Seth Finkelstein posts “Why (individual) Blogging Is Dead – Objective Measurement” – but his own thread proves otherwise if you ask me.
It comes down to who you want to hear you.
For me, its friends (online and off), family, co-workers, and those that might seek me out (or my opinions) for some reason or another.
If you happen to follow this blog for other reasons, you’ve always been welcome to.
Hopefully we make a connection. I have lots to learn and hopefully something to share.
If so, well all this is worth it.
Sigh … mini-FAQ:
Q: When I say “blog”, I mean it in sense “X” (e.g. personal diary)
A: OK, but the post was about “blog” in sense “Y” (e.g. individual voice with significant media impact)
Q; But many people are still writing diaries!
A: See answer to last question.
Q: There’s value in people’s efforts even if they aren’t A-listers.
A: But there’s no significant audience for those Z-listers.
Q: Well, I’m happy just to chat with my friends
A: How nice for you. Others aren’t. And they aren’t wrong to be unhappy.
Seth, I’ve long been a fan of you debunking blogging’s “individual voice with significant media impact” excessive hype for a while.
The only way that could be dead is if it existed in the first place..
If it did, it only did so for a very short time in the late nineties.
I think its a relief that bubble has finally, finally burst. You, and many (well not so many other) realists have been poking holes in that money pursuing hype bubble for a long while.
Now its done. And now you have people who are pursuing it as a media business doing so far more honestly, and less, way less, “if you do it like this, you will make a million” trash being posted about. It’s still there of course, but that activity has now largely moved on to Twitter.
Hmmmm dead huh?
If I had a dollar for every time I’ve read that one. It seems to me that most of the people that write that are seeking attention for one reason or another. As I’m sure you could agree Karl you didn’t start your blog seeking the world’s attention or fame for that matter.
We all do it for a variety of reason. And I doubt any of us that write could really care too much over what someone parrotts on *gasp* a blog says!!!
Because from my view up in the cheap seats I see people that still have the dedication day in and day out to write on. My blog has taken on a more personal storytelling route and I’m quite happy with the things I’m finding inside myself as the writing continues. It’s the inner satisfaction that brings me back to the self exploration and road to the unknown.
If Mr. Seth believes the blogger is dead, he may need to get his eyes evaluated because nice words and a skewed perception don’t necessarily equal being correct.
As for me, I’ll just continue bringing it for as long as I can. And I think you’ll do the same thing Karl because a long time ago you started something that you enjoyed doing and it just stuck. It wasn’t about money, it was about being a voice. And I believe that something to be proud of.
Peace,
– Neo
Neo, Seth is actually one of my favorite writers and bloggers. When he says ‘blogging is dead’ hes talking about a particular form.
And me – I’m being a nudge because I just want him to be a bit more specific.
Seth, I feel like replying with a *sigh* because both you and I know when people talk in terms of ‘this thing is dead’ or ‘this is the new hotness’ – its all marketing – and two sides of the same coin.
You were right to call out the crazy hype while it was happening, and now you should be celebrating.
Because in the end – realism won.
Let me put it this way: I suppose I simply don’t know how to write these sorts of articles in a way that is both in conversational English and has any impact. If I put in pages and pages of qualifiers, people both wouldn’t read it, and I suspect it’d still be futile. If I don’t have pages and pages of qualifiers, I’ll get the you-can-chat! response.
The point of my post was to show how one can make *objective measurements* of the death of the individual-influence blogging illusion. Anyone can say “(individual) blogging is dead” – are they right or wrong? My point was to show that it can be established to some reasonable standard beyond one’s opinion, getting beyond “No it isn’t / Yes it is / YOU CAN CHAT!!!”
Sadly, I’m not celebrating, as I feel I got really conned myself, and wasted a huge amount of time on a delusion.
Seth – Please don’t take the following the wrong way.
You are correct, “Anybody can say blogging is dead.”
As a matter of fact it’s been done over and over and over again; by countless people. It always seemed to me that it was a blogger frustrated with their own writing that brought about such a post to the top of the pile.
And in truth, whenever I read a post such as yours talk about the demise of the blogging world, or the next big turn in social communication, I walk away at the end of the article and pump out about a dozen pages of original storytelling and post it. Why? Because being told what I’m doing (and many others like me) is a dying endeavor gets me pumped to shove such a short sighted assumption back into the cracks where it belongs.
A long time ago people made maps when they thought the world was FLAT. What happened when it was discovered that indeed the world was ROUND? Were maps no longer produced? Did the mapping industry stop? Of course it didn’t. Same comparison here. Thing expand, they grow, they touch on new ground. As far as I can tell the human imagination is endless, and for that very reason blogs will always be relevant.
And as long as there is communication in this world. Blogger’s will always be here. Bringing it post after post one day at a time.
Take care…
– Neo
Neo, I’m not offended, just inured. Did you read my post? Heck, did you even read my proceeding comment?
As in: You are correct, “Anybody can say blogging is dead.”
When I wrote: The point of my post was to show how one can make *objective measurements* of the death of the individual-influence blogging illusion. Anyone can say “(individual) blogging is dead” – are they right or wrong? My point was to show that it can be established to some reasonable standard beyond one’s opinion, getting beyond “No it isn’t / Yes it is / YOU CAN CHAT!!!”
The paragraph did no good. It had no effect. I find that disheartening.
Again, I am not talking about chat or self-expression. I’m addressing individual-influence.
P.S: Educated people knew the world was round at least as far back as the ancient Greeks, who made a very accurate estimate of the size. The world being flat is something of a myth.