Blogs, Inside Jokes, and Jargon

It's true that the insidery lingo of blogging is a barrier to outsiders, but it's also one of those things which keeps it interesting. I've long considered the basic model for this blog to be the Howard Stern Show, though with not quite as many lesbian strippers. Basically, there's a revolving cast of wacky characters (right wing bloggers, batshit crazy Republicans, and trolls form our own "wack pack"), including heroes and villians, recurring themes, inside jokes, and nicknames. There's a central evolving story being told over a long period of time, punctuated with various diversions. The insideryness is exclusionary at first, but people enjoy the process of learning what it's all about and becoming one of those "in the know."