentalism
11 Oct 2011, 15 comments, 832 Pageviews
A strange unsolicited guest post by one Ali H calling for Islamic communism.
9. "Influential left-wing ideas"
21 Dec 2010, 45 comments, 732 Pageviews
Similar idea to the influential leftists above, but ideas not people. This post circulated fairly widely by my modest standards, provoking interesting debates in various Zionist and anti-Zionist circles, for example.
10. Political influences 4: John Lennon19 Sep 2011, 3 comments, 696 Pageviews
Not one of my finest posts, but OK. About listening to "Imagine" in view of the Occupied Territories.
Bob's picks
Here are the posts that I'd have liked to you to have read.
Here are the posts that I'd have liked to you to have read.
- January: On nations and states; On socialism, hope and waiting in an age of crisis.
- February: The revolution of flowers: to thaw in dancing jasmines; BigSoc, faith and cohesion; “Progressive London”: A Popular Front for reactionaries; From Congress House to Green Square
- April: The case against liberal interventionism; Old soldiers, broken promises, class prejudices
- May: Second thoughts on the big society and the small state, while running through Ladywell Fields
- June: The antisemitism of good intentions.
- August: Flames lambent in the UK (the July riots); Anders Breivik, counter-jihad and right-wing terror.
- September: The EDL in East London; Atzmon and left antisemitism and some addenda.
- October: CiFWatching, Andy Newmanism, Gilad Atzmon and the socialism of fools; Mentally deficient right wing numpties: EDL news and reflections for October.
- November: November 20 and after; More notes on #Occupy.
- December: On reading Christopher Hitchens' obituaries.
Top Referrers
5. Engage
6. David Osler
7. Norman Geras
The other top ones are odd aggregation sites I'd rather not link to. Thanks, though, to all of you guys.
Search terms
Search terms
The top search engine terms (linked to where they take you).
1. Bob from Brockley - a bit obvious I guess. Variations on this fill a few of the other top ten slots, so I've removed them.
2. Occupy Wall Street - actually, bizarrely, my re-posting of a Jewish Labor Committee statement on OWS gets more google juice than any of my own posts, but still.
3. Fuck Washington - hmmm. What on earth were they looking for?
4. uzbekistan porn - see above
5. leonardo dicaprio hairline - another demonstration of why the internet should be banned
6. conspiracy theories - actually links to a proper post
7. sarf london - am glad to be the go-to place for that.
1. Bob from Brockley - a bit obvious I guess. Variations on this fill a few of the other top ten slots, so I've removed them.
2. Occupy Wall Street - actually, bizarrely, my re-posting of a Jewish Labor Committee statement on OWS gets more google juice than any of my own posts, but still.
3. Fuck Washington - hmmm. What on earth were they looking for?
4. uzbekistan porn - see above
5. leonardo dicaprio hairline - another demonstration of why the internet should be banned
6. conspiracy theories - actually links to a proper post
7. sarf london - am glad to be the go-to place for that.
Other reviews of the year: Keith Kahn-Harris.
Comments
The controversy made me think I was doing something right
Ian. Give Bob his blog back now. Go back to shouting stuff at Eton kids or something.
Seriously, I'm no stranger to the cheap courting of controversy myself, but all it measures is how controversial something is.
Spiked occasionally hit a target, but they're mostly full of shit. A pro NAMBLA guest post would stir up lots of controversy, but that wouldn't be a sign that you were doing something right. To quote James G. March:
... we sometimes find that such heresies have been the foundation for bold and necessary change, but heresy is usually just new ideas that are foolish or dangerous and appropriately rejected or ignored. So while it may be true that great geniuses are usually heretics, heretics are rarely great geniuses.
On music, my blog is pretty much unused now. (As you can imagine, once I went to university and started writing stuff as work, comments, let alone blogging, somehow seem less appealing a lot of the time). But I had this idea which you're free to nick if you want. It's pretty simple, so I'm sure it's been done before.
Basically, you post a video clip of a band you like. The next person who comments suggests a band they think you'd like based on your video. And adds a band of their own. And so on.
As for internet referrals It amuses me that the Poor Mouth scores highly for some worthy searches such as British Traitors WW2, the history of string and nibbled by a Garra rufa... and George Galloway is an idiot!
Perhaps Google isn't that bad after all!
daily stop for me.
http://contentious-centrist.blogspot.com/2009/02/fallen-idol-according-to-this-source.html