Hello, dear readers of Wheat and Tares (once again)!
Not quite a year ago, I took your pulse the first time. That pulse-taking was about technical aspects of the site: things like comment numbering, gravatars, sharing and liking, the theme of the site, and whatnot.
Well, this post will kinda be like that, only not about technical aspects of the site. Instead, let’s talk about content.
First, I would like to know: how did you come to discover Wheat and Tares? Is this the only blog you read, or if you read others, what are they? Are they blogs completely unrelated to W&T or pretty similar? Do you read other blogs in the Bloggernacle? (Better question: do you know what the Bloggernacle is?)
How do you see Wheat and Tares? What, in your opinion, is Wheat and Tares about? (I sense that some commenters have a different idea about what W&T is about than what we bloggers do, but I want to hear more answers before getting too much into that.)
And of course, if you have any other comments, suggestions, etc., you can comment those here as well.
Wheat & Tares 
Oooh! I’ll play! I found W&T through your garment article, after Exponent II posted something on modesty and you got linked to it. I started following it mainly for the whole “if I were in charge” posts, and found that I like it. I read a TON of other blogs from the bloggernacle, mostly of the liberal/feminist type.
Since, I’m kind of NEW to 1) reading blogs in general 2) following this blog particularly – I’d say I think you guys are about a more liberal interpretation of church things. Interesting articles on politics and science and culture. Most of what I have read is linked with Mormonism, but not all of it, and that’s okay. I also think it’s interesting how often you discuss the Community of Christ – since that is often ignored in the rest of the church – like we don’t have ANYTHING in common at all.
So yeah… I like it, and I’ll keep reading.
I don’t remember how I came across it–probably a link from a comment in another blog. I also regularly read By Common Consent, Feminist Mormon Housewives and The Exponent. I couldn’t tell you what I think this blog is about, but it fulfills a need I have, so I love it!
I say W & T when it showed up on the blogrole after Dehlingate. W & T isn’t about anything really, as all the writers are different. If there is any commonality it is openness and controversy. As for opinions, I find it draining that W & T allows people to comment who are absolutely openly hateful to the church and seems to have little or no moderation.
i’ve received blowback on this, but i dont really have interest in reading posts here that have no ties to mormonism besides “well it was written by a mormon”
if i want to read about rick perry, i have plenty of political blogs i read, and they do it much better. so i would prefer content that at least has some relationship to mormonism, because i think blogs should do what they do well, and not try and do everything.
just my opinion
1) “How did you come to discover Wheat and Tares?”
I know the writers from the Mormon Matters days and was aware of W&T when it started.
2) “Is this the only blog you read, or if you read others, what are they?”
That’s a pretty funny question for me. Yeah, I read other blogs – too many to list here.
3) “Are they blogs completely unrelated to W&T or pretty similar?”
Most of the blogs I read regularly are in the Bloggernacle / Mormon Blogosphere, so they are similar in that they are Mormon-related. I read a few others, but I spend too much time reading these to spend much time reading others.
4) “Do you read other blogs in the Bloggernacle? (Better question: do you know what the Bloggernacle is?)”
Yes (extensively), and yes.
5) “How do you see Wheat and Tares? What, in your opinion, is Wheat and Tares about?”
I see W&T as a pretty free-flowing forum with plenty of different writers who have different perspectives than each other. There obviously is less moderation than BCC – but there is far less negativity than FMH. I read and like both BCC and FMH, so don’t read too much into that comparison. I think each group blog does what the permas want it to do – and I like having lots of different options in that regard.
Orchestras and piccolos and crazy quilts and such.
how did you come to discover Wheat and Tares?
My brother was one of the original permabloggers on that blog W&T was spawned from.
Is this the only blog you read, or if you read others, what are they?
I cannot even begin to list for you all the blogs I read. Actually, maybe I can. But that’s not all of them.
Are they blogs completely unrelated to W&T or pretty similar? Do you read other blogs in the Bloggernacle?
I read lots of Bloggernacle blogs, and I think W&T has got its own style and niche. There’s no way I’d confuse it with some other Bloggernacle group blog the way I strangely always confuse T&S with BCC. Well, except maybe I occasionally confuse you guys with Doves & Serpents, because of the parallel name and the fact that the two blogs were launched almost simultaneously.
