This is what you’ll get

Having said I’d be blogging much more in 2016, I thought it only fair to share what you might expect to get. In no particular order:

• Reflections on public policy and public services. Policy blogging will mostly be on social care, health and disability equality. Public service blogging will be on all sorts, including integration, commissioning, evidence and change. What you won’t get here is the latest gossip on (party) politics and politicians.
• Books. Not reviews as such, but a record of the books I’m reading, quotes from them I’ve found provoking or reflections prompted by the book. The vast majority will be non-fiction (politics, history, quasi-academic) with bits of fiction thrown in.
• Interesting writing elsewhere. Sharing great posts and writing from other blogs and publications, especially bringing together different posts that cover similar themes.
• Films. Some bad film criticism – not criticism of bad films, but bad criticism of films. It will probably be A-Level standard stuff.
• Self. The occasional post reflecting on trying to be a good person, and the attempts of others to also be so. Will include some posts on running.

You also get a bonus point for recognising the lyric reference of this post’s title, indicating that there will be the occasional random music post, too.

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Housekeeping (interim)

This is just a brief note to say that arbitrary constant will be moving from its current set up (using Movable Type) to WordPress. As a result, the best place to directly access the blog will be https://arbitraryc.wordpress.com. I’ll be setting up re-directs on the more traditional URL in due course, but thought you’d like to know what was happening now!

On blogging in 2011

I’ve recorded an audioboo on what you can expect from this blog in 2011. Click below to listen.

http://boos.audioboo.fm/swf/fullsize_player.swf

2010: A year in blogging

As the year reaches an end, I thought I’d crunch the numbers on blogging here on arbitrary constant.

Over the course of the year, there were 579 posts (average of 48 per month). The busiest month was May (due to the General Election) and the quietest was February (because it’s a short month).

In January the site averaged 455 visits per day, rising to 1,102 visits per day by December 2010, averaging 755 visits per day across the year.

Comments were generally quiet on the site – for example, there were 76 in total from 1 September to 29 December.

In terms of content, the top 10 entries were as follows (excluding the index page, which received 9,298 page views):

1. The Budget and DLA: initial reactions – 8,098 page views
2. Cuts to disability benefits already being planned? – 2,210 page views
3. Poverty, worklessness… and DLA? – 1,858 page views
4. DLA reform consultation: Great Expectations, Worst Apprehensions – 1,316 page views
5. Independent Living Fund essentially closed for business – 707 page views
6. Paul Corrigan on the Health White Paper – 670 page views
7. Patient voice in the Health White Paper – 624 page views
8. Osborne: Welfare cheats are “like burglars” – 601 page views
9. Independent Living Fund (ILF) to close – 508 page views
10. Redistributing my tax rebate: £621.97 up for grabs – 499 page views

I have to admit to some pleasure at this, since nearly all of the above are original content based on areas of expertise we have here at arbitrary constant, namely disability and equality. They are also all posts that considerable effort went into, rather than posts that were done to keep the numbers up (of which, I’m afraid to say, there were a few).

Honorable mentions should also go to my two blogging compadres, Phil and Stef. Phil has done a brilliant job bringing some much needed erudition, arts and intelligence to the blog (I’ve hugely enjoyed his contributions to the YouTune series); whilst Stef, though sporadic, has brought true panache and thinking in his posts that others don’t reach. I hope they’ll continue in 2011.

For me, I’ve been thinking a lot about blogging, partly in light of the information gleaned above. I will post something further about how my approach will change and the content I’ll be focusing on in 2011 in a separate post early in the New Year.

In the meantime, thanks to everyone who has read and contributed to arbitrary constant, either here or on Twitter. I can safely say it’s been the best year of online engagement and discussion I’ve ever had, and it wouldn’t have been the same without you.

2010: A year in blogging

As the year reaches an end, I thought I’d crunch the numbers on blogging here on arbitrary constant.

Over the course of the year, there were 579 posts (average of 48 per month). The busiest month was May (due to the General Election) and the quietest was February (because it’s a short month).

In January the site averaged 455 visits per day, rising to 1,102 visits per day by December 2010, averaging 755 visits per day across the year.

Comments were generally quiet on the site – for example, there were 76 in total from 1 September to 29 December.

In terms of content, the top 10 entries were as follows (excluding the index page, which received 9,298 page views):

1. The Budget and DLA: initial reactions – 8,098 page views
2. Cuts to disability benefits already being planned? – 2,210 page views
3. Poverty, worklessness… and DLA? – 1,858 page views
4. DLA reform consultation: Great Expectations, Worst Apprehensions – 1,316 page views
5. Independent Living Fund essentially closed for business – 707 page views
6. Paul Corrigan on the Health White Paper – 670 page views
7. Patient voice in the Health White Paper – 624 page views
8. Osborne: Welfare cheats are “like burglars” – 601 page views
9. Independent Living Fund (ILF) to close – 508 page views
10. Redistributing my tax rebate: £621.97 up for grabs – 499 page views

I have to admit to some pleasure at this, since nearly all of the above are original content based on areas of expertise we have here at arbitrary constant, namely disability and equality. They are also all posts that considerable effort went into, rather than posts that were done to keep the numbers up (of which, I’m afraid to say, there were a few).

Honorable mentions should also go to my two blogging compadres, Phil and Stef. Phil has done a brilliant job bringing some much needed erudition, arts and intelligence to the blog (I’ve hugely enjoyed his contributions to the YouTune series); whilst Stef, though sporadic, has brought true panache and thinking in his posts that others don’t reach. I hope they’ll continue in 2011.

For me, I’ve been thinking a lot about blogging, partly in light of the information gleaned above. I will post something further about how my approach will change and the content I’ll be focusing on in 2011 in a separate post early in the New Year.

In the meantime, thanks to everyone who has read and contributed to arbitrary constant, either here or on Twitter. I can safely say it’s been the best year of online engagement and discussion I’ve ever had, and it wouldn’t have been the same without you.

And we’re back in the room…

After some significant technical problems over the last week, in which the behind-the-scenes of arbitrary constant became worryingly shaky, I’m pleased to say we’re now back up and running.

Fortunately for us – and potentially unfortunately for you – this means we can cover the lead-in to the General Election next Thursday with our usual mix of insight, naivety and sheer optimism in the face of all known facts and received opinion.

Bet you’re pleased we’re back…