I wanted to start off my blog with an article I stumbled upon when trying to figure what I was going to name this thing. A professor at the University of Ottawa published a book early last year, detailing his studies of the emerging blogosphere.
Now, Professor Michael Keren teaches in the faculty of communication and culture. He’s an expert, he’s studied for many years as to how humans connect and share ideas over a large network, and why this is important to us all.
This one quote however, either struck a nerve, or made me laugh in its reference:
“Many of us end up like Father McKenzie in the ‘Eleanor Rigby’ Beatles song, who is writing a sermon that no one is going to hear,” he suggests. “Some of us are going to be embraced by the mainstream media, but the majority of us remain in the dark, remain in the loneliness.”
In referencing the Beatles’ devastating ode to the futility of life, a blog could be seen as a lonely person’s lifeline to the alienating outside world. Keren seems to have followed those who use the blog who are isolated on a daily basis and use it as a personal form of expression.
But I think Keren may have missed the underlying importance of the blog: it’s publishing.
Forming a blog takes time and development. It’s a creative process, and no matter what it is about, the author has to find their voice. It’s a stumbling block when you start thinking, “Who will read this? Will anyone care? Who am I writing this for? Really, what’s the point?”
It’s a struggle to go against attitudes, whether it’s your own, or others, that project negative connotations of online culture and communications. It’s not for everyone, but it’s something to say, “I’ve contributed to the conversation.” Even if it’s online.
So, I’m taking my own advice, and getting this blog going.
3 responses so far ↓
thatsroger // June 5, 2008 at 6:53 pm
I’ll always read your blog, if not for it’s content then for the aesthetically pleasing layout.
Melanie // June 16, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Blog looks great! Nice reflective posts. You’re doing great. A lot of what I’ve seen from first time bloggers/writers is resistance and fear. Some of it is warranted but a lot of it is just plain old fear. It’s like anything new – once you understand what you’re doing it feels a lot better. Blogs have been around for over 10 years now. They’re hardly “emergent” anymore. In fact, many technologists are asking if blogs are dead given the shift to social media. I actually consider blogs a big part of social media. What may happen is a change in the way blogs are used. Right now that change is aggregation. More people are using their blogs as a place to extend ideas they’re sharing in other forums – rather than the main event. So perhaps blogs will serve the purpose of long form content – who knows. For now, let’s just focus on using the blog as a means to get comfortable with an online publishing tool.
meighan // June 26, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Thanks for the thoughtful comment Melanie. I’m wondering though how some tech-savvy people would consider the blog to be “dead” so to speak. I guess with the proliferation of social media, it’s always an assumption than an older medium might considered obsolete.
I don’t agree with that notion however, older forms of media don’t ever “die”, they just become another tool, or part of a niche culture. Like vinyl records for instance, or radio.
Perhaps, old static websites might be included soon as well.