doctoral candidate in rhetoric and scientific and technical communication
pfffft
I’m going along, minding my own business when I come across this:
“Blogs are like spam in Google searches. I heard the figure of 32 million blogs the other day. Does anyone read these?
I look at the writer. It’s my professor! Okay, granted, it’s in my class – but it’s my professor!
He’s an instigator. You make a comment like “blogs. . . bah humbug!!” as one of my classmates did, he’s going to capitalize on it.
But it went further. People started jumping on the bandwagon.
“My own opinion is that blogs are a bit like examining one’s navel in public. I believe I’ve said this before, but any idiot with a computer and an opinion can suddenly have a global forum. Annoying, and a bit dangerous. Do I read them? Never.”
Huh.
“”Annoying, and a bit dangerous.” I agree. Keeping a journal is great, but leave it near your bedside. I have a few friends who ask if I ever look at their blogs. They seem offended that I’m just not interested, but I prefer either a personal conversation or a good book. A blog is neither to me.”
Wow. We’re now dangerous. Who woulda thunk I had so much power?
“I have to agree with the majority here — I find that people that have extensive blogs have way too much time on their hands. I myself have tried to maintain two blogs in the past and I never have time to maintain them.
Now I’m just getting annoyed and offended. So it’s time for me to weigh in.
“As one of those “navel-gazing” bloggers, I guess I take umbrage with the “majority” here. I have 7 different blogs that I keep up on a regular basis…in addition to going to school full-time and working full-time.
Do I have too much time on my hands? On the contrary.
However, I enjoy doing writing, photography, reviews, tracking my master’s degree program, keeping up with widespread family and friends, and sharing information.
Is some of my blogging personal? By all means. Some of it is used to encourage others to speak out. Some of it is used to externalize some of my internalized feelings. Some of it is used as a memoir type medium to record interesting things in my life.
Great things have come of it. I’ve sold some photography. Long lost friends have found me and we’ve rekindled relationships. I now do blog trainings at work. My master’s focus is on social software and how it can be used in teaching literacy.
I read a lot of blogs. I have an RSS feed to over 100 blogs. I comment on many of them. I see it as a social avenue – a network.”
And they just come back with argument after argument about why blogs are bad (most of them centering around an elitist attitude that the masses just aren’t intelligent enough to discern truth from fiction and authority from joe-shmoe writing a blog).
Bah.
I’ve heard it before (and, actually, from someone who used to read my blog – not sure if he does anymore).
Blogs aren’t for everyone. They are a tool. One tool works better for one person, another tool for someone else. It’s not beneficial to anyone to discount the benefits of a tool solely on dislike of that tool.
I’m not a huge MySpace or Facebook fan. Why? I think the design of them is atrocious. But, I think they are great socializing tools and appreciate them for that.
To each his or her own, I say.
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its funny to me that those who hate blogs – hate them with such passion … i didn’t know we bloggers were so powerful ;-)
i used to be one of those people with a journal by my bed, one in my bag and even more littering up my space. i still have them all but i very much enjoy the ease of blogging and the footprint of my life’s record and the way it has inspired me and given me a larger view of the world through the blogs of my many internet friends …
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(I found you via Daily Photo).
These people who take pride in their condemnation of journals/blogs, who think it is the silly pastime of teenage girls are woefully uneducated. Many serious writers and artists keep them. The ease of the public send up doesn’t rule out quality. I’ve had favorite journallers I’ve read since the late nineties, following the tale of their lives through the years.
As for me, I’m one who would keep my journals with or without readership. And I’ve been at it in one form or another since 1996!
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You made my day!! This is how many of the people I know in real life and who would never open a blog must think. It helped me understand them better, however I would not condemn them for not liking blogs. As you said, what works for some, may not work for everyone else. And I’m good with that. I think I wrote several times on my blog why I do so, but I lost interest in justifying myself over and over again as the stream of those who hate it so much are only passing by anyway. Great read and thanks for standing up for us!! Good quality blogs deserve that and yours should not be missed or, miscategorized! But hey, it’s better to have it read by those who care, right?
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#5 written by cathelin 5 years ago
“any idiot with a computer and an opinion can have a global forum…”
*laughing RIGHT out loud*i’m sorry. that’s too funny. any idiot who gets paid to anchor tv news…and is told what opinion to have… also has a global forum. these days, anyway…
one can always make the choice not to read, as i mostly make the choice not to listen to the news.
but then, i’m a blog junkie. (isn’t admitting it the first step?) yours is always a stop… political ones are big with me.
however, i’ve discovered some author blogs lately, too — Neil Gaiman (i love the book American Gods).. and Poppy Z Brite, who i have not read, but lives in New Orleans, apparently. the author blogs are cool. it’s not like having a conversation, obviously — but you get a glimpse into a life you might not otherwise see.
and maybe that’s what it’s all about, really. seeing or reading something you wouldn’t otherwise.
quoth the teacher — “could be just another way to expand your horizons” (or something)…
also — i do something like what it sounds like your professor does. i warn my students about it, though. i tell them that if they tell me the sky is blue, i’m going to insist it’s green, just to make them back up their thoughts for me…
fever clearly makes me ramble. *hug*
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Well done Dawn! Thanks for sticking up for us, lolly-gagging Bloggers!!! Pass that word along eh LOL…..
I wish I did have more time in any given day. Blogging is so relaxing for me, along with all the great info. I gather from it via other blogger’s work, along the way.
I say Baaaaauuuuhumbug to your professor!
G