The Blog Idol 2 auditions

What's going on with Blog Idol 2? Well, here's an update.

More than 350 people entered the competition, which closed last week and is for the chance to blog on contract with Stuff, as well as a new Nokia phone.

I've read each of those 350-plus entries at least twice, and have winnowed these to a longlist of about 50.

This longlist is being judged by a very mixed group of us bloggers and blog-followers at Stuff over the coming few days so we can choose a lineup of Blog Idol Finalists.

Once the Finalists are contacted and briefed, and we've got everything set up in Stuff's system, the competition will start in earnest. Each finalist will write a daily blog post, and I'm taking pains to ensure that all are on an equal footing.

At that point, readers' "votes" will be crucial. We'll measure your votes by way of our automated traffic counting system, though we'll also have a panel of folk looking on to break ties, make close calls, and ensure that the system is being used fairly.

After six eliminations, the Final Four will blog a little longer, testing their abilities just a little more and giving you readers more of a chance to bond with them - or decide you've read enough!

The eventual winner will blog regularly on Stuff. Fame and fortune can't be guaranteed, but it's a great opportunity for someone to build the kind of success enjoyed by Stuff's original Blog Idol, Moata Tamaira. Moata's been blogging brilliantly ever since her win in 2007, and picked up a Qantas Award last year as Best Blogger.

What were those 350 entries this year like?

Well, on American Idol you get to see audition shows, in which the talented get their chance and the under-talented get mocked.

But I'm not going to mock any of the people who entered Blog Idol 2. I take my hat off to all of them. The standard was very high, and getting even a longlist was tough. Lots of people haven't made the longlist, and won't make the Finals, who wrote a great audition and would be good bloggers. Who knows, we might see some of them blogging with a high profile one of these days.

What did they blog about in that key 150-word audition?

Quite a few people wrote expatriate or traveller blog entries - from the US, Germany, Britain, Australia, Asia. Another "type" I noticed was home life blogs - the ups and downs in the lives of parents-to-be and parents-right-now; this sure is fertile ground for blogs.

Some entrants sent in "change" blogs, tracing their life through a shift of environment, or change of lifestyle, or a mission to finally follow their dreams.

Others focused seriously on political or social issues. Still others vented about the small things that irritate or uplift them.

And yes, some entries were hard to categorise in any way at all. Whether they were works of genius or of, well, over-excited weariness, it was sometimes hard to tell. You might see one or two in the Finals...

Overall, the range of people who entered was huge. All ages from teens to seventies, male and female, different cultural backgrounds, gay and straight, urban and rural, career-followers, homemakers and those out of work.

The Blog Idol 2 Finals are coming soon. I don't know what the Finalists will write about, or how you'll vote, but I do know it'll be an exciting time and one of the must-click events of the internet year. Don't miss it!

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kater   #1   03:44 pm Feb 26 2010

Oh come on, just a little bit of mocking?? Pretty please?

Fine, will just have to be over to us then.

paul   #2   09:34 am Mar 01 2010

We already mock many of the regular bloggers - so the finalists will also be fair game.

Darth Michael   #3   03:56 pm Mar 01 2010

Can you please point me in the direction of the naked blog?

The female one :-)

Spiral_Chambers   #4   10:05 pm Mar 03 2010

GAH all this waiting!!!!

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