23 July 2007

Slipping Off The Radar

On 23 July 2006, the Praguetory blog was born. One year on, I've decided that the time has come to put the toy back in the box. I shall continue to use the site as my political dashboard so the blogroll will remain up-to-date.

I'd like to thank commenters, linkers and lurkers. As anyone who has read this blog knows I could chunter on at length in this post, but instead, I'll do a final entry this weekend where I'll answer any questions you leave in the comments to this post.

Update

Matt Wardman, a good blogging friend of mine - has set up a fun poll. Not quite sure what to make of the options he is offering.

47 comments:

Jonathan Sheppard said...

Leaving at the top of your game? Something Blair couldn't do! Best wished Dom - and keep in touch.

Mark Wadsworth said...

Best of luck. I'll pester you about LVT if necessary - I take it you're keeping your email addres? That Bow Group report died a death. Damn!

Anonymous said...

I have a poll up for your epitaph...

Link on my name.

Matt

Praguetory said...

Cheers Jonathan. Yep Mark - keeping the mail address. Great fun working with you too. Just one of the blogging benefits - so keep in touch esp on LVT.

Anonymous said...

Blogging is a bit like gym membership . . . you start out with good intentions but then it becomes less like fun and more like a hardship!

Hmm, final post question then . . . would you rather have eternal good health but no money or eternal riches and suffer a slow and painful existence? I know, not very political but hey!

Paul
www.britpod.com

Old BE said...

You cannot be serious!

Maybe you just need a break like Mr Newmania and you will be back firing on all cylinders..?

CityUnslicker said...

I hope your next venture is as successful as this; then you will be doing well.

Darkersideofbridgetjones said...

Hey you, Don't you dare give this up. Your blog is very well written and I think it appeals to many people.

What ashame.

Catriona

Anonymous said...

WEll; its a shame, but thanks for the interest and entertainment this year!

Matthew Revell said...

Thanks for blogging Pragueotron. Will you still crop up in the comments on other people's blogs?

Anonymous said...

Sorry to see you go from the bloggosphere, hope to see you back one day!

Aaron Murin-Heath said...

Hey PT,

Good luck in whatever endeavours you task yourself with next (although not too much luck, obviously).

You have been a worthy blogger, and I'll miss you in a sadistic sort of way.

All the best.

tyger

Anonymous said...

On behalf at everyone at Birmingham University Conservative Future we would like to say a big thank you to you for being instrumental in getting our blog off the ground and continuing to dedicate your time in offering us help and advice.

Thank you for being one of our local inspirations to show that it is possible to break into the blogosphere.

We will sorely miss you, best of luck!

Stan Bull said...

Take a break. I did. Daily blogging is ill-advised.

Anonymous said...

Always sad to see a blogger go and even more so when it's a good one!

Trust me, the marriage thing will wear off ;)

- then we'll see you back.

Best of luck, Dom.

Tim said...

Goodbye, Praguetory. Perhaps, before you leave, you can give your chum Grant Shapps a few lessons in competent sock-puppeting.

Praguetory said...

Thanks for the comments. Any questions?

Anonymous said...

Sad to see you 'go', PT. You'll still be stalking the grounds of the blogosphere, I hope?

Archbishop Cranmer said...

His Grace is saddened to hear this news, but wishes you well for the future.

Question: In ages gone by, the Church of England was deemed to be the Conservative Party at prayer. It was, indeed, a 'broad church'. It now appears that 'David Cameron's Conservative Party' is intolerant of anything that does not accord with Mr Cameron's personal views. What is your opinion of the Party becoming a 'narrow mosque', or personality cult?

Old BE said...

I have one: when are you coming back?

:-)

Ross said...

Good luck, you appear to have annoyed all the right people in your year of blogging. I hope it turns out to be more of a break than an end.

Peter Smallbone said...

You're a legend. See you at the wedding.

Nich Starling said...

