Ok, the last post was just my idea of a little bit of fun. It's amazing the number of people who read it and didn't realise it was an April Fool. I thought it was one of my more obvious ones.
However, there was more than a kernel of truth in it. And here is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
I currently have a new website being designed, with the intention of launching it within the next four to six weeks. It won't be a single person authored blog, because my reasons for stopping my blog are still valid. However, I will be writing on it most days, but the exciting thing is that I have recruited an army of around 30 people from the world of politics, media and the arts to join me. It's not meant to be a Huffington Post, but that's the closest analogy I can think of. Each contributor will write pieces whenever they like, hopefully at least once a week. Many of the contributors will be familiar to you, some won't, but I have asked them all to take part because of their brilliant writing.
The site won't just be concerned with politics and it won't have a politically biased editorial line. Contributors include Labour and LibDem supporters. We'll have book and film reviews, a little bit of sport, and there are several contributors from the world of radio and TV. I've also recruited several contibutors who have been well known bloggers, but like me decided to call it quits. Each contributor will have their own RSS feeds, and their own pages. The site is going to be designed with a magazine/newspaper feel ratheer than a blog. Readers will be encourged to comment on articles, but they will have to register with their real details. I'm not allowing any anyonymous comments on the site. Been there. Done that.
I've still to decide on a name - all suggestions gratefully received. Iain Dale & Co or Iain Dale & Friends are the current frontrunners, but neither are exactly innovative.
I don't know if this will work or not. Whenever I had guest contributors in the past people said they didn't like it and they came to my site to read me and me alone. Well, in theory you'll still be able to do that on the new site, but I really think the team I have put together will be provide a fascinating mix of political and media commentary.
The problem was, on the old site - this site -50% of the readers returned 3 or more times a day and expected new content when they did. In the end I couldn't provide it. The idea of the new site is that I will write once a day but there will be between 5 and 10 other articles to keep people entertained.
Once the site design has developed, I'll update you further, and provide details of some of the great names I have signed up to write for the site.
PS The illustration above is just too show you how you will be able to scroll through contributors. Zac, Shami and Dan are not contributors to the new site. Well, not yet anyway.
PPS If you have ideas for potential contributors, I'd be happy to consider them.
Mr Dale's Diary.....
ReplyDeleteAsk Dan Hodges and Peter Watt to contribute - they're wasted on Labour Un Cut.
ReplyDeleteI hope this isn't the dreaded April Fool and you and your colleagues will be back with a multiplicity of articles and comments. Should be good (reached for footstool and bag of popcorn - with extra salt).
ReplyDeleteI would reverse it if you are only posting about once a day. Friends & Iain Dale (given you are a modest chap!).
ReplyDeleteFormat should work - it does for the Spectator Coffee House.
Glad you are partially back.
Why not Mister Dale's Diary? For those of us who still remember your wife's blog on Radio 4....
ReplyDeleteThe Daley News?
ReplyDeleteSeeing as Douglas Murray seems to have been thrown out of Telegraph Blogs, could you kindly give him a new home?
ReplyDeleteThe Daley?
ReplyDeleteWill bloggers such as myself be able to register under our blogging names, or will we have to out ourselves and use our real identities in order to comment?
I look forward to it and like the idea of a variety of contributors from across the political spectrum. Two requests - I hope the site design has less adds than the current one and how about including a guest spot for someone who you feel speaks some sense but doesn't have a following? It would be great for you to introduce us to new people.
ReplyDeleteThe Daily Sport title seems to have suddenly become available.
ReplyDeleteGrim Reaper,
ReplyDeleteYou can still use a pseudonym, but when you register you will have to give your real name and a valid email address to verify your registration.
Plato, Indeed. One of them has already agreed.
Tom, Good idea.
If you don't have Graeme Archer then you should hang your head in shame...
ReplyDeleteAnd it might be nice and controversial to have a socially conservative commentator like Cranmer as well. Or even yours truly....
:-)
P+
Have you got a Welsh contributing angle Iain?
ReplyDeleteIf not, check my eclectic blog (http://johnmarkcole.blogspot.com)out and see if you'd like me to contribute with my Celtic outlook on all things political, sporting and entertainment.
Mark
The similarity to Coffee House is apparent so why not Tea Break/Tea Shop.
ReplyDeletemaybe The Association or The Associates
The Iain Dale Collective?
ReplyDeletePerhaps a faint taint of the left, perhaps....
The Dale Digest?
ReplyDeleteOf course there will be contributions from those north of the border?
Iain,
ReplyDeleteIt's your project (I assume) and many will look in because it has your imprimatur, so calling it something like "Iain Dale & Co" is perfectly valid.
But not "Mr Dale's Diary". When I first looked at your blog, I briefly wondered why it wasn't called that, then realised that only those of A Certain Age would "get it".
If there is a wide range of views from across the political spectrum, then any comparison with the Speccy Coffee House is less valid, and the HuffPo is more like it.
I'll look in, even if I don't agree with much of the content. Bit like before, then ;-)
Names?
ReplyDeleteDalesmen, Daleswomen?
Dale and Co?
The New Daley?
Still All About Me Really
ReplyDeleteThat should do it, titlewise.
I would be bloody brilliant ,(just thought I `d try a little sub textual suggestion there.)
ReplyDeleteSounds like something we need Iain , your blog was not always thrilling but there was something reliable about it.It was central, sane and pleasurable.
It has been missed
Can you persuade Tom Harris to come out of retirement for it?
ReplyDeleteGood stuff. Hope you're all alright and Mr Gio is in fine fettle.
ReplyDeleteGood job, too, Iain!
ReplyDeleteThis new website sounds like it should be successful.
I wish it well.
Surely any name must revolve around "The Daley...".
ReplyDeleteprisoner ben?
ReplyDeleteVery nice indeed Mr Dale's Diary, that should do it.
ReplyDeleteThe Daley Male ?
ReplyDelete