T Campbell's Blog
Writer of Penny and Aggie, Fans (also called Faans), Rip & Teri, Search Engine Funnies and A History of Webcomics. Experienced webcomics editor, currently seeking full-time work and working on strange and interesting new things...Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Part 2(b): "Wait, But You Blogged..."
I'm hard to follow sometimes... I admit it.
It's true, I don't like personal blogs... and yet I really do think that they're aiding international understanding. How can both be true?
First of all, it's okay to just present your life, if your life is indeed fascinating. I couldn't get enough of Salam Pax's blog at the height of the Iraq war.
Second, there's nothing wrong with keeping a record of your doings for your friends and relatives, as long as you're clear that that is what it is.
But most blogs seem to carry the expectation, implied or overt, of attention and validation from strangers. If you're going to demand the attention of strangers, you'd better have something of almost inarguable value to say to them, something they can't get from their existing circle of friends. Otherwise, you're just seeding tomorrow's egosearch.
It's true, I don't like personal blogs... and yet I really do think that they're aiding international understanding. How can both be true?
First of all, it's okay to just present your life, if your life is indeed fascinating. I couldn't get enough of Salam Pax's blog at the height of the Iraq war.
Second, there's nothing wrong with keeping a record of your doings for your friends and relatives, as long as you're clear that that is what it is.
But most blogs seem to carry the expectation, implied or overt, of attention and validation from strangers. If you're going to demand the attention of strangers, you'd better have something of almost inarguable value to say to them, something they can't get from their existing circle of friends. Otherwise, you're just seeding tomorrow's egosearch.
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There's one aspect of weblogs you may be overlooking...the formation of a community. One of the weblogs I enjoy the most, Making Light, has a note: "Our readers are the best thing about this weblog. If you’re not reading the comments, you’re missing half the fun."
And certainly my Livejournal is as much about the friends I have there, and our ways of staying connected (especially, with one particular group, since USENET went to hell...), as it is about the friendslocked posts about my life and doings, and the occasional creative endeavour I don't lock.
And certainly my Livejournal is as much about the friends I have there, and our ways of staying connected (especially, with one particular group, since USENET went to hell...), as it is about the friendslocked posts about my life and doings, and the occasional creative endeavour I don't lock.
Salam Pax's blog appears not to exist anymore. Know what's up?
Also, are you saying that we're no longer at the "height" of the Iraq war? Did we somehow get anywhere in the war and I've simply failed to notice?
Also, are you saying that we're no longer at the "height" of the Iraq war? Did we somehow get anywhere in the war and I've simply failed to notice?
Oops, I mis-linked it. In a rush with this one. Fixed.
I think it's safer to classify us as now in the "depths" of the Iraq war, or possibly its "long tail." The peak of activity per day was the three-week invasion of Baghdad. But things keep exploding three years after this action movie was supposed to be over.
I think it's safer to classify us as now in the "depths" of the Iraq war, or possibly its "long tail." The peak of activity per day was the three-week invasion of Baghdad. But things keep exploding three years after this action movie was supposed to be over.
Well, Will, my responses on comment threads like this probably show that I like it when an essay starts a conversation.
I see similar phenomena on blogs like Searchblog, Comixpedia and Websnark... though it seems like the blog has to be interesting in itself to provoke interesting discussion.
Making Light seems to me to operate as a series of essays about the world, a broad focus but still an outward one. It's an interesting site, and I'm glad you pointed me to it.
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I see similar phenomena on blogs like Searchblog, Comixpedia and Websnark... though it seems like the blog has to be interesting in itself to provoke interesting discussion.
Making Light seems to me to operate as a series of essays about the world, a broad focus but still an outward one. It's an interesting site, and I'm glad you pointed me to it.
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