My.Opera Spotlights

Closing line for My.Opera spotlights

By Ivan MinicSerbianFighter. Saturday, April 15, 2006 8:13:57 PM

This will be the last post on My.Opera spotlights...
I'm sorry it had to end, and especially to end this way, but I trully believe that there is no reason for me to continue.
When I spent hours everyday collecting posts I was under impressions that some (a very small number of people) reads and follows this, but lately I'm starting to believe that this is pretty pointless...
Why?
When I posted daily, it took a lot of my time, but some people liked it.. now.. when it was decided to try with user contributions, I see mostly one thing... and I find it very sad... people are under impression that they should submit anything as long as it is their and it would get them some promotion... I got maybe 20 emails this week total and 90% of them were selfpromotion, usually without any reason. Very few mails were stuff I expect to see, the good blog posts or albums, backbone of this community...
I've been looking at counter of this blog and to be honest ~ 15 000 visits in 2 months isn't something I can say I'm satisfied with since my blog has that number on daily bases and it isn't even updated regularily lately...
This blog was meant to be some sort of "Thank you for the good stuff" for those who provide it.. and it was.. but I simply don't have time or energy to work on it anymore... lack of "global" interest for this and lack of my spare time have resulted with this decision.. My.Opera spotlights are part of history... maybe someday ... in some better conditions... it will resurrect...
Waiting for better times,
Yours Truly
SerbianFighter

p.s. A big thank you for JoniMueller for great contributions and big help with this blog, and small thanks to some people whose blogs deserve mentioning because they are provide us with daily dosage of wisdom, laugh or just a good story or gallery to share.. so... most spotlighted members... Zenya, ricewood, KayFour, lokutus_prime, musickna, hungryghost, mariamagadalena, Mathilda, magic_mania, I_ArtMan, Troels, offspring offspring offspring, longing2belong, FXM256 and others!

p.s.s. Interviews might be continued, depends on others.. I sent couple of private messages, got some response so if there is a will for it, I'll keep posting them

Spotlights for the Week of April 3, 2006

Comments

Richard Keelingmusickna # Saturday, April 15, 2006 8:22:02 PM

Well, I, for one, am sorry to see this happen! But thanks to you and Joni for all the work you put in.

I think it's fair to say that I discovered a good number of interesting blog posts through this that I doubt I would have ever come across otherwise, so I found Opera Spotlights to be both useful and a daily visit for me.

Hopefully, better conditions will come soon!

Jonijonimueller # Saturday, April 15, 2006 8:27:38 PM

Ivan, it was a great effort and a great resource for the "best of the best" here at the OC while it lasted. But the most important thing is that it not become a drain on you and your resources; when that happens, it definitely must be laid to rest.

Here's hoping (ever the optimist that I am!) for that someday, for that better time, for the underdogs everywhere to prevail!

Joni

hungryghost # Saturday, April 15, 2006 8:28:34 PM

Hi IVan,

yes, I'm sorry too that this is coming to an end; it was a nice way of collecting a series of posts that someone else found interesting. Was a differnt point of view from my usual browsing - regular blogs and random blogs.

On a different note, thanks too for posting your Pimp your Blog page, I've started making some changes (very elemntary) to my blog using your suggestions. This might not seem like a big deal, but I know v. little about web design language (traumatized by some horrible teacher way back in Comp. Sci 200 in the days when they still used Machine Language and card feeders.....)

ANyway, it's inspired me to find out more about CSS now. It's a mystifying language still, but give me some time.

So...thanks once again for starting the spotlights and I'm trully sorry that this is coming to an end like this.

best wishes

Hungry

WillYum # Saturday, April 15, 2006 9:11:34 PM

I too must express my sorry at reading this. I tried to hit the My.Opera Spotlights every update and I too found stuff I never would have found otherwise. Truly a good resource but definitely not worth the drain on you.

Major Bummer

sandistamster # Saturday, April 15, 2006 10:12:52 PM

Well.. Sad, but thanks for effort, it was a one of the best blogs, here, at O.C.
Hope to see My.Opera spotlights coming back some day.

