Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Boneyard 2.10 arrives in one week
The deadline for submissions to the next Boneyard Blog Carnival is Monday, June 6. This next edition will be hosted by Gary Vecchiarelli at Project Dryptosaurus, a site dedicated to spreading public awareness of New Jersey's own tyrannosaur. Send your posts about any aspect of paleontology to boneyardblogcarnival(at)blogspot(dot)com.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Boneyard 2.10 Call for Submissions
The end of May is rapidly approaching, which means we're coming up on the month of June. June is when, naturally, the June edition of the Boneyard arrives.
You see what I'm getting at here? Time to submit your own paleo blog post to the tenth edition of the Boneyard 2.0! This time around, it will be hosted by the capable Gary Vecchiarelli, the man behind Project Dryptosaurus. Project Drypto seeks to raise awareness of New Jersey's own tyrannosauroid, so let's pitch in by packing his go at the Boneyard with tons of good stuff.
The deadline for submissions is Monday, June 6. Boneyard 2.10 will be posted at Project Dryptosaurus on Tuesday, June 7. Send those posts to boneyardblogcarnival(at)blogspot(dot)com.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Whither Go the Boneyard?
We're just about halfway through 2011, so I thought it would be nice to talk about the Boneyard, where it's been, and where it may be headed.
First of all, the hosting schedule for 2011 is complete. That's a good thing. Plenty of new faces have stepped up to host, and hopefully it will bring up submissions.
Second, it's time for me to hand off organizing duties. I will be starting work on my master's degree in graphic design in August, and I simply will not have time to worry about being the Boneyard's custodian. It's not a huge amount of work, but it's something to be remembered each month, and tended to - corresponding with the month's host and sending out submission calls. As is evident from the May edition, when I get really busy, these things slip my mind. Apologies to Taylor for this, as the low submission total was partly my fault.
If you would like to take over organizing the Boneyard, please email me at boneyardblogcarnival(at)gmail(dot)com. We'll hash out the details from there. If no one has the time or energy to do it, the final edition of Boneyard 2.0 will be December 2011. Here's the thing:
That's okay.
It really is! Having done this for most of a year and thought a lot about how carnivals contribute to blog communities, I am absolutely convinced that rather than being a tool to build a small blogosphere, a blog carnival grows out of a blogosphere that is already vigorous and well-connected. The paleo blogosphere simply isn't. It's much smaller than those dedicated to neuroscience or other biological disciplines. Expecting a blog carnival to make it larger and more popular is a bit much to ask. The only thing that will, or ever has, is people generating content readers want. This is something that simply happens on its own, naturally, when there happen to be enough people who want to do it and they have a motivated readership. It's no one's fault. Few of us are getting paid to do this, and even if we are, it's not exactly a living wage.
Anyhow. Here are my tips for the new custodian, if one raises his or her hand.
1. It's supposed to be fun.
2. No blogger is obligated to submit or host. See #1. No pressuring "big time" paleo bloggers to do either.
3. This blog is great to get the word out about the Boneyard, but Twitter is also vital.
4. Expect, and accept, that each month's host will likely have to hand-pick much of the edition's content.
5. Remember the whole "it's supposed to be fun" thing.
Whether the Boneyard continues beyond 2011 or not, I would suggest this to paleo-bloggers who wish to participate in blog carnivals: submit to them.
There are plenty of blog carnivals that, while not being paleo-specific, certainly deal with topics we write about. Go here. Keep track of what's happening. And submit your stuff. This, I believe, will do much more good for the paleo-blog community than the comparatively insular Boneyard.
I admit, I have not submitted posts from Love in the Time of Chasmosaurs to carnivals enough. Or at all, to be honest. I will definitely be doing so in the future, and if you've written something you're proud of that would fit in with another carnival, I encourage you to, as well.
As for the immediate future, don't shy away from submitting to Boneyard 2.10, hosted by Gary and Project Dryptosaurus. And think about Boneyard 2.11, hosted at Laelaps by Brian Switek, who is going with the theme of saber-toothed critters of prehistory.
First of all, the hosting schedule for 2011 is complete. That's a good thing. Plenty of new faces have stepped up to host, and hopefully it will bring up submissions.
Second, it's time for me to hand off organizing duties. I will be starting work on my master's degree in graphic design in August, and I simply will not have time to worry about being the Boneyard's custodian. It's not a huge amount of work, but it's something to be remembered each month, and tended to - corresponding with the month's host and sending out submission calls. As is evident from the May edition, when I get really busy, these things slip my mind. Apologies to Taylor for this, as the low submission total was partly my fault.
If you would like to take over organizing the Boneyard, please email me at boneyardblogcarnival(at)gmail(dot)com. We'll hash out the details from there. If no one has the time or energy to do it, the final edition of Boneyard 2.0 will be December 2011. Here's the thing:
That's okay.
It really is! Having done this for most of a year and thought a lot about how carnivals contribute to blog communities, I am absolutely convinced that rather than being a tool to build a small blogosphere, a blog carnival grows out of a blogosphere that is already vigorous and well-connected. The paleo blogosphere simply isn't. It's much smaller than those dedicated to neuroscience or other biological disciplines. Expecting a blog carnival to make it larger and more popular is a bit much to ask. The only thing that will, or ever has, is people generating content readers want. This is something that simply happens on its own, naturally, when there happen to be enough people who want to do it and they have a motivated readership. It's no one's fault. Few of us are getting paid to do this, and even if we are, it's not exactly a living wage.
Anyhow. Here are my tips for the new custodian, if one raises his or her hand.
