Blogcritics Comments on Is Blogging Futile?

Comment by Elvira Black on Is Blogging Futile?

Mon, 2 Jan 2006 13:45:38 EST

Great post. I started blogging about 8 months ago, and I'm not only a full fledged addict, but a craven comment whore to boot. Although it seems like the whole world is blogging, according to the stats only a small proportion of people even read blogs. Those who don't generally assume all blogs are of the "Hi. Haven't posted in awhile. Let's see. Thought I had to go to the toilet earlier, but nothing came out. Will try again later and keep you posted" variety. And indeed, a fair number of bloggers I've run across dallied with it for awhile and quit--even some who had a loyal readership. Like most challenging endeavors, perserverance is half the battle. For me, as a writer and reviewer, blogging is one of the best things that's ever happened to me. And actually, checking out Blogcritics yesterday has engendered another life-shattering epiphany. ERIC OLSEN, if you're reading this, I want to be a Blog Critic but I can't access your e-mail link! Please help! I know I'm very far gone now, because I'm beginning to have blog dreams. I'm having them a lot.

Comment by Mel on Is Blogging Futile?

Mon, 2 Jan 2006 07:47:52 EST

Heh. In this post (from my ignorant perspective) you mention "someone called Duke" and "someplace called GG for short"... It instantly reminded me of one of my best friends called Duke, whose webcomic is called Greek Geeks. And nobody except us close friends reads that either. And I don't think that many people read my blog. But it's obvious that nothing we spend so much time doing is actually futile or meaningless for the people that keep doing it. Everyone has their reasons for spending time doing one thing instead of a million others that one could potentially choose to do. It all depends on each of our priorities. Myself, I blog just to write my thoughts down, when I feel like I have something to say. And instead of keeping notes that fill up my desk with random pieces of paper that I later have to tidy up, I write things there for anyone who may care to read them. And anything anyone has to say is potentially interesting for *someone*. Plus I get to practise my writing skills - I'm more into scriptwriting, but every little helps [(c) Tesco :P]. And the same goes with webcomics. There's thousands out there, and most of them aren't too good anyway. But my friend started up as a mediocre artist and pun-writer and has gone a long, long way since. And that's what he wanted out of it, so that's what he got. The Internet is a wonderful world in itself, and most people here "talk to themselves" hoping to be heard by someone, at some point. Like when I was a little girl, around 8 years old, and danced in our garden, fantasizing that someone would see me from their window and say "wow, she dances well". We all need that kind of hope once in a while, there's nothing wrong with it the way I see it. And if money or fame or whatever else comes from it, well, great.

Comment by Christopher Rose on Is Blogging Futile?

Tue, 27 Dec 2005 19:35:47 EST

Bob: I have a lot of sympathy for most of your comment but I think it's important to remember that just because someone is an "expert" does not necessarily mean that their perspective is sound. I prefer to listen to people from any background who expand my understanding of a situation, thus enabling me to make a better decision.

Comment by Bob A. Booey on Is Blogging Futile?

Mon, 26 Dec 2005 03:20:30 EST

Wow, I forgot what I said here a year and a half ago. I was quite a brash young pisser then. The point I'd make now is that blogs help people do the research to be informed, even if it is for their own pre-conceived opinions and to serve writing for a limited audience. In the process of that research, people undoubtedly learn something they didn't know before if they find the right sources, which is something you have to worry about on the Net, with so little fact-checking. If they have the right perspective and enough objectivity to look at evidence, blogging is probably pretty educational and gives people practice in their writing. But I must admit that I'm still pretty unimpressed whenever the few bloggers I've seen who HAVE broken through to the mainstream somewhat (like that "Wonkette" chick) make it on TV or into features in traditional newspapers. I think most probably have the same reaction -- why should I care about this person when they're not an expert or authority of any sort? It's the same sort of reaction I have to radio commentators when they write editorials. I don't like that reaction myself, but I think it's sort of automatic when educated people read and view opinion. That is all.

Comment by uao on Is Blogging Futile?

Wed, 14 Dec 2005 20:43:02 EST

Marat: Dadburnit! We were hoping it was like poison to you, spammer. Somebody up the dose.

Comment by John Mudd on Is Blogging Futile?

