Introduction to Wag the Slate

Hello. If you are a fray poster, this blog belongs to you. It is a blog specifically designed for you and your fray posts. In short, before you let another of your fray posts sink into obscurity, consider reposting it here where it will be accessible to the whole of the internet, Wag the Slate contributors, and not just the few fraysters who happen to be reading the specific fray board at the time you posted it in the fray. It takes less than 5 minutes to register, and after that, a minute or two to repost your fray posts to Wag the Slate.

How to participate: Simply email wagtheslate@gmail.com. In response to that email, you’ll receive a Blogger Invites <no-reply@blogger.com>. Contained in that email will be a link. From the link, follow the instructions to accept the invitation (if you already have a blogger account), or to create a blogger account. The latter should take about a minute and is free. From there, you’ll have permission to create posts. When you’re ready to post, simply log into blogger.

I wrote a very long post talking about how Slate has missed the boat by failing to upgrade the fray, how they’ve failed to recognize the impact their readers can have on their long tail, and why thanks to the linkage Slate enjoys on MSN.com , they are perfectly positioned to build a community that rivals, and possibly surpasses the current powerhouses. But it was too long.

Instead, I’ll just say that I enjoyed designing this blog. I enjoy thinking of ways to tap the potential I see in the fray. I enjoy the idea of getting Slate’s attention if 10, 20, 50, 100,… fraysters joined this blog and started generating so much traffic for Slate that Jacob and crew would have no choice but to sit up and take notice. I enjoy the idea of this blog becoming a hub of activity as you pass through it on your way to Slate and the fray. I’d enjoy watching as that little yellow number on the sidebar grows, and I’d enjoy posting detailed traffic reports on a regular basis and in response to spikes in traffic so you can see for yourself how many people are reading you, who is linking to you, and how much we’ve grown. It would be fun for me.

But there’s one thing I can’t do. That’s make you participate, or talk you into participating. And without you, this blog is just an idea. So I’m asking. Give it a try. Give it a month. Give it a post or two. This is the ground floor.

FAQ

1. Registration, Profile and Display Name questions?
2. What can I post?
3. Post format and editorial control questions?
4. Contacting?
5. (How) Should I promote Wag the Slate?
6. How do I find mine and others posts?
7. Can I get a link to my home fray added to the sidebar?
8. How do I get my post listed on Slate’s “THE MOST blogged”?
9. Dear Fray Poster:
10. How do I know when someone has commented on my blog post?

I have other questions?

You can email me with your question at wagtheslate@gmail.com, or, the preferred method, post your question as a comment in response to this post. I’ll answer them as I get to them, and if you know the answer to someone else’s question, feel free to answer for me. I’ll also add common question/answers to the FAQ as they occur.