Two thousand monkeys typing?

2k BloggersAlthough I continue to argue that I’m not in blogging for the publicity, that I write neither for attention or notoriety, like shouting to the entire world from a mountain-top, appearances can be deceiving. Friends have, irreverently, been calling me “Johnno Bloggo” for a while…

2k Bloggers, a.k.a. “The Face of the Blogosphere,” is holding a contest to admit two bloggers to their exclusive, gold plated ranks; a place in their directory and photo-montage the publicly stated, much desired prize. The price of admission? This very blog post, and the fulfilling of three simple conditions:

  1. a pre-existing blog (preferably since before January 2007);
  2. a post containing on your blog explaining why you’d like to become a member;
  3. submit a comment on their site containing a link to this post and your photo.

Simple terms to fulfill you would think, but too hard for many; to date less than 10 have managed to meet the entry criteria. The contest is open for approximately another week, or until they receive 20 valid entries—which ever comes first.

What is the 2k Blogger’s photo montage? It is the very idea behind their site—a visual representation of the blogosphere itself, 2000 photos of actual bloggers stretched many lengths of a computer monitor, like a giant, memorial quilt. It’s a cool idea really—I for one have ranted lyrical, and on not just occasion about the faceless anonymity of the internet, the thousands of monkeys typing with barely an original word, far too many a grunt between them. Consider myself corrected. Here are 2000 typists, and not a single monkey sighted.

Why do I want to become a member, add my photo to the typing pool? When not writing about myself, I do on occasion highlight worthy causes and ideals (What value the environment?, Born Off-Topic, Aversion to Violence) causes which surely deserve the added exposure that, to repeat, I really do not crave.

Wish me luck—and good luck yourself if you choose to enter.

22 Comments
  • Flabuless
    Posted at 17:47h, 29 July

    good luck babe…you are my competition of course but as long as one of us gets in to represent New Zealand I will be ok with that…Great Contest Post BTW.
    🙂 Flabuless

  • Flabuless
    Posted at 18:02h, 29 July

    haha! too funny and too true! Some of us New Zealanders at least have a great sense of humor! Pity our politicians have a pole up their backside!

  • Jaitra Gillespie
    Posted at 17:57h, 29 July

    Good luck yourself Flabuless!

    Talking of NZ blogs, Kiwiblog.co.nz posted a clip of The Daily Show making fun of New Zealand the other day. “Poking the borax,” as we say for some reason in this part of the world, was thoroughly deserved…

  • Elaine Vigneault
    Posted at 01:13h, 30 July

    Great article.

  • Jaitra Gillespie
    Posted at 07:37h, 30 July

    Hey thanks Elaine. Glad to see you’re not the competition, else I’d be feeling all insecure about now 😉

  • Noivedya
    Posted at 12:32h, 01 August

    Hey John! Good luck in your quest for fame! Am I the only humble blogger left? It seems like I’m the only blogger I know (aside from Dave Barry) who doesn’t have his photo in the corner… but that’s probably because I haven’t gotten around to putting it there yet. Oh, and also because too many people confuse me with Jonny Depp as it is. (OK, maybe not TOO many people.) What happened to the good old days when a writer could be judged by the quality of their words rather than what they looked like? Those days are gone? I thought as much. (Just as well my blog links to my website, so that everyone can see a photo of me!)

    But let’s face it, blogs are meant to be attention-grabbers of some sort. Why would we post our thoughts to a potential audience of millions, rather than quietly writing them into a diary that could remain hidden away in our top drawer? If you want to be a blogger, you might as well aim for 2K status.

  • Jaitra Gillespie
    Posted at 12:41h, 01 August

    You’ve uncovered my secret Noivedya—I crave fame and recognition by millions.

  • Noivedya
    Posted at 14:56h, 01 August

    I knew it! Have you ever thought of applying for Big Brother?

  • Jaitra Gillespie
    Posted at 14:59h, 01 August

    I couldn’t think of anything worse, actually. When it comes to cultural “highpoints” like Big Brother, I reserve the right to be precious.

  • Noivedya
    Posted at 01:19h, 02 August

    Maybe you need to appear on the show just to raise the tone…?

  • Dave J
    Posted at 12:17h, 07 August

    I don’t know, for some reason, the idea reminds me of something Groucho Marx once said. ‘I would never be a member of any group that would have me as a member.’ Not sure how that applies to this contest, or exactly why it popped into my head, but it seems relevant here, and worth a chuckle at least.

    Good luck with your entry.

  • Jaitra Gillespie
    Posted at 12:36h, 07 August

    Thanks Dave, but does the maxim (marxism?) still apply if one isn’t Groucho Marx?

  • Noivedya
    Posted at 12:42h, 07 August

    Groucho Marx was a wise philosopher, so I guess Dave has a point. Besides, to use another pearl of Marx’s wisdom: “Whatever it is, I’m against it!”

    (Then again, that might have been one of his songwriters.)

  • Dave J
    Posted at 13:12h, 07 August

    John,
    What a great question. And now for my super lame riding the fence answer: Yes and no.

    I don’t know really. I suppose it only resonates if we are willing to take the time to understand our own faults, such that we decide to be better than we are now.

    Community is a fascinating construct. Love it, hate it, be it.

  • Jaitra Gillespie
    Posted at 13:50h, 07 August

    Thanks for the comments guys. How can I possibly reply sincerely or objectively when I have publicly declared my interest in winning said competition? 😉

    Understanding my faults? How about writing them for all the world to see…

  • Dave J
    Posted at 01:11h, 08 August

    Hehe. That’s a great idea! You could house it in a web log and call it something catchy, like, blogging.

  • Jaitra Gillespie
    Posted at 07:08h, 08 August

    I think, as they say, Dave’s got my number 😉

    By the way it’s voting time people. It shouldn’t be a hard choice now should it?

  • alf
    Posted at 21:05h, 10 August

    What are the chances of one monkey typing again soon?

    (From one to another.)

  • Jaitra Gillespie
    Posted at 22:06h, 10 August

    Very good, and very, very soon. There are several updates near written…

    And I’m going to skip the predictable “I’ve been very busy…” update by mentioning it now.

  • Flabuless
    Posted at 09:39h, 14 August

    Darling congratulations on winning the 2k Blogger competition…We are both in!!!! yay It just proves that some good things do originate from NZ.

    🙂 Flabuless

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