Mon, 31 May 2004 18:13:57 EDT

Bob, check out my press room, which includes some media I've coordinated and/or been featured in, but not all. Here's the link: www.blognewswire.net/news.html I'm also a published poet and columnist and am no stranger as a guest on various radio shows broadcast from Clear Channel and other stations. Of course, if you really knew me, you would have known that already. Also, read my blog's post on Bill Gates telling businesses that blogs are good for business and how Microsoft workers (including the great Scoble, who has been a proponent of blogs for quite some time) use their blogs to get word out to the public without using the media. If blogs were useless, Nick Denton wouldn't waste his time building a publishing empire out of them, would he? He downplays profits, but if you run the numbers he's taking in anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 a month, at least. Also, you may have noticed that Nick Denton's primary publication, Gawker, used to have a writer he paid $1,000 a month to, who has since been hired by a major New York publication as a full-time staffer. She also created a blog for them. Find out more at The Blog Herald. Blogs are a new form of grassroots communication. The beauty is you can now use grassroots techniques to conduct media relations, advertising, Internet campaigning, and publishing, be it a magazine or newspaper. You can say that they aren't news or a form of journalism, and I'm sure hardcore English buffs used to fear when people stopped speaking formal English, such as, "Thou art..." and say that "I am" was not a form of English, however, as people do grow to like their information quick and more to the point, blogs become a better fit for their consumption desires. However, traditional news does still have it's place. Historically, TV took a segment of newspaper readers away from newspapers, and now blogs are taking from both TV and newspapers. Advertisers now target blogs, just as they do newspapers, radio and TV, in order to gain marketshare for their products. Politicians use them to get votes. Non-profits use them to raise money. Resistance is futile. Blogs are the new American Revolution.

Comment by Bob A. Booey on Is Blogging Futile?

Mon, 31 May 2004 17:34:56 EDT

Mudd: Which publications have you been printed in? SNL sucks. I'm too funny for that lame crap. I clicked the link on your blog and saw the title "Inside Florida Real Estate" and was too bored to even wait for the page to load. I was speaking to political bloggers or those who concern themselves with more than trivial issues like real estate. The simple reason most blogging is futile, especially in politics, is because the bloggers won't have access to the same sources and research that an ACTUAL professional journalist would. They don't have the imprimatur of the New York Times or Washington Post that brings them leads and offers them access to high-level sources. I don't dispute that you might have some inside info on real estate due to your profession, but I don't really care and that's not making "news" in any significant sense of the word. Your comments and blog don't disprove anything I've said. I'm sure you're quite expert in your field and the latest developments in real estate. The only possible exception to the general futility I've talked about is Drudge, who has no real background in journalism but staked his place in the Internet very early on as a resource for news geeks. But Drudge really doesn't blog -- he never comments upon the news, he just tries to "scoop" mainstream media in breaking it. Slate is most decidedly NOT a blog -- all its contributors are screened the same way conventional journalists would be and most of them ARE in fact journalists with newspaper or magazine experience and J school training or academics of some type who comment on an issue they're familiar with. The same with Salon or any of the other "respectable" E-zines. I'm not as familiar with Slate lately as BoomCrash might be, but the fact that they don't allow comments (as he says) would prove my point even more. I do agree that blogs are good resources for grass-roots causes and activists to network and inform each other. Corporate intra-net blogs seem to be a colossal waste of time and a drain on productivity. What the hell is a meeting blog? It's called a damn memo. Having people comment on meetings and offer pointless talk about their vacations seems like incredibly poor management to me. Reportage is not blogging. There's a difference between news and commentary. There's also a marked difference between editorial commentary and internet commentary (the definition of blogging), not just in the process of review and editing but also in the type of analysis, conclusions, content accountability and writing at work. I am HTML-clueless. That is all.

Comment by boomcrashbaby on Is Blogging Futile?

Mon, 31 May 2004 11:36:40 EDT

With the way it's set up and the way things are added, I'm guessing that Slate magazine is entirely a blog, with the ability for the viewer to add comments removed. I'm betting that not only will newspapers become entirely blogs, but news sites as well. They'll have reporters just email their stuff in, and the page will be built around it automatically, no need to give it to a programmer, etc. The way Blogcritics is set up, it functions very much like a message board. I'm betting it has far more adaptability though. I can only imagine that blogs are the demise of message boards. (I know a few message board sites that have 30k visitors a day. Soon these will all be pulled into blogging, or get left behind). I read a report once, recently, that corporations are putting blogs on their intranets so people can post notices, vacation blogs, meeting blogs, etc. Whether blogging is futile, depends on what you want to get out of it. It's definitely here to stay, it's only going to grow. I imagine half of it's promise is embedded in the front end, where the average HTML-clueless typist can see instantanenous results and the other half of it's promise lies in the back-end functionality/adaptability. It seems to allow as much flexibility as the creation of style sheets did. Just in a different way.

