blogUT vs UpbeaT, ROUND 3, GO!

TGIFriday! To close off your week, we have the last installment of our msn convo. Here be shoutouts to our readers!

Me: Speaking of favourite posts. I adored the Sci-Fi one, btw. Yulya: thanks Me: I got inspired to reread Ender's Shadow Yulya: i like it a lot more than ender's game Me: Yes, me too. Lori: Cynthia, how do you and the other UpbeaT writers get inspiration and ideas? Me: L - I haven't actually met the other 5 bloggers. (we really need to do a get together or something) but I know they have weekly meetings where they talk about what to write, and help each other with ideas. Me: Me, I just brainstorm every few days, and propose to my supervisor. He gives me the green light, and I go. Me: I think that finding a topic is hard because a lot of times the other bloggers would have written about it. Me: 5 of them posted weekly, so there's a LOT of posts. Lori: Yeah, it is a lot Yulya: I know UpbeaT pays its writers. How much does that help with motivation? Me: I'm paid as a part time staff and my work involves blogging and other stuff. It's part of my job. Kinda hard not to be motivated though. Writing for UpbeaT is incredible fun - I get to meet a lot of different people. Me: lifeatuoft allows me to wander around campus, and go outside. Me: In regards the role the honourarium plays in motivation for the Original Five, I'm sure they can reply in the comments,,. Lori: lol Me: What about you guys? How do you get the ideas? Lori: I try to blog about events that I go to around campus and in Toronto, if I feel like it's interesting and relevant enough Yulya: Yeah I think that goes for most of our writers. Most of the posts are inspired by events that they've seen either live or on TV. A lot of our articles are reviews or responses to things that are going on around the city. Lori: I also just brainstorm by thinking about what's going on in Toronto/U of T and about things I've read or seen lately in other publications such as blogTO, Now Magazine, etc. Lori: I would love to blog for a living Yulya: well the nice thing about blogging is that that could happen. It doesn't take too much time to just blog on the side of whatever else you're doing, and there is always the chance that more people will start reading your blog. I know a lot of the speakers at WordCamp started out as individual part-time bloggers and have made it their ccareers over time. Unlike other types of publications, you're Yulya: *not limited by publication costs Lori: True. Also, people can read your stuff regardless of where they are in the world Me: Yeah, it's amazing - we got hits from South Africa! Yulya: Yup, we have at least a couple hits from pretty much everywhere in the world Lori: I like getting comments from people Me: Comments are great. Note to readers: reply to us! Us bloggers inhale comments to live Yulya: And comments are a great way to turn a post into a conversation and a debate, which is really exciting Me: Exactly. The askastudents were saying that they love their comments. Bring on the flame wars! Lori: Yes that's happened before with our blogs. I remember there was one comment that was longer than the actual blog lol Me: Hahaha. I'll have to go look that one up. Lori: I love askastudent Me: Me too. Next time, we can do a three-blog-interview. Lori: ( http://www.blogut.ca/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=2067 this was the post with the long comment) Lori: (oops http://www.blogut.ca/2009/04/26/are-canadians-too-nice/ ) Me: (sweeet) Me: (WOW. That's amazing. Your readers are passionate. I love it.) Me: So has blogUT gotten much exposure from the university? Me: I know you guys had some media attention before. Yulya: We have a decent circulation, and it all depends on the articles. If a post is relevant to an issue that's hot on the campus at the time, it gets spread around Yulya: we've had a few interview requests from media around Toronto, some that were specific to articles and some that looked at the blog as a whole Me: That’s cool. So what’s your plan for next year? Me: Are both of you thinking of staying as editors until you graduate? Lori: I think I will be graduating in the summer of 2010 Lori: So, yes Me: Congrats on graduating soon! Lori: Thanks Yulya: I will probably not be able to ocntinue editing next year Me: Oh no. That's too bad. Me: Will Lori be taking over the reigns by your/herself? Lori: I am looking for a new co-editor but no one has responded so far Me: Are you looking from within the writers, or is the position open? Lori: Within the writers, but I might make it open in September since there will be first-year students then as well Lori: I need to have someone who will take over when I leave Me: Haha, we can advertise right now! HEY READERS, if you want to join blogUT, you know who to find! Lori: lol Me: How many writers do you have? Lori: I'm not 100% sure because some of them have graduated but they still have accounts Lori: I'd say around 50? Yulya: That sounds about right. A lot stop contributing but start again once their schedules clear, and vice versa Yulya: we are also constantly accepting new writers Me: (...aha. me. promise i'll start working on prof spot) Yulya: haha thanks, cynthia Lori: lol I look forward to reading that Me: okay, I'm out of questions. You guys got anything for me, each other, the readers, the original 5? Lori: Umm... nothing I can think of atm Me: okay. Yulya? Yulya: I think we've covered pretty much everything Me: Yeah, I had a great time talking with you guys. Lori: Me too Yulya: you too!