Why Blog?
Frank Ahrens of the Washington Post asks an interesting question: Why do we blog? His article illustrates how blogging has hat a plateau recently, and he wonders if the blogosphere is done for. He fails to see that blogging is a nitch market at best - not everyone likes to think for themselves - and perhaps it is finding its watermark.
Nonetheless, he asks a question and invited replies:
But Web Watch does not blog (yet), so we can only guess at the motivating factors.
We’d like you to tell us why you blog. If you’re reading this online, clicking on the byline will let you send an e-mail. Or if you’re reading in the paper, e-mail a note to ahrensf@washpost.com . Web Watch will publish the most insightful answers. Enlighten us.
I took up his challenge. below is my reply:
Hi, Frank.
Blogging is cathartic: to reach out into the unknowable and find like minded souls. This is important in political debate, less so perhaps for personal documentary. To hear from strangers is a joy, regardless of agreement.
Blogging is engaged democracy. It creates an end-run around power publication, in that the people with the most power control what is heard. This is seen more and more in China, but is also relevant in the US. To give the populace the voice of self publication and the tools like google to disseminate and distribute the unedited voice of the people is the current paramount of democracy in action.
Finally, blogging is a return to thinking. For several generations we parked ourselves in front of a TV and turned off our minds. Blogging is a rebound from that: one cannot write without thought; one cannot read without encountering the thoughts of others. Bloggers know that to learn is sometimes preferable to being entertained. It scratches a mental itch TV can’t reach. We’re still in front of a tube, but we’re controlling the transmission.
Tannish
Feel free to send him a line, I’d like to see his follow-up article.