NEWSFLASH:T&S, BCC and M* to Merge Into United Order

Preeminent members of T&S, BCC and M* have been in secret back room negotiations to bring the three big blogs into one house of grand Mormon blogging. Their intent is to end all hostilities between the three competing blogs and foment a new and unique consolidated consortium of Mormon blogging that eschews contention in favor of scholarship and brotherly love.

Details that have leaked out of the secret talks indicate the new blog shall be named "The United Order" and all permanent members of the three big blogs will be installed as members of United Order. Further details indicate they plan on having all smaller and solo blogs in the Bloggernacle, except SnarkerNacle, merge and unite into "The Branch", which will act as a "farm team" to United Order. The Branch will serve as a pool of guest bloggers and potential permabloggers, as well as a means of mentoring new bloggers, helping them hone their skills. While The Branch will operate indepenedently of The United Order, any member of the The United Order can exercise editorial control over the content of The Branch.

Negotiations presently revolve around who will exercise administrative control over United Order and who will be "more equal". While there have been no volunteers for actually performing the technical work of setting up the servers and maintaining them, numerous volunteers have made themselves available to promote the project and exercise control over content and submissions. It was resolved to have a rotating three person presidency with terms of office of 1 year with members rotating out every 4 months. Initial order would be alphabetical by last name with FIFO replacing that after each founding member had served. There was one complaint about this, someone who wanted to do reverse alphebetical by last name, but he was largely ignored and the matter dismissed.

There was some initial discussion over whether all posts should be anonymous and peer reviewed so as to ensure quality and eliminate self-promotion and egos, but several people insisted that was unacceptable. When asked why, they balked and ultimately reasoned it was because it would be onerous on whoever was required to review submissions.

Site design was also discussed. General agreement was easily reached on using WordPress. Color schemes rejected outright were brown, or anything like unto it, blue, or anything like unto it, or pink, or anything like unto it, or grey, or anything lke unto it. Latest reports indicate opinions were settling on shades of pale yellows.

An annually rotating topic of the month schedule was recommended so as to discourage repeated unoriginal posts on the same topic. This suggestion was largely rejected on that basis that doing so would result in entirely too infrequent posting.