the smedley log - suburban scrawl

Your opinion on the restless tagline

Well, the tagline’s not so much the restless one as I am.

Back in the day (waaaay back) this blog sported the tagline “always asking,” which fit my terminal curiosity quite well.

Then I found the phrase “a virtual potpourri of cultural insignificance” in the Google search results for this site; I have no clue to this day who coined the phrase (searches of the phrase itself seemed to always be linked to this site), but I liked it and I’ve used it for over a year now.

Then recently, I started to wonder if an update might be in order. Someone (an offline friend) suggested “a suburban Phililadelphia story” the other day. I Googled the phrase and guess what? Nothing. So I thought I’d give it a whirl. But the decision is far from final.

That’s why I thought I’d ask for input. On the sidebar you should see a poll with all three of the aforementioned taglines. You can vote for one. You can even add one if you think something might be better (but please let me know if you want credit for the tagline).

Maybe you have an opinion and would like to exert some influence by putting your two cents in. If so, respond to the poll while it persists, and you will have my undying gratitude.

UPDATE: If a sample would help, here’s “always asking“; here’s “suburban Philadelphia story“; and here’s “virtual potpourri…”

UPDATE: It’s over, and law of inertia has prevailed.

Howard, I don’t see the poll. Am I being blind or is it really not there. BTW, I really loved your old tagline, but I guess it’s always time for a change, especially since the blogname and tagline don’t really go together. (I mean, I could never change my tagline, it’s from the song – Square Pegs, in case you didn’t realize)

Oops – thanks for the heads up!

The old tagline isn’t necessarily the old tagline just yet, though the fact that the “old” tagline doesn’t really describe the blog very specifically does factor into my restlessness.

Well, the poll is up now, and don’t forget, if you have a bright idea, please feel free to use the “add an answer” option – though be careful, because I’m pretty sure you’ll only get one shot at the poll (it uses some combination of cookie placement and IP logging to cut down on duplicates, sooo…); but knowing the way things usually go around here, I’ll probably get more email and comment responses (in that order) than actual poll participants.

I liked the old tagline, but given the increased frequency of Philly-related posts, I think the new one fits better. I guess the pertinent question is whether you want your tag to fit your blogging or to blog according to your tag.

Which old tagline, Funky? (did you cast a vote?)

I have to be precise when dealing with people like you who recall the original tagline (“always asking”). Or were you referring to the virtual potpourri line?

I’m just experimenting at this point, and the fact that I haven’t settled on anything personally is the reason I’m asking for input. Please feel free.

Well, I always vote for everything, so I voted for this too. I don’t even care who knows, I had to go for “virtual potpourri”. Just because it’s your current tagline doesn’t mean it’s not great. I just don’t see any of the other options as being better than that and I’m feeling less than creative this evening, so I’ve got no suggestions.

Good luck deciding.

“Which old tagline, Funky? (did you cast a vote?)”

virtual potpourri

No, I did not vote because before I form an opinion, I’d like to know if you want your tag to fit your blogging or to blog according to your tag. It’s your blog, so it’s your choice. I haven’t been reading many recent posts because they’ve been too Philly-oriented to catch my interest, but you have to write about what you find interesting, not what I find interesting. If you choose to blog more about Philly, I vote for the new tag. If you want to blog to a broader audience, go back to potpourri.

Actually, I take some of that back. “A suburban Philadelpia story” is pretty dull. How about something catchier like, “Bouncin’ in da Burbs of Philly” or “Damn Skippy!”?

Clever idea. I have no conscious direction that I plan to take with the blogging. If I blog more about Philly it probably mere coincidence.

But the more I think about it, the more I think I’d miss the potpourri line. I’ll have to give it some more thought, see what comes up.

I voted but don’t like the choices. Not smart enough to come up with a catchy alternative but I feel:
[1] if you are truly thru with your old tag, then you need to move forward. And not back, no matter how good
[2] if you are truly thru with your old tag, the perfect new tag will spring from you somehow, and not feel like you’re settling or like you need to ask. If one of us came up with something and everyone else agreed and you still felt a little “not so much” about it, I doubt you’d go with it regardless of the numbers. Unless we threw a hella-huge bribe your way. And you’re you, so it’d be steep. But we’re us, we don’t have the ducats, and we’re not going to do that anyway…
[3] (personal opinion) and I’m not real thrilled with the suburban Philadelphia Story tag anyway. Not hating, neither thrilled not unamused. The other 2 fit in a way that it doesn’t.

My $0.02.

Well, personal opinions are what I’m shooting for, Ellen, so thanks for that.

The more I dwell on such nonsense, the more I feel comfortable with the “virtual potpourri.”

I’m not sure I was ever going to let anyone else actually do all the deciding, but I was hoping for input, which I appreciate. But now I’m thinking no change is desired at this point. I think I’d like to live up to the potpourri idea anyway – I just wish I knew who thought of that line, that’s all.

How ‘bout:

“Puttin’ the Lower in Lower Bucks County!”

or

“Puttin’ the Buck in Lower Bucks County!!”

or

“Actually Closer to NJ than Philly…”

or

“Puttin’ the Count in Lower Bucks County”

“Actually Closer to NJ than Philly…”

Haha. This will make great fuel for my next online identity crisis.