Matt recently turned comments off for his blog. While I am sure that in his case the change has done no damage – this is not something that can be extrapolated over the wider blogging community.

You might think this post strange for someone who last updated this blog in 2007, but I do have a much more frequently updated food blog – CoffeeMuffins.com. Food blogging is in a completely different, and dare I say it friendlier, world from Tech blogging – especially when it comes to comments.

Now in my third year of food blogging, I have never received a negative comment. I get constructive criticism, telling me when I have forgotten to add directions for the garlic in my recipe, or when a salad might be better with a different type of lettuce. At worst the tone of these can be harsh – but it is never personal! These comments are always welcome and useful.

Comments on tech blogs are full of wars between Mac and Windows; iOS and Android; and no one can ever seem to be polite about opposing view points.

Food blogging is a community, there are fewer wars in comments, despite there being just as many (and probably more) factions with very strong view points. I never receive comments from vegetarians on my meat based recipes, saying “stop killing animals”. I’ll get comments from both sides on my vegetarian posts, with no negativity (apart from the obligatory, my husband said he would prefer it with a steak on the side).

That’s not to say the food blogging world is perfect when it comes to comments, just like in the tech world many comments don’t add much to the discussion.

However this is part and parcel of the food blogging community, a large number of the people who view my posts and make my recipes are in themselves food bloggers. One of the best ways (although time consuming) to increase readership is to comment on other food blogs. More often than not you will receive a comment from that blogger in a matter of hours. Building a relationship with other food bloggers is one of the best parts of being one myself.

Far from turning off comments on my blog I have, for sometime, been actively encouraging any type of comment and I will continue to do so. I use the WordPress plugin CommentLuv to allow other food bloggers to link to their own posts, whether relevant or not from my comment section.

I have only seen increased readership and increased engagement since I made the change.

Anyway from now on, updates on my life, love and geekery will be over on www.laurendempster.com, hope to see you all there and leave comments

Lauren xxx

Plenty has been going on with me at the moment, most of course involving late nights in the Boyd Orr. However all that stuff is boring and since everyone is under stress why should I complain? The fact is that I am happier now than I ever have been (and no this isn’t because I have finally become the world’s biggest geek and actually enjoy spending 90% of my life hacking together code… well it’s not that entirely ).

I went through a brief spell this week when I was really down on myself and believing that I couldn’t do anything. I felt that I was letting everything slip away from me that I really cared about: Matt, my friends and my degree. What I realised with a little help from Matt was that things really aren’t as bad as I think, so here is my list of reasons to be happy.

I am happy because for once I know what I want from my life and I can see me getting it.
I am happy because I know I can do my degree, even if my classmates don’t argree with me.
I am happy because I am in love, with someone who loves me. (“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.” Ewan McGregor, Moulin Rouge)
I am happy because I have friends who understand me, who are there for me when I need them.
I am happy because I always have the comic relief of Matt, even when he doesn’t intend to be funny at all.

I have plenty more to be happy about, but in the interest of not boring everyone and getting on with my project work, I’ll sign off for now with one more thing. Try to remember that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, you just have to be positive enough to see the first glimmer… here’s to the Easter holidays…

Laurenxxx

“now instead of having just Busted we will very soon have Charlie’s new band FightStar… So the music world really is a better place, and I can’t wait.”

This change of opinion is due to FightStar’s performance of “Palahniuk’s Laughter” last night on the Friday Night Project, Channel 4 (answers on how to pronounce Palahniuk, in comments please). I would like it to be noted that this was the first time I had ever heard their particular style of “music” and do NOT wish to be linked in anyway to the rise (or more probably fall into obscurity) of Fightstar.

The world of music is not now a better place, they were terrible. I can’t put it better than my sister did last night in a text message:

“Dear god fightstar BLOW! charlie split up busted 4 THAT?”

You may not believe it is true, but you really are going to wish Busted never broke up if the teenie boppers back Fightstar….

Lauren

I am wearing my Busted t-shirt today as a reminder to everyone that thinks the world of music is now probably a better place.

Just think that now instead of having just Busted we will very soon have Charlie’s new band FightStar. Then of course James will probably continue writing with McFly and then there is Mattie (god knows what he will do)… maybe he’ll have a solo career. So instead of one band, you now have three!!! You know if they do a Destiny’s Child they may well continue on again in a year or two and then there will be 4 Busted type bands…!!!!!

So the music world really is a better place, and I can’t wait.

Feel free to slag me for this, I am aware that I probably deserve it.

Laurenx

I tried to leave Dumfries this morning but after a short drive up the A701 ended in huge tailbacks (I’m assuming it was due to a fallen tree), the decision was made to turn back.

On a slight aside note there was a car which on trying to do a 3-point turn had ended up in a ditch and couldn’t get back out. God it was funny. I would like to point out that the driver was not a woman, but a man, before people make the “obvious” assumption.

So here I am back in the house with nothing to do apart from chat to Matt on MSN (who I think is trying to work, and I am just a distraction), annoy my little sister (who is trying to re-read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and so I’m not exactly a welcome distraction) and play Chip’s Challenge which I downloaded today for the very purpose I had nothing else to do. Got on to level 27, so far.

Anyway back to Uni soon after a complete break from all things Comp Sci, god I needed that….

Laurenxx

Symptoms: Narrates all of their activities in a dramatic voice. e.g. “Another day, another climactic confrontation with the forces of evil; what Matt Gemmell was born for, baby.”

…

This all leads from a conversation I had with Matt the other day. He IS in love with his own name.

However I wouldn’t change anything about him, even if he does suffer from MGPD.

Laurenxxx

So it’s coming up to the end of the term and my workload is finally starting to slack off a bit, only got one assignment for Friday and the fantabulous C Course with Ron Poet for the rest of the week. I got extremely stressed last week with my PSD team, talk about cutting things close to the deadline…

By popular demand I feel I must blog about last Tuesday (by popular I mean my sister emailed me two days ago saying she was offended I hadn’t posted about the Busted concert) it was fantastic, so much better than I thought it would have been. They played all the classics and I was totally hyper from the moment I got there (which is weird considering the meal we had before I went), even to the point where Lis and I were up and dancing during the adverts shown on the screens! A good night, all live, all good.

Thanks again, to the best little sister in the world, for that. Would also like to thank everyone who turned up for my birthday was an especially good night.

Nothing of note has really happened, lack of disasters in my love life (I suppose if that counts as something rather than the lack of), which almost everyone I know will think rather strange but for the last (almost) two months has become something of normality for me.

I don’t think any of this makes much sense but my head is completely blocked up with the cold, and although I had 8 hours sleep I feel so drained and I have only been up for 2 hours this morning.

Anyway have fun folks, sorry for the ramble,
Laurenxx

VENUE: Jim’s Bar, QM
TIME: Around 8ish, but I am sure many folk will just go straight after uni, I would too but I have to get changed….

Please come along bring anyone you wish, it should be a lot of fun….

Laurenxx

So I opened my first birthday present very early this morning, and no it wasn’t my birthday, it was great!! All people who read this blog will know that I am a HUGE fan of Busted and McFly and what do you think my fantastic little sister had got me for my 20th????

Two tickets for Busted on the 7th of December at the SECC!! I can not wait, not one little bit, getting ready for the event by putting my Busted playlist on repeat on the ipod.

Anyway thanks again Lisa (“You’re so fit…” too, huni), and to her financial backers…mum and dad

Laurenxxx

P.S. sorry for yet another post on Busted and McFly, but hey you are only young once, any people who make any jokes about this will likely get shot in the face.