BaD: the true origins

On 02/03/2014 at 09:24 AM by Ranger1

Linked to Article Series: Blog a Day (BaD) 2014

I love how everyone has jumped on the BaD bandwagon, but I wonder if may people really know how it started. Raise your hands now, how many people really know how BaD started? Yeah, that's what I thought. OK, kids, come closer and make a circle and I'll tell you a story...

The Blog a Day challenge was something that my friends Gabe (requezon) and Alice (Alice-in-games) started just between themselves five or six years ago on 1up. They were trying to see if they could make it a whole month blogging every day (and that's why February was picked, by the way, because its the shortest month). It was fun reading their blogs and they decided to do it again the next year and invited anyone who wanted to to join in. I took up the challenge, and met a lot of new people and got to know a lot of others a lot better. I think there were 20 or fewer that second year. More and more people started getting involved and all of a sudden it was this huge thing, something neither Gabe nor Alice ever envisioned. Grassroots at its best, I think.

Neither Gabe nor Alice blog any more, and although I'm friends with both on various gaming networks, I hardly ever hear from them any more. I dropped Gabe a note on PSN and invited him to join us, but I haven't heard back. I'll see if I can track down Alice, too. I miss them both and I'm glad they started something that seems to have a life of its own now.

So there you have it, the origins of BaD.

Jamie Alston Staff Writer

02/03/2014 at 09:33 AM

Yep, I jumped on the BaDwagon this month too.

But yeah, I definitely remember when Gabe and Alice started that blog a day challenge. One of my most memorable 1Up moments.

Ranger1

02/03/2014 at 10:08 AM

Jamie, I figured most of the old timers from 1up would remember.

jgusw

02/03/2014 at 09:34 AM

Alice and Gabe were some cool people. It's nice that BaD is still going. One day I'll jump in. Maybe BaD will change the world.

02/03/2014 at 10:09 AM

James, with as many kids as you have, I'm always amazed that you find time to blog at all!

Matt Snee Staff Writer

02/03/2014 at 09:52 AM

yeah, I'm on the BaDwagon. But I don't know how xmas really started either, and I love that too!

LOL, well, I'm not getting into that origin story!

02/03/2014 at 10:24 AM

darn it!

Chris Yarger Community Manager

02/03/2014 at 10:04 AM

Ugh..
My hand was raised for knowing that...

just saying

02/03/2014 at 10:07 AM

Brown-noser!

ThatKidOverThere

02/03/2014 at 11:06 AM

Your BaD on Pixlbit will be a nice complement to the picture a day thing that you were doing on facebook! I look forward to reading all of your blogs.

02/03/2014 at 04:41 PM

Thanks, Sidd. I'm still doing the photo a day thing, going to try for a whole year, month by month.

mothman

02/03/2014 at 12:12 PM

It's too bad that Gabe and Alice can't come here to see their legacy continue.

Maybe next year we could get sponsors and do this for charity. the Mothman Foundation might be a good one.

02/03/2014 at 04:42 PM

Ask and ye shall receive! See comment four below yours. It's amazing what a little message and a nudge from a mutual friend can do!

C.S.3590SquadLeader

02/03/2014 at 12:56 PM

Ah, so that's how it started. I was on 1up for so long and there's still things I'm discovering and learning, thanks for that.

02/03/2014 at 04:43 PM

Yep, that's how it started. Your history lesson for the day .

Super Step Contributing Writer

02/03/2014 at 02:09 PM

I knew. I wish they'd hop over to Pixlbit.

02/03/2014 at 04:44 PM

I managed to get in touch with Gabe, see below. He's not promising he's going to blog, but he did promise to drop in now and then.

02/03/2014 at 11:14 PM

Awesome. I am now following him.

goaztecs

02/03/2014 at 02:50 PM

So that's how it all started. I've been on the bandwagon for three years now, but good to know the history

Chris, yeah, it kinda snowballed, lol.

requezon

02/03/2014 at 04:23 PM

We also decided not to blog on the weekends, cause lazy.

This is great, thanks for carrying down the torch of B.a.D.

02/03/2014 at 04:46 PM

Hey Gabe! Thanks for stopping by!

I wouldn't call it lazy, more like setting reasonable goals and not setting yourselves (and the rest of us!) up for failure. See that nice spin I put on that? Yeah....

02/03/2014 at 04:50 PM

Thanks. Sadly, i won't be able to fully participate in B.a.D. but hopefuly i will be able to drop a few blogs here and there.

Keep up the good work and again thanks!

02/03/2014 at 07:54 PM

Good to hear from you Gabe. We shall blog on!

Cary Woodham

02/03/2014 at 07:34 PM

Yeah I remember how it started. There are so many 1up friends that I miss hearing from during my nearly 8 years at 1up.

02/04/2014 at 05:02 PM

Me too, Cary. Smartcelt, Stutterbug, and granny gamer are three that I really miss. There are many, many more, but they were some of my first friends on 1up.

KnightDriver

02/04/2014 at 12:51 AM

I was late to that party. I started at 1UP in 2010 and I did BaD last year for the first time.

02/04/2014 at 05:03 PM

And I'm very happy you joined us :)

02/06/2014 at 03:24 AM

Thanks!

SanAndreas

02/05/2014 at 04:23 PM

I think I remember that first BaD. I wasn't a part of it. At this point, I call it good if I can manage a Blog a Month. :)

02/05/2014 at 09:17 PM

That first BaD it was just Gabe and Alice.

NSonic79

02/07/2014 at 03:19 PM

I remember requezon welcoming me to the BaD challenege two years ago but I didn't know it only started out with just two people. Tis a pity they can't see what has become of the beast they've created.

We need a number count like the "5th annual" BaD Challenge or something to help show the history behind it, along with its' origins story on 1up.com

I'm sure other blog communites have done similar things but it would still be interesting to document.

02/07/2014 at 04:09 PM

I have no idea if this has been done anywhere else, but yeah, I think we should number them.

PixlBit

BaD: the true origins

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