Blogosphere D-List
I have to admit that I was less than thrilled when at the beginning of the semester I was told that I would have to write a blog for this class. I’ve missed the boat on a lot of trends and I wasn’t too excited that I now had to take a rather large leap from the pier into this one. It’s not that I hate blogs, it’s just that I’m a listener and an observer, I offer my opinions and thoughts only when I deem necessary. I love to write, but not in this type of forum. To say the least, it has been hard to find the motivation to keep an interest in this venture.
I do have to say that the two assigned articles for this week were a bit of an eye opener. What I have always thought of as a means for people to release bottled knowledge, opinions, and egos is actually a lot more than that. From Clive Thompson, Scoble, and Isreal, I learned that the blogosphere serves as a way to humanize large corporations and for others to make money.
Large corporations, like Microsoft, have used blogging as a resource to keep an open line of communication with the world outside of Silicon Valley. These titan corporations have made attempts to allow their employees, clients, and customers to become personally involved – soon there will be weekend get-a-ways and ski retreats. By opening up some of their doors, they are attempting to show people that they too are humans with feelings, but still keeping at least one hand in the money pot.
What surprises me the most is the fact that people actually make money from their blogs. Advertising has found a new niche to infiltrate, and it’s the bloggers who are making the bank off of it. But I have to wonder if it is all worth it. Blog writers have to constantly be on their game so that they don’t lose their audience, which makes me wonder if any of them have much a life or even enjoy the money that they are making.
What bothers me the most is how it seems blogging seems to be overrunning the old school of journalism. I know that the media cannot be trusted, but I find that there is more integrity to a journalist who is sitting in the middle of the battlefield than to one who is sitting in the luxury of their office. Will old conventions of investigative reporting be completely overrun by the new forums of public speaking? Does blogging only serve the purpose of celebrity gossip, gadget news, and political debate? Who is hitting the pavement for these blogs, anyways?
I think that blogs will become something of the past as the Information Revolution continues on and new methods of communication evolve. There will always exist the A-, B-, and C-list that Thompson mentioned; there will always be someone making more money than rest of us. And then there are people like me, who will always stay on the D-list. We are dabblers by nature, but truthfully hold little attention about anything for too long.
This little blog of paradise will not last into the new year, but I gave it shot. And perhaps I’ll revisit it for future projects. For now, it will live in the land of obscurity with millions of other random thoughts and opinions, slowly slipping into the dark void created by information age. At least it will be peaceful.
Scoble, R. & Israel, S. (2006). Naked Conversations. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, pp. 1-62
Thompson, C. (2006). Blogs to Riches. New York Magazine, February 20. 26-35.
How are feeling now about blogging? Better or worse?