A request: Please check out Buzzblog

There’s an axiom among political campaign professionals that goes like this: Whenever a candidate is speaking to potential voters – be it a TV commercial, door-to-door glad-handing or a televised debate – make sure that he doesn’t forget to explicitly ask his audience for their vote. It is in that spirit that I ask you to please read my new blog called Buzzblog.

There’s an axiom among political campaign professionals that goes like this: Whenever a candidate is speaking to potential voters – be it a TV commercial, door-to-door glad-handing or a televised debate – make sure that he doesn’t forget to explicitly ask his audience for their vote.

It is in that spirit that I ask you to please read my new blog called Buzzblog. It may not cut your taxes, save Social Security or support your family values, but neither will it kiss your baby or listen in on your private phone conversations – at least not without a warrant.

What I am hoping is that Buzzblog will provide information, both important and silly, as well as opinion and entertainment value roughly akin to what you’ve gotten here – for better or for worse – over the past seven years. Same author, same style, roughly the same swath of subject material, all wrapped up in the now-familiar trappings of a blog.

The biggest difference is that Buzzblog will be updated daily – several times a day is the goal – whereas ‘Net Buzz remains shackled by the once-a-week reality of Network World print (not that Buzz is going away, mind you). You too get to have your say – every day.

Not too long ago you could have counted me among the ranks of old-school journalists who questioned the intrinsic value of the blog format, and in particular the value of the art as it was being practiced by the unwashed masses. There remains a boatload of crappy blogs written by a raft of know-nothing bloggers on every topic imaginable (and some you’d rather not imagine). But there can be little doubt that the genre has proven its mettle and blogging is here for the duration.

At least there’s little doubt in my mind. While today marks its official coming-out party, Buzzblog has been live for about two weeks – beta mode, if you will – and I’ve been bugging friends and colleagues to give it a read. Get a load of this reaction from one of those beta testers:

“Arrrgh . . . et tu, Paulie? Blogs are execrable and a blot on the landscape,” she writes. “That said, anyone who’s a professional writer probably generates something that’s worth reading . . . so I’ll gladly forward it around.”

How’s that for unqualified support?

And she continues: “Just out of curiosity, what prompted you?”

A variety of factors, actually, not the least of which is that the powers that be here encouraged me to give it a go. (When the subject comes up yet again while the boss is handing you a holiday bonus, it’s time to take the hint.) The more affirmative reasons are that it’s difficult to live within the confines of a once-a-week column in a world where news happens and is reported round the clock. Network World print is published on Monday. A thought to share on Tuesday isn’t likely to get beyond the water cooler without a more immediate outlet. A blog provides that outlet.

Writing daily is nothing new to me. Prior to joining Network World, I worked for 18 years at a daily newspaper, a number of those years as editorial page editor. That particular job at a smaller paper is very much like blogging: You’re a one-man band cranking out a column’s worth of opinions day after day – and hearing back from readers who either approve or would like to see you stop cranking. (Let’s not belabor the fact that I’m talking about snail-mail there.)

So please give Buzzblog a look.

If you like, bookmark, or better yet, subscribe to the RSS feed.

It’s a work in progress, so don’t hesitate to let me know what you think.

Tell friends.

With all due respect to blogs and Howard Stern, e-mail remains the king of all media. The address is buzz@nww.com.