THE BAD EXAMPLE CLAN - UPDATED 2-2-06

In June of 2003, I started blogging. A few months later, I started actively encouraging other people to start blogging, and thus became a blogfather. Over the years, my blogchildren have done the same. The Bad Example Family Tree is an historical record tracing the path of those influences.

Nothing more.

Yet an unintended consequence of this record-keeping is that some of the members developed close personal relationships with other Family members, based in whole or in part on these "family ties".

I never saw that coming.

Even MORE startling to me is that fact that some people actually see the "Bad Example Family" as an organization of which they'd like to be a part. However, because blogparenthood implies a certain degree of mentoring and/or encouragement during a blogger's early formative period, the lack of such a relationship with a Bad Example Family member excludes them.

For the longest time, I couldn't understand why an outsider would want in. I mean, it's just a list of bloggers, right?

But lately it's occured to me that members of the Bad Example Family DO share some things in common. Some "Bad Example Family Values", if you will:

* A belief that new bloggers should be supported and encouraged.

* A belief that blogging should be fun.

* A well-developed sense of humor that has no fear of occasionally being juvenile or off-color.

* A thick skin when it comes to being teased.

* An ability to laugh at yourself.

With that in mind, it makes sense that other bloggers with similar values would want to hook up with the Family. But as stated before, there's no way to do that.

Until now.

After some discussions with blogson Contagion of Miasmatic Review, I've decided to form

Loosely based on Scottish notions of extended family, the Bad Example Clan allows those who share the Bad Example Family Values to form a community of mutual support and playfulness, united by a single name and signified by a colorful tartan banner:

and/or badge:

and/or fancy colorized version of the badge:

Here's how it works.

Like any good fraternal or sororal organization, membership involves a certain degree of ritual humiliation designed to exclude the riff-raff, so people wishing to join the Clan will have to jump through the following hoops:

1) Post an entry on your blog titled, "I Want to Join the Bad Example Clan Because". The content of the entry is left to your discretion. It can be long or short, silly or serious. It's entirely up to you.

2) Get three members of the Bad Example Family (as listed on the official Bad Example Family Blogroll in my sidebar) to vouch for your character by linking your application post.

NOTE: Bad Example Family members do NOT require approval, however, they DO need to fulfill all other requirements. And yes, that includes me. But please note that Clan membership is STRICTLY optional. Bad Example Family members are NOT required to join. Merely invited.

3) After getting your three sponsors, place the following items in your sidebar:

a) The Bad Example Clan tartan and/or badge.

b) A link to this post so that your readers can figure out what's going on. Ideally the link should be from the tartan/badge image (see this post for instructions), but a text link will suffice.

c) A fake quote attributed to me, the content of which I leave to your discretion. For example: Harvey says "[name of your blog] is a disgrace to the very concept of blogging, and I endorse this site wholeheartedly."

Preferred placement is either directly above or below the Clan tartan/badge for the sake of clarity, but anywhere will do.

4) Once your requirements are met, drop me a line at harvolson-at-gmail.com, and I will add you to the official Bad Example Clan blogroll on my sidebar.

5) THIS STEP IS STRICTLY OPTIONAL. You may, if you choose, blogroll the Bad Example Clan using the Blogrolling code:

<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://rpc.blogrolling.com/display.php?
r=9c1decfe970d25faa28f70da3e925ba8"></script>

(NOTE: I split the above code so that it would display properly in this post. When adding it to your template, it should all be on the same line)

You may also, if you choose, blogroll the Bad Example Family using the Blogrolling code found in this post.

I make this optional instead of mandatory because of my individual belief that choosing who appears on your blogroll is a personal decision, and I won't presume to interfere with it. I don't require Bad Example Family members to blogroll each other and I won't require Clan members to do so either.

Which brings me to the question you're probably asking yourself right now:

Why on earth would ANYONE choose to join the Bad Example Clan when it's obviously just a silly, pointless exercise in immature blog-cliquery with no redeeming qualities whatsoever?

My answer:

I have no freaking clue.

I mean, it's probably not going to cause any long-term increase in your readership. Only regular posting of unique and interesting content will accomplish that. If more readers is what you're after, then joining the Bad Example Clan is a complete and utter waste of time. Don't do it.

But if you'd like to declare to the world that you're a friendly, fun-loving blogger with an impish sense of humor, by all means, join in.

The Bad Example Clan would love to take you.

Which only sounds dirty.

IS TANTUM SANUS IMMUNDA

[hover mouse over motto for translation]

UPDATE 1-31-06: For those who are light on HTML skills but are valiantly attempting to redecorate anyway, judicious use of the following two tags can help make things look nicer.

The <hr> or "horizontal rule" tag - draws a horizontal line. I used it on my right sidebar to help separate my quote from the blogroll above it.

The <br> or "line break" tag - it's like hitting "enter" while writing a post. Putting two of them together will give you a line of blank space so that things don't look so run-together.

UPDATE 2-2-06: About that latin motto...