Conclusion: You guys are not quite as cool as Main Street Plaza or anything, but still a great read! 😉
Andrew, great idea. It’s good to take the pulse of our readers from time to time. We do need to be careful of the results. I’m teaching an intro to statistics course this fall, and they caution that these types of polls are convenience samples, not random samples. We’re more likely to get opinions from readers with strong opinions, than to get a true gauge of all readers for our blog. Still, I think it is a useful exercise.
Is this the only blog you read, or if you read others, what are they?
I would like to read other blogs, but I just don’t have time. I really like it when someone brings interesting things. Chanson does a great job of that with her weekly “Sunday in Outer Blogness” posts each week. So Chanson, I will tell you that you’ve gotten me to read MSP occasionally, though I find the posts there a bit too negative for my tastes. But I do think highlighting interesting posts around the bloggernacle is a good idea–perhaps we should do that more here.
Do you read other blogs in the Bloggernacle?
I’d like to, but don’t have the time. I focus mainly in my blog, here, StayLDS. John Hamer writes several places, so it’s hard to keep track of his latest stuff, but I try to follow him.
I infrequently check Grace for Grace, Irrestible Disgrace, Faithful Dissident, and Clean Cut. When someone points out a post at BCC, T&S, Keepapitchinin, or other blogs, I will check those out as well. If I want a laugh, I go to Overheard in the Ward.
I won’t answer the other questions until later–I’m curious what others think.
Hmm, I think you raised this issue on another post. I think it was a good point to bring up, but I wouldn’t call anything you received as “blowback”. Blowback can be much worse than anything you encountered. I will say that I usually try to bring the Mormon angle to the story most of the time, but I wanted to take a break this week with my Abortion and Crime post. I expected Mormons would have a strong opinion on abortion (and would have stronger opinions against abortion), but I guess our readers are probably more moderate than you’ll hear in Sunday School.
Thanks, you’re so sweet!!
I read a lot of niche stuff (niche from the POV of Mormonism) — like science, politics, military affairs, and my own denomination — and the strange connections between those things show up here. But then I’m an odd mix of conservative and liberal, scientist and believer, so strangeness goes with the territory.
It doesn’t leave me enough time to read all of the ‘nacle blogs most readers here follow, so I couldn’t often write on topics they address even if I made that my goal.
“I’m an odd mix of conservative and liberal, scientist and believer, so strangeness goes with the territory.”
I understand that feeling, FireTag.
I used to read Mormon Matters periodically, and came here after things went south.
I read far too many blogs, unfortunately. 🙂 Generally they are Mormon themed blogs, but I have a few others, poetry/food/comics for the most part. I found the bloggernacle through fMh, and generally keep tabs on posts there, here, and BCC, depending on how much disposable time I have.
How do you see Wheat and Tares? What, in your opinion, is Wheat and Tares about?
I tend to find W&T to be somewhat more tangential than many other blogs – and not in a negative sense. I find somewhat more focus on praxis (and the various complications thereof) than on theology, which complements some of the more theological musings one finds elsewhere. There is also a wide variety of posts – mission journals, CoC/RLDS, physics, economics, and so on.
I suppose I see this as a generalist blog rather than a specialist blog. That is one of its strengths, I think.
P.S. everyone,
I (and the other permas) have for the most part been behind the scenes, but we’re definitely loving these comments. (Even if it is just a convenience sample.)
Later, I think I might take the time (as some of the other permas have done) and answer the questions myself…
I found you when someone mentioned you on the BCC blog. You guys are great. Balanced.
I wish someone would take up the cause is the singles over age 30 in the Church. If it sounds like a good subject, please check put the post called “Letter to LDS Singles ” on celibateinthecity.blogspot. com. Thanks.
I was introduced to Wheat and Tares by one of the authors I know. I read and comment on many different blogs, including regularly reading posts about space exploration. Blogs I read are mostly secular in nature. Wheat and Tares has been my introduction to the Bloggernacle. I also read personal blogs by family members.
I see Wheat and Tares as an online community made up mostly of people with direct ties to Mormonism. Posts generally have an explicit connection to Mormonism, but not always. I also see it as a place to explore broader religious and secular topics that are relevant, but not unique, to Mormonism. While most of these posts have an inside-looking-out orientation, I think there is great opportunity for posts from writers who are outside looking in. That would be the point where I feel I can meaningfully connect with Wheat and Tares, since I no longer practice Mormonism.
