The Harrogate crime fiction festival is over. Crimeficreader has started posting about it in a series of reports: A few points of interest; the New Blood panel; and the Harrogate Crime Writing festival 2006. More to come.
Sarah Weinman has posted a collection of links to some bloggers' reports of the festival (including a semi-indiscreet reference to Crimefic's blog), noting: "if I've missed out on anything, just add your voice in the backblogs."
"Backblogs" -- is this a term for comments? Has anyone heard it before? I really like the word, and am wondering if Sarah invented it or if it is a known term. Or if it refers to some piece of the blogosphere I have yet to encounter.
While I was at Sarah's blog, I picked up yet another book recommendation (help me! help me!):
"Daniel Woodrell: Winter's Bone: A Novel
I've been saying how brilliant this book is for ages but why not make it official now that the pub date approaches: this is one of the best novels of 2006, bar none, and Woodrell demonstrates why he's writing some of the best contemporary fiction going these days. What a heartbreaking, emotion-laden, stunning book this is. Read it, savor it and never forget it."
I've seen it on other blogs but I don't know where it originated.
Posted by: Steve Clackson | 26 July 2006 at 16:53
I've not heard of backblogs before, but I agree it is a nice term. Something I recently came across was 'freedback' (http://chris.pirillo.com/2006/06/23/freedbacking/), which is a new term for free (constructive) feedback given to developers. I like that one too!
Posted by: sian | 27 July 2006 at 08:45
Max, I haven't read Winter's Bone, but I have read Woodrell and if you haven't you're definitely missing out. Think of a hillbilly Chandler and you sort of get the idea. Woodrell is one of the unsung heroes of noir.
Posted by: Tribe | 28 July 2006 at 01:17
Dave Lull has identified "backblog" as a term that has been around for a bit more than 10 years: see http://www.blogextra.com/backblog/default.asp.
It does seem to be similar to the "freedback" (nice word!) you've identified, Sian, but without the "free" bit.
However, I would say that this correct use of the term is not what Sarah meant, I think she was meaning "backblogs" to mean "comments", which I think describes comments well, as they can often be as fascinating as the original post, and certainly can enhance it.
Posted by: Maxine | 02 August 2006 at 12:20