A good blog. Not one to agree with (from my point of view), but a god partisan blog with balls !!!

Good luck in whatever you do.

Tim said...

You'll still be stalking the grounds of the blogosphere, I hope?

Under multiple guises, no doubt.

Stephen Newton said...

PragueTory was designed to be an anonymous blog that would dish dirt on Dominic Fisher's hate figures without any comebacks.

Once the mask was removed it became a lame duck.

Expect to see Dominic Fisher back with a vengeance very soon indeed. He won't be too difficult to spot; he's already been stupid enough to brag about his meetings with others who aren't prepared to put their names to thier opinions.

Unknown said...

Hate is a strong word, Stephen - I don't hate anyone, but I do dislike the damage you and your type have wreaked on the UK.

I'm amused that you think I would be easy to spot were I to choose a new incarnation. Will you be tracking all new anon blogs?

Stop thrashing around. The blog was set up to set down a few ideas - it became a means to build a network. Network built - time to reflect.

Tim said...

But you missed this bit, Dominic:

without any comebacks

Whatever you have planned for the future is going to have to involve a pretty low profile, or several new identities... possibly in succession. Regardless of how easy you are to spot in a line-up (and if you're chasing the career the appear to be chasing you're going to have to put your head above the parapet in every fight that counts) the model simply isn't sustainable in the long term.

Praguetory said...

But you missed this bit, Tim:

"were I to choose a new incarnation"

As the positive comments testify, I would be foolish not to use my online reputation were I to take part in future political projects. There are millions of people with valid political views out there who may wish to keep their anonymity (which was the situation I was in when I started). I would be happy to assist anyone with similar views to me who wants to have their say.

Tim said...

Whoops... have to pull you up there. In fact, you started bandying your name about everywhere being generally Tory and rather pleasant about it in places. It was later that you developed the 'Praguetory' front. Sorry.

As for your reputation... well, let's just say that I maintain that your model is deeply flawed.

(Oh, nd while I'd love the luxury of sitting back and watching it fail, I worry about the immediate and long-term harm it does.)

Praguetory said...

From a friend - Since getting involved with these blog things I have come to see two things, Tories are intelligent, reasonable and civilised whilst Socialists are
generally foul-mouthed, ignorant and downright nasty. I am glad to be one of the former.

"your model is deeply flawed"

My fiancee is beautiful inside and out, but what's that got to do with anything?

Anonymous said...

I think some of these lefty types take life a bit too seriously don't you Mr PT? I am tending towards agreeing with your last post - though I have never met your fiancee - oh no those are just rumours.. It was always interesting to read you, and it was fun to spoof with you as well - I liked being Roman and I liked the "Prague visit" - I know we will stay in touch.

Old BE said...

Mr PT I know your name and what you look like but does that alter anything you say on your blog? It's an interesting question being posed over at Crushed.

My first blog was anony, but it only lasted about three posts. My personal choice was to do it under my own name but I totally respect anyone who decides to blog under a persona. Why not? Who does it hurt? No-one. No doubt Tim will find out where I work and email my boss to tell him I post on blogs in my lunch hour!

There's some deep insecurity among the Labour bloggers that they feel they have to trash the reputation of their opponents rather than argue their point intelligently. I don't understand it. It's not only online either. No doubt if I ever did more than blogging Tim and his accolades would dig up some dirt and use it to humiliate me. What a nice bunch of people they are. Of course they have never had a life outside politics - that silly pic of T Blair making a wanker sign was the only interesting thing our former PM has ever done.

Good luck in whatever you do next Mr PT. It will be worthwhile and productive whatever it is. Don't let the buggers get you down!

Tim said...

Ed and PT, this is not a Labour vs. Tory thing, so please stop pretending that it is. Misrepresenting my position and playing the victim is getting old, too.

Aaron Murin-Heath said...

Ed,

Are you having 3 conversations at once?

