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blogs have exploded this year! a couple recent events have solidified few thoughts i have had about bloging or whatever we want to call this form of personal publishing.
content is king
yesterday, i stumbled across an announcement for the 2003 bloggies. when reading the rules, i was disappointed to read the following,
for this contest, a "weblog" is a page with dated entries that has a purpose (in whole or in part) of linking to other sites.
defining a weblog is hard to do, but to specify linking as a base criteria excludes some fantastic independent content creators using a blog format (loobylu, dooce, poofle, mecawilson, dollarshort, etc. - some of which are past nominees or winners).
listing links should not be confused as content. ultimately those links lead to content. i think the creator of the content should be recognized before the linker. recognizing the linker rather than the content creator only encourages mediocrity.
the development of independent content is the essence of the web.
linking is a technology differentiator that sets the web apart from all other media.
i choose not to link on my site for several reasons, the first being many sites do it very well, way better than I ever could. a few rise above simple linking by composing well thought commentary on the links or ensuring there is some thread of continuity in what links are presented (sixdifferentways, boingboing).
when someone takes a tool or an object and uses it in a way never thought of before it excites me. when instead of writing on a piece of paper, some one make a paper airplane out of it. why do we not see more people exploiting the differences of the web and bloging tools to create some thing a little different than those that have gone before them?
please do not interpret my ramblings as an attack on the bloggies. they are welcome to do what ever they see fit, if i was really upset i would start my own damn award (hmm....). i think the defining of "weblog" stirred up a few thoughts that have been on the back burner.
making connections
a friend found out about my blog recently. he had been reading it for some and asked if it was ok to post comments on the site. the question surprised me, it seemed silly. if it is published, and the comment feature is turned on, all are welcome (and encouraged) to comment.
i guess it might be intimidating when opening the comment box to see a conversation in progress or sometimes an inside comment may seem exclusionary. i think being exclusionary is the last thing most bloggers would ever want.
participating is what the site is all about, making connections with others sharing a similar experiences, opinions, or emotions. so, for any lurkers out there, the next time you see something somewhere that makes a connection, it is time to step from the shadows.
Posted by griff at January 03, 2003 09:47 AM