Blog Embarrassment
October 19th, 2007In many circles around which I wander, it seems as though having a blog is completely and utterly not hip. Even more not hip are people who actually update their blogs on a regular basis, particularly those who write about mundane, daily events. What amuses me more is when people belonging to such schools of thought proceed to start their own blogs anyway, all the while trying to assuage their cognitive dissonance by referring to themselves as “lame” for having a blog, continuously pointing out the fact that “it’s not one of those kinds of blogs”, refusing to update on a regular basis, [1] and even going so far as to refuse to use the word “blog” altogether. Because apparently, it’s also unfashionable to actually like the word “blog”.
I think it’s kind of silly, really. Blogs, in and of themselves, aren’t lame; they’re a tool out there for people to use, for good or for ill. Writing about mundane, daily events isn’t a bad thing in and of itself, particularly as there are people out there who can make the most mundane things sound absolutely fascinating, just as others can write about extremely novel concepts and still put people to sleep. And even then, the concept of what’s interesting and what isn’t is all a matter of opinion. [2] Furthermore, “blog” is an awesome word. I fell in love with it back in 2001 when I heard Neil Gaiman saying it on TV. So there.
Oh, and I had a cinnamon bun for breakfast today.
October 19th, 2007 at 11:48 am
There are good blogs and there are bad blogs. Blogs are not themselves evil or lame any more than YouTube is inherently evil or lame. It’s all down to what people do with it. If you don’t like blogs then don’t read them (or write them. that’s just hypocrisy)
Maybe we chould make it a point to search out good blogs (or just good individual posts) For starters the blog by Stephen Fry the English comedian is fascinating (if a little long as blogs go.
Check it out at http://stephenfry.com/blog/
October 19th, 2007 at 11:51 am
Would you say there’s an objective standard for what makes a blog “good” and what makes one “bad”? If so, I completely disagree.
October 19th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
Blogs are only not cool if the writer uses footnotes. That’s a serious sign of un-hipness.
October 19th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
You win the conversation, Giligan.
October 20th, 2007 at 1:29 am
Deirdra! You had a cinnamon bun for breakfast? That’s so awesome, dude!
My favorite book title ever is “What You Think of Me is None of My Business”. I would extend that to “What you think of my blog is none of my business…” I blog because it gets all the stuff churning around inside my head out where I can look at it and tweak it, and at times redirect it. If people enjoy reading it, well, great! If not, I presume they’ll find entertainment and enlightenment elsewhere. I didn’t know that blogs are lame, and therefore I must be lame. Oh well. I like your blog because you include lots of social commentary along with the great gaming news. And you are the only blogger I’ve come across that uses footnotes. I’m deeply sorry that makes you so un-cool.
October 20th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
It’s okay. We can be uncool together, like emo kids!
October 21st, 2007 at 10:22 am
Fry’s blog does indeed seem interesting. It’s only got two entries so far, so it may be a bit early to tell, but it’s clear that he knows how to write - and think. That it’s “a little long as blogs go” I think is a good thing. The blog essays, or blessays as he horribly prefers to call them (his words) are - so far - well thought through.
It’s a better use of my time to spend half-an-hour reading a well written blessay than five minutes with something half as good. I’m adding the feed to my small collection (it’ll be feed number four). Then we’ll see how long it stays there.
Regarding the actual topic of the blog, well, you won’t find anyone disagreeing on that here. After all, this is a blog, and we are its readers. If blogging is lame, reading blogs must be even more so.
October 21st, 2007 at 11:20 am
Personally, one of my oft-repeated adages, “length doesn’t matter; it’s what you do with it that counts”, definitely applies here. You can be concise and insightful, or lengthy and boring, or any combination of the above.
That said, I haven’t really had the time or motivation to read Stephen Fry’s blog, not only because it’s long, but also combined with him not talking about a specific topic I’m interested in. My desire to actually spend a good chunk of time reading something is directly proportional to how interesting and relevant I find the subject at first glance. Sometimes, it’s better to be short and to the point.