As for all this partisan bollocks, seriously, it's getting old.

Unknown said...

Tories are intelligent, reasonable and civilised whilst Socialists are
generally foul-mouthed, ignorant and downright nasty.


Ah the joy of sweeping (not to mention wholly inaccurate) generalisations. And stop trying to portray it as a partisan battle along political lines; such a misrepresentation does nothing to address the challenges faced by the online community. In fact it actually exacerbates the problems.

Still, while you're busy patting yourself on the back, be careful or you might just break your arm.

Unity said...

Awww did those nasty wabour bwoggers bwuise your fwagile wickle ego?

At least the likes of Dizzy and a few others can manage to fight back without whinging incessantly, an art you've never mastered.

Rest assured, if and when you resurface then classics like 'George Osborne is a Wanker' and 'Fuck off back to bed you chimp. I’ve written up your obituary you disgusting creature' won't be too far behind.

Old BE said...

this is not a Labour vs. Tory thing

If so then accept my apology for being simplistic or misinterpreting.

I still like PT.

Are you having 3 conversations at once?

Erm, which part of my post made you think that?

Praguetory said...

^ Tim, Tyger, Clive, Unity posting within half an hour of each other can all be found in the same dark corner of the internet. Wouldn't one comment suffice? Rofl.

PS - If attacking someone for taking on a persona isn't a partisan crusade why don't I see your vitriol on Hamer Shawcross, Dan Paskini and Snowflake's blogs?

Tim said...

ZOMG... are you suggesting that there might be [sfx: dramatic sting] a *conspiracy* against you?

As individuals (rather than multiple inventions of one individual) we speak for ourselves. Try not to get confused about that in future.

Oh, and you're doing it again, Dominic. No-one is 'attacking you for taking on a persona'.

(PS - I notice that you've lightened up on the 'trolling with Tom Watson' claims since Grant Shapps got caught actually doing it. You didn't have anything to do with that little debacle, did you?)

Unknown said...

PT - Guido 2.0 was a place where paths crossed, and with the last post being more than a month ago, no one is likely to find any of us there now. Besides, everyone knows how disappointed you were that Guido had an attack blog, but that as a mere wannabe, you didn't warrant one yourself.

Anyway, we're all individuals, so why shouldn't we post our own comments. Unlike Brown or Cameron, we respect individuality.

Putting all that to one side, it isn't the taking of a persona that is the issue and you know it. So stop trying to make out that it was. An individual can call themselves what they like as far as I am concerned; as long as they are open, honest, and conduct themselves in a polite and decent manner.

My point was that your friend was talking out of their derrière when it came to Tory and Socialist bloggers. A quick trawl would show that you'll find all shades of conduct across the political spectrum. Making out that Tories (you do know the etymology of the word?) have a monopoly on wit, intelligence and good manners is just plain farcical. A perusal of the posts and comment threads at Guido, Iain et al shows that not to be the case.

Onlinefocus Team said...

First Martine, now you....


See you around ....

Praguetory said...

Clive said "An individual can call themselves what they like ... as long as they ... conduct themselves in a polite and decent manner."

5 comments earlier on the same thread Clive said "Be careful or you might just break your arm."

In a nutshell, this is why I don't take anything you and your mates say seriously.

James Higham said...

Ah, I see I've been dropped from the blogroll. You'll never be dropped from mine, Praguetory - best wishes for the future.

Unknown said...

I agree, you need to take a break from blogging. I just couldn't keep up the daily posting. People like Iain Dale and Phil Hendren (DizzyThinks) can because they do not have much of a life away from their computers.

Enjoy your rest!

Tuscan Tony said...

It's been a great blog and one I've enjoyed visiting from time to time. Will keep an eye out in the Ghost Cabinet. Good luck with whatever you'll be doing with all the extra hours non-blogging will give you.

David said...

Very sorry to see you go. One of the very best of the Tory bloggers.

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