Ten years ago, on January 21, 2005, I sat down at a computer in a University of Alberta library and launched the blog known as daveberta.
I had no idea at the time where the blog would take me. Blogging was new and I started one because many of my friends had started their own. Initial posts were more personal and not necessarily limited to politics, but the blog soon focused almost entirely on Alberta politics.
Ever since I was in junior high school, I have taken a keen interest in Alberta politics. The world of blogs, still relatively young when I was a university student in 2005, offered a great venue for a young political science student to share his opinions and observations. I was immediately hooked.
The readership of this blog has grown enormously over the past ten years and I only once came close to shutting it down. In December 2007, after returning to the University of Alberta and planning to focus on my studies, I received a letter from a lawyer representing Premier Ed Stelmach. The Premier gave me new reasons to continue blogging and helped boost my readership considerably. The rest is history.
The world of blogging has changed a lot over the past ten years. Blogs have become more sophisticated and many aggregators, once hubs for links and readers, have disappeared as social networks like Facebook and Twitter have allowed bloggers to reach greater audiences.
Writing this blog has led to many great opportunities over the past ten years. I have spoken at dozens of conferences, interviewed politicians of all stripes and participated in dozens of media panel discussions – including as a regular panelist on the Alberta Primetime politics panel.
I am also humbled to have received a few awards for this blog, including Best Political Blog and Best Progressive Blog in the 2007 Canadian Blog Awards. More recently, I placed second in the 2014 Canadian Weblog Awards and was nominated for a Yeggie in 2013. In 2010, I had the privilege of being named one of Edmonton’s Top 40 under 40 by Avenue Magazine.
My opinions and political allegiances have shifted over the years. For the first four years of this blog, I supported the Liberal Party and had the pleasure of working for Edmonton MLA Kevin Taft when he led the Official Opposition Party. When he stepped down from the leadership, I drifted for a time towards the Alberta Party and had the opportunity to volunteer alongside some great people in that organization.
Now, as a non-partisan, I feel free to write about Alberta politics without a partisan lens. It is refreshing.
As the disclaimer on this blog reads, my thoughts and opinions change from time to time and I consider this a necessary consequence of having an open mind. This blog is intended to provide a semi-permanent point in time snapshot and manifestation of the various ideas running around my brain, and as such any thoughts and opinions expressed within out-of-date posts may not be the same, nor even similar, to those I may hold today.
I do not know whether this blog will last another ten years, but so long as I continue to enjoy writing about Alberta politics, and have the time to do so, I will do so. Blogging is a great hobby and Alberta politics continues to offer great content.
To the readers, commenters, and occasional guest contributors who continue to return to this blog to follow Alberta politics, I offer a heart-felt Thank You.
15 replies on “A Decade of Daveberta – Marking 10 Years of Blogging”
Happy anniversary, and take a bow for a job well done to this point. Ten more years !!
Dave:
And what a great ride it has been! Congratulations on the long-ride… knowing just a little bit about how hard it is to maintain a blog, you have reached a level of professionalism and reliability that makes your site a daily visit.
I just hope you feel a little bit bad about ravaging a traditional print media business and putting so many journalists on the street. Considering the austerity environment we are in, make sure not to have TOO big an anniversary party… people CAN get a little weird when one treats themselves to new car or a little snog of booze in the office (#ableg #yyccc)
All seriousness… well done.
C
Congratulations on the 10th anniversary of your excellent blog. It is on my daily must-read list, even on those (rare) occasions when I heartily disagree with you. Keep it up, please 🙂
Jerry Macdonald, Grande Prairie
Ten years? Wow. How’s that “sticky-up hair” these days?
Congrats Dave on your ten year anniversary!
I recall when this blog used to be in third person plural when written 🙂
I’ll admit that I don’t read blogs nearly as often as I used to, but I’m still a regular reader of yours.
All the best for another ten years!
You and I set up our blogs together, and I have to say how impressed I have been watching what you did with yours!! My commitment has been on and off over the years, but reading this, I think I will work to catch up on my posts!
Happy 10th Anniversary Dave!
Have watched you grow politically & professionally over the decade. Impressed with your commitment to being non-partisan–provides AB readers an opportunity to dialogue with those of differing points of view.
Thanks.
Dave I don’t always necessarily agree with your opinions or the seemingly sometimes non impartial manner in which you write, but I do respect your work, as it is thoughtful, well researched and informative and you are playing a small part in strengthening democracy by having discussions and exchange of thoughts. You should keep up the work on your blog, it is a class act and provides a forum for people to contribute and be informed.
If I may offer you some advice, it would bring a deeper and broader perspective to your blog, if you put more effort and time to sincerely solicite opinions from all parties, (irregardless of your past affiliations) and their leaders when writing a story and that is very important to creating a proper understanding when dwelling on topics in your line of work. It would also significantly increase traffic and readership on your blog, as you will appeal to a bigger audience. Keep up the good work!
Congrats Dave. Ten years is a lifetime in blogger years, unlike dog years. I look forward to many more conversation provoking entries from you.
I have read your blog for ALMOST the entire time. Well done Dave, you have helped to illuminate the political landscape in Alberta in a unique way. We have walked a similar path in time and space, and I have enjoyed having you along for the ride. Well done!
Congrats in lasting that long. Alberta politics likes to beat up people just to see how tough they are ahahhaha. Good job Dave.
Congratulations Dave, you have contributed enormously to healthy political debate & engagement in Alberta. Hope you keep it up for at least another 10 years!
Well, I must say when I first became aware of this in 2007 and 2008, and I was a Liberal, I was not a fan of what I thought was a political wannabee too scared to put his name forward.
However I have since changed my opinion 180 degrees, and this is the best source to know what is going on in Alberta politics.
BTW – I also changed my affiliation 180 degrees – long live Alberta!
Ron Reinhold
Congratulations, Dave. Always follow your blog and enjoy it immensely even when I might not agree. Another great 10 years, I hope.
All the best.
A window on the real politics of Alberta. Thank you