1. It's supposed to be fun.
2. No blogger is obligated to submit or host. See #1. No pressuring "big time" paleo bloggers to do either.
3. This blog is great to get the word out about the Boneyard, but Twitter is also vital.
4. Expect, and accept, that each month's host will likely have to hand-pick much of the edition's content.
5. Remember the whole "it's supposed to be fun" thing.
Whether the Boneyard continues beyond 2011 or not, I would suggest this to paleo-bloggers who wish to participate in blog carnivals: submit to them.
There are plenty of blog carnivals that, while not being paleo-specific, certainly deal with topics we write about. Go here. Keep track of what's happening. And submit your stuff. This, I believe, will do much more good for the paleo-blog community than the comparatively insular Boneyard.
I admit, I have not submitted posts from Love in the Time of Chasmosaurs to carnivals enough. Or at all, to be honest. I will definitely be doing so in the future, and if you've written something you're proud of that would fit in with another carnival, I encourage you to, as well.
As for the immediate future, don't shy away from submitting to Boneyard 2.10, hosted by Gary and Project Dryptosaurus. And think about Boneyard 2.11, hosted at Laelaps by Brian Switek, who is going with the theme of saber-toothed critters of prehistory.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Boneyard 2.9 Arrives
The May edition of the Boneyard Blog Carnival is now available for your reading pleasure at Life As We Know It.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Host the Boneyard!
After the April 5 edition of the Boneyard at Sorting Out Science, we're hostless. If you host a blog about paleontology or a related science, or general science, or science history, or science-art, what the heck? You should host!
I'll forward submissions to you as they roll in. If it's a bountiful month, you can use your discretion as far as what's included and what isn't. I'll also email you about all of this, including a link to the graphics set at Flickr.
You'll put together the post and publish it on the first Tuesday of your month. That's it! Fun fun fun fun.
Leave a comment here or email me at the address above if you'd like to host the Boneyard.
Updated Hosting 2011 Schedule:
April 5: Sorting Out Science
May 3: Life As We Know It
June 7: Project Dryptosaurus
July 5: Laelaps
August 2: ART Evolved
September 6: JP Legacy
October 4: The Faster Times
November 1: The Tyrannosaur Chronicles
December 6: The Disillusioned Taxonomist
Update 7/18/11: See this post.
Here's how it works. A little before the new edition is set to run, I call for entries. You should, too. There's no magic formula as far as how often to ask, where to ask (I mainly use this blog, Love in the Time of Chasmosaurs, and Twitter), or how early to ask. You're free to ask for submissions however you want, but I'd appreciate if you'd consider asking submitters to send to boneyardblogcarnival(at)gmail (dot)com. that way, folks will know of one address to send to, no matter who's hosting. The ideal is that each host bring in some new faces. It won't always happen, but it sure is lovely when it does.
The host also gets to decide if they want to run with a themed issue. If you do, make sure to let me know so I can put the word out as early as possible.
I'll forward submissions to you as they roll in. If it's a bountiful month, you can use your discretion as far as what's included and what isn't. I'll also email you about all of this, including a link to the graphics set at Flickr.
You'll put together the post and publish it on the first Tuesday of your month. That's it! Fun fun fun fun.
Leave a comment here or email me at the address above if you'd like to host the Boneyard.
Updated Hosting 2011 Schedule:
April 5: Sorting Out Science
May 3: Life As We Know It
June 7: Project Dryptosaurus
July 5: Laelaps
Update 7/18/11: See this post.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Boneyard 2.8 Call for Submissions
Hard to believe, but yet another month is slipping away quickly, and an anxious nation turns its attention to the paleontology blog community, asking "what has the Boneyard got in store for us?"
How will we answer? Will we shrug our shoulders and look to each other, sheepishly backing away from their pleas? Will we hit the snooze alarm, pull the covers over our heads and refuse? Or will we step forward with a great feast of quality blogging that will keep the hordes satiated for one more lunar cycle?
You know what we're gonna do. Because we're paleo bloggers, damn it. We're clutch performers. Sam Wise of Sorting Out Science will be our valiant captain this month, and I know we'll to make him proud.
As usual, send in all submissions to boneyardblogcarnival(at)gmail(dot)com, and I'll make sure Sam gets 'em.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Boneyard 2.7 is here
March is roaring in like a ferocious lion with the arrival of the seventh edition of the Boneyard 2.o. The world's greatest (and only) paleontology blog carnival is being hosted by David Tana at Superoceras this time around, and he's done a bang-up job of pulling together a disparate bunch of posts and making them all gel into a cohesive whole. It's a perfect model for future hosts, arranged in a sensible way and pulled together by David's personal insights. Reading it is really great. I heartily encourage it.
I've got some ideas to keep the carnival growing, as it's hit a bit of a plateau. Things aren't as dire as they were a few months ago, but this critter needs to keep moving forward. There's no reason it can't have the visibility of Carnival of Evolution, Accretionary Wedge, or Carnal Carnival. Part of my strategy is to talk some of the better known bloggers and scientist bloggers into hosting (yeah, I'm coming for you). Another idea is to ask paleo bloggers to consider hosting some of the other blog carnivals themselves - as David says very well in today's Boneyard, paleontology pulls in such a diversity of scientific disciplines that many carnivals could relate to the usual content of a paleontology blog.
Anyway, scoot on over to Superoceras!
I've got some ideas to keep the carnival growing, as it's hit a bit of a plateau. Things aren't as dire as they were a few months ago, but this critter needs to keep moving forward. There's no reason it can't have the visibility of Carnival of Evolution, Accretionary Wedge, or Carnal Carnival. Part of my strategy is to talk some of the better known bloggers and scientist bloggers into hosting (yeah, I'm coming for you). Another idea is to ask paleo bloggers to consider hosting some of the other blog carnivals themselves - as David says very well in today's Boneyard, paleontology pulls in such a diversity of scientific disciplines that many carnivals could relate to the usual content of a paleontology blog.
Anyway, scoot on over to Superoceras!
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