Re Glass Ceiling
I’ll be able to take that on in the very near future…unfortunately.
Re Ray-
I love you! You’re great!
Re Childe Jake-
Always good to have you. Love your posts.
I followed the authors here after the aptly coined “Dehlin-gate.”
No. Too many others to mention, most in my field of employment, some in my hobbies.
95% are unrelated.
I keep tabs on some mormon blogs, and I’ve tried to read some regularly and couldn’t make myself.
Sadly, yes.
My gut response is: a (mostly) non-acrimonious blog about Mormons or Mormonism from various perspectives. The healthier, living offshoot branch of what Dehlin Enterprises has become.
I have no coherent answer for/opinion on this.
How did you come to discover Wheat and Tares?
I started following Wheat and Tares pretty much at the same time that the Mormon Matters blog imploded… (I think that was what it was called.)
Is this the only blog you read, or if you read others, what are they?
I don’t comment here hardly ever, but I do read a few W&Ts things each week as they come across my Google Reader.
I don’t really read any bloggernacle blogs regularly… Most of the blogs that I follow are either listed on the Outerblogness Directory that Chanson listed above or the MoHo Directory (mohodirectory.blogspot.com). (Sorry! I ack the html skills to make those actual links…)
Though I lean more into the ex-mo crowd, I do like the diversity of opinions and ideas that are represent here. (I do view this blog and most of the bloggers here as being kind of unorthodox/uncorrelated and not really exmo/post-mo.)
Thank you, JMB. I look forward to it. And I know others who will too. 🙂
I think it’s interesting that the MM split changed things so much – same bloggers as before, but we lost some readers and gained new ones.
I like the mix of writers here and commend W&T for mostly avoiding the Bloggernacle approach to group blogging (which seems to be all about stroking egos when it’s not the same twenty people taking turns being rude to each other). My only complaint is the appalling dearth of contests and prizes around these parts, but hopefully that will change and I’ll get a chance to vote for W&T in a fair election one of these days. Pax et bonum.
My only complaint is the appalling dearth of contests and prizes around these parts, but hopefully that will change and I’ll get a chance to vote for W&T in a fair election one of these days. Pax et bonum.
…but then 20 people will take turns being rude to us. Because how DARE we make a contest/appropriate an old one?
Oh, c’mon. So what? At some point, just like Spoon Boy in The Matrix, I’m confident you’ll realize that there is no Bloggernacle. Be the ‘nacle and it’ll bend along with you.
*glances at traffic referrer data*
*sweat bead drips*
I’m with Chino on the “Be the ‘nacle” idea! As for creating our own awards, I also like this idea, but I would prefer something less grandiose and more tongue-in-cheek. Categories like: best feminist rant, most confusing Mormon-border definition post, weirdest post (general category) and most ass-kissing comment thread.
Keep encouraging me, hawkgrrrl, and this thread might very well walk away with top honors in that last category. 😉
I’m not one of you, but y’all have got a nice dynamic going on here. And I’m just throwing this out there, but you might consider taking over the r/mormon subreddit as a way of replacing the inevitable traffic loss if/when the archipelago apparatchiks decide to cut you loose for talking too much truth to power.
We need to award some “Wheaties” or something similar. Probably using work-safe language …
“most ass-kissing comment thread’
I’m certainly no one here could win that! It is solely reserved for another blog, which shall remain nameless.
Take over r/mormon?
bwaha, half the permas here don’t even tweet regularly. Although, it shouldn’t be too difficult to submit a few links there once in a while…
OK, so I take back my gracious offer to turn over moderation of r/mormon to people who actually, you know, are obviously more invested in Mormonism than I am.
Is it just me, or do Mormons love to complain about how the larger culture is against them, but then… when/if you offer them the chance to engage that culture, they suddenly recoil? To Margaret Young’s undying credit, she braved the snarling snakepit that is Daily Kos, and we had fun with that forum.
Anyways, it’s your blog. Whether it ultimately turns into beacon or ghetto is all up to y’all.
Speaking of grandiosity, I’m cringing while re-reading my #29. Good grief, sorry about that.
Yeah, I know you wrote 30, but in response to 29, I’d point out that all Mormons obviously aren’t the same; some don’t complain and don’t really have any macro level goals or aspirations with “the larger culture.”
Then again, who am *I* speaking for?