Words # Saturday, April 15, 2006 11:45:15 PM

I'll miss it too (though I've not been active, I've been checking the feed). I guess not all good ideas take immediately, but it was a worthwhile effort and all your work here is very much appreciated.

(you deserve one!)

RamūnasRamunas # Sunday, April 16, 2006 7:34:56 AM

Well thanks for you work

It's Sabrina!Sabrina3363 # Sunday, April 16, 2006 2:59:22 PM

Ivan, you are absolutely right. It is shameful to use Opera Spotlights for self promotion. There has been one member who has been particularly guilty of this self-serving practice. Let's take a look at only the last few days of Opera Spotlights when you were deciding the best of the best. Included in the daily listings were the following:

4-03.. Blog: (A quote) How to be annoying.... SerbianFighter
3-31.. Album: Bike Graveyard.... SerbianFighter
3-31.. Album: Food Creations.... SerbianFighter
3-30.. Blog: (Song Lyrics) Trust.... SerbianFighter
3-30.. Blog: (Song Lyrics) Count on me.... SerbianFighter
3-30.. Album: Can Art.... SerbianFighter
3-29.. Album: Israel Female Fighters.... SerbianFighter
3-29.. Album: USB Art.... SerbianFighter
3-29.. Album: Phone Room....SerbianFighter
3-28.. Album: Longborghini Gallardo.... SerbianFighter
3-27.. Blog: (A quote) Life aint always beautiful.... SerbianFighter
3-27.. Blog: (A quote) In a sentimental Mood.... SerbianFighter
3-25.. Blog: (A quote) Do you?.... SerbianFighter
3-24.. Album: Lego Arena.... SerbianFighter
3-23.. Album: M80 Stiletto.... SerbianFighter

Ivan, my fingers tire. I could go on and on and on and on. I know this comment is not going to be popular, but REALLY.... don't throw stones in glass houses, Ivan. And Ivan.... try to come up with something original to say. Forget the quotes and song lyrics. S.

Ivan MinicSerbianFighter # Sunday, April 16, 2006 3:11:38 PM

What can I say.. I make good posts and upload good albums.. with or without spotlights they are by very very far the most visited on The Opera Community... I don't need half nude photo of myself to promote my blog, people visit it because they find something good to read everyday (sadly not anymore though.. no time), not because they want to see someones panties or stockings... Just as an example most visited albums on OC.. sometime ago I held all albums on first 3 pages and 87 from first 100 (someone sent me pm with that.. )... I earned reputation and respect with hard and good work... I wasn't spotlighted because someone didn't have time to look for suitable MOTW (like in someone's case...), I was spotlighted because I was damn active and my actions and content made the difference...
And quotes... you'll never understand them anyway...

Jonijonimueller # Sunday, April 16, 2006 3:38:47 PM

@Sabrina: Well, when there's a dearth of good material to work with, you go with what you've got. And remember, this is not an official Opera blog, it's one person's blog and as we all know (or should know), "your blog, your rules." This includes choosing what to link to and what comments get to stay or go. (You know all about that, too, dear.)

You have to admit, the man's got a point. While you yourself, Sabrina, might not be part of the over two million visitors, like it or not, quite a few others appreciate the content or it wouldn't be this popular. So you can marshall all the self serving (cough) stats you want, but you can't change that one fact.

@Ivan: As I said before, it's a great idea, but it takes a cooperative, collaborative effort (or to put it in language Sabrina understands, a group grope) to make it work. Some people just aren't up for that challenge.

It's Sabrina!Sabrina3363 # Sunday, April 16, 2006 4:12:41 PM

Joni... Ivan was complaining about people nominating their own posts to be spotlighted. He said this was self promotion and therefore he was going to shut down the blog.

I pointed out that he should not throw stones because if anyone was guilty of using OperaSpotlights for self promotion he was. I provided recent examples.

I also pointed out that his postings which became Spotlighted were not original.

Anything else... Half nude photos, Panties, Stockings, How the MOTW was chosen, are at the very least, off topic. S.

