Friday, November 16, 2007

A Quality Assurance Workshop

Here at Baddelim we like to make the torturous task of source criticism as easy as possible for our gentle readers. Consequently, we have a system. It’s a kind of quality assurance program for reader satisfaction. However, it appears from some of the comments that, like all quality assurance programmes, a short training workshop is in order.

The cardinal principle of this quality assurance programme is as follows:
Whenever a Baddeley pens a blog, he or she places at the end of the blog a series of letters grouped together.

This is where it gets complex. The symbols ‘MDB’ refer to the writer ‘Mark Baddeley’. The symbols ‘JMB’ refer to the writer ‘Jennie Baddeley’. Although inclined in their hearts to evil, like all of humankind, neither Baddeley deliberately changes their grouping of linguistic symbols (known colloquially as ‘initials’), nor does he or she take on the persona of the other writer (or for that matter an apostle or church leader of any historical period, so you won’t need to go all Da Vinci Code on us either). In keeping with this exotic practice, we suggest that commentators also distinguish between the writer ‘Jennie’ and the writer ‘Mark’ or ‘Badders’—just, you know, to keep in the spirit of things.

We are committed to our readers’ satisfaction and believe our quality assurance program delivers the very best in reader care. MDB & JMB

8 comments:

cynergy said...

But you really do speak in your own voices when you write? How could people be confused? Perhaps if people can't work out which is which they are not 'worthy' to read your blog and you should remove the quality assurance program entirely? :)

Baddelim said...

No, no. This is not about blame. This is about solutions. Let's all think positive thoughts, and whistle Kumbaya.

cynergy said...

But mine was a solution? :)

bec said...

Can we hold hands and sway gently from side to side while we do it?

Anthony Douglas said...

Do you need to tell us which stratum of blogging is the older source? Is there a chance that the JMB redactor might be reshaping the work of an earlier MDB, for instance?

/Karen/ said...

You could just create another Blogger account—one for Jennie, one for Mark—and link them both to this blog so that you can both post under your own name. You might then have to amend the tags in your template a little so the name displays, but that's one way around the problem of people getting you confused.

anj said...

This is the third time I have atempted to post this comment: I don't mind who is writing or reading or...all i need to know is are the Baddelim and the Baddelim - mite well, still thinking, resting, evangelising the oxonians, and generaly living the life to which we had unique insight as office neighbours and friends? Have you forgotten the rock from which you were hewn? Is the elephant still able to trumpet or is he lost in the Baddelim jungle?
Any answers treasured. ANJ

Baddelim said...

Dear ANJ,
I came across this comment just now, and wouldn't be surprised if it had gone unanswered, which would be sad.
In 2012, so the updated version, we are good, remebering, rejoicing, working hard and drawing on walls or cleaning drawing off walls. The elephant, although much treasured and taken to bed and on outings, has lost his trumpet at last, so is no longer a good budget companion, but as his current friends don't do much of that & make more noise than he ever did, all is well.
Trust you are also well and in good spirits. xBaddelim.