Ivan MinicSerbianFighter # Sunday, April 16, 2006 4:33:51 PM

I used My.Opera spotlights for promoting good stuff.
The fact that I produced 3-4% of that good stuff I don't see as a problem... I posted couple of dozens albums and blog posts a day and one of them is mine.. so?
Content isn't original but people love it, share it, comment on it... and the problem is?
My albums are maybe boring to you, but they are extremly popular.. and the problem is?
One thing is when people nominate one or two posts that are good and interesting, either their own or copied story, the other thing is when they send 10 submissions out of which 9.5 are one sentence posts about stuff no one actually cares about.
And stuff you call offtopic... it hurts.. I know.. but... does it hurt because I say it, or because it is true?
The fact that you don't like something usually means that you should click X in the right corner and go on some other blog, if you want it done the other way, it is a free community, you can try producing something similar to this.. But no.. it is much easier to trashtalk on others blogs and forum topics than to actually do something to help this place grow.

nedko # Monday, April 17, 2006 8:44:49 AM

SerbFighter, It was interesting pool of linkz.. may be if you make it once a week it would be easier for you to maintain it?

Staceystaceyc # Wednesday, April 19, 2006 8:09:20 PM

A truly great site that I enjoyed reading often. It will be a great loss for the community if this site disappears. Opera community is what it is today - a connected and growing medium of contrasting ideas and creativity because of dedicated Opera bloggers like yourself SerbFighter. I will not stand for this.

Ivan MinicSerbianFighter # Wednesday, April 19, 2006 8:19:54 PM

It really isn't something I enjoy doing... Closing down "project" I made here, I mean... but it is simply pointless... I would love it to be resurected sometimes.. but if I ever do, I expect it to start making sense... this .. working this much this hard for no one.. well, actors quit shows that have 5 people in the audience :| I had many (imho) great ideas prepared for spotlights... but now... simply .... makes no sense trying..

Jakub81 # Saturday, April 22, 2006 1:23:26 PM

Well, too bad. But I think the problem is, there was MUCH TO MUCH stuff in the blog. I would almost need another "SpotLight" blog to find something in this one! That's why I didn't visit it to often.

Really, spotlighting one *very good* blog post + one *very good* album + one *very good* customization (widget/skin/setup/panel/wallpaper) DAILY would be enough IMHO. Instead, I was bombarded by tons of links every day. Sometimes less is more, especially if you want to *spotlight* something. Oh, and by *very good* I don't mean "copy something from the Web and put it into your blog". Most of your blog posts and photo albums fall into this category...

Ivan MinicSerbianFighter # Saturday, April 22, 2006 4:16:45 PM

Really, spotlighting one *very good* blog post + one *very good* album + one *very good* customization (widget/skin/setup/panel/wallpaper) DAILY would be enough IMHO

And that 1+1+1 would be ok represent of 350 000 users and their 250 000 blog posts and 60 000 albums.. This was daily digest.. I don't find reading 10 blog posts a day on a community I spend couple hours everyday browsing too much...
That would be the same as saying lets make one movie a year and one tv show a day...

Instead, I was bombarded by tons of links every day.

It takes approx 3 minutes for average human to read whole post.. out of 30-40 links, you can find few you want to read.

Sometimes less is more, especially if you want to *spotlight* something.

You have Opera Bits for that, and frontpage... I don't like the way it is done, and I made this. It is a choice.

Oh, and by *very good* I don't mean "copy something from the Web and put it into your blog". Most of your blog posts and photo albums fall into this category...

Maybe, but all of my blogs (4 of them) and albums are by far the most popular. Even without updating.

Jonijonimueller # Saturday, April 22, 2006 5:00:01 PM

Instead, I was bombarded by tons of links every day.

Tons? Try 20 or 30. That's not even close to "tons." And if clicking on links bothers you so much, turn your computer off, and go find a book to read. This kind of mindset is exactly the reason why this kind of endeavor fails. Because people are inherently lazy. They sit, like baby birds in a nest, with their mouths wide open, waiting for the mother bird to drop a worm in their mouths. Then complain about the way the worm tastes.

And spotlighting one of each every day? Well then the comment boxes on this blog would be filled to overflowing with people bellyaching about the daily choice.

Deliver me.