Comment by John Mudd on Is Blogging Futile?

Mon, 31 May 2004 08:54:14 EDT

Almost forgot, here's a link to my blog. You can also access it from my website.

Comment by John Mudd on Is Blogging Futile?

Mon, 31 May 2004 08:51:24 EDT

Mudd: by the way, you don't shape the news. Go back and read what I wrote about "delusions of grandeur" vis a vis people in power. Blogs quite often drive media content. For someone who knows nothing about blogging to call someone who's been featured in newspapers nationally, from Florida to California, for his blog delusional is incredibly humorous. You should be on SNL. Perhaps since you're new to blogging, you should read some books on it to discover the effect they've had on mainstream media. Some have predicted that blogs will eventually replace newspapers, which is why many newspapers have changed their format to look quite a bit like blogs. I also recommend reading some books on grassroots lobbying and grass tops lobbying, as blogs are wonderful grassroots tools for media relations efforts. Create more than one about the same topic, and you're sure to weave a prominent news story into creation. When you get a blog, if you get a blog, make sure you can track your visitors so you know who's visiting, and what media organization they're with. Cheers.

Comment by Shark on Is Blogging Futile?

Mon, 31 May 2004 07:31:17 EDT

oy.

Comment by Bob A. Booey on Is Blogging Futile?

Mon, 31 May 2004 03:42:35 EDT

Oxymoron.

Comment by Shark on Is Blogging Futile?

Sun, 30 May 2004 14:56:38 EDT

Booey-poo: I'm a bit thrown by the slaves comment; I have no idea what that implies or what it even means." I refuse to explain anything, 'cause "If ya gotta ask..." Bobby poo: "...None of you should assume that I agree with your politics simply because I think MacDiva is a poor writer and thinker..." Booey, I know yer new around here, but if that were the case, Blogcritics' Right and Left would be havin' one big political love fest. ~ahahah PS: And only when you're especially smart -- will I assume you agree with *my politics. *Reactionary Liberal

Comment by kudd45 on Is Blogging Futile?

Sat, 29 May 2004 22:20:43 EDT

sorryfor triple posting but one more thing If the purpose of blogging is to see yourself on a post site: JUST LOOK AT BOB A. BOOEY, he makes full use of the blog oppurtunity GO BOB!

Comment by kudd45 on Is Blogging Futile?

Sat, 29 May 2004 22:15:24 EDT

Blogging futile? depends what the goal of it is. i still haven't figured it out. If its for laughs: Far from futile, i find funny shit on here all the time If its for changing the world: VERY FUTILE, unless you actually get knowledgable people to come here, and even then.... If its for venting: not futile at all, this place is great for talking shit. If it is to piss people off: still not futile, i do it daily here so, figure out what goal your trying to acheive before discussing the futility of it.Just my 2 cents, take it or leave it.

Comment by kudd45 on Is Blogging Futile?

Sat, 29 May 2004 22:08:48 EDT

OH MY GOD!!!! i found bob A, booey again!!! You never responded to my post on the american idol finale topic. You say your new to blogging?!?!?!? WELL RUN, as fast as you can bro causee it is way to apparent that this will take over your life. On this topic alone you've typed about 10,563 words. WTF! Anyway, go check out my response to all you goofy ass american idol fans, i find it quite funny

Comment by BB on Is Blogging Futile?

Sat, 29 May 2004 20:51:37 EDT

Bob A. Booey: Respectfully, in some ways you've made my point. As much as I may disagree with you (and agree with you) - I'm lovin it... and that is precisely the type of intelligent interaction the blogosphere needs. Not propaganda by prejudiced, narrow-minded twits, or silly nonsensical rants by airheads with a computer. But real, intelligent dialogue about real issues. Coincidentally I recently wrote some related posts about blogging that foresee a bright future for blogging at: BlogBloke.com. The bottom line is none of us have the perfect blog and we all struggle to find our way. I think you have a lot to offer and encourage you to make your own blog and I promise I'll read it, OR... consider writing for one of my humble blogs. Please feel free to email me if you are at all interested.

Comment by Bob A. Booey on Is Blogging Futile?

Sat, 29 May 2004 20:50:38 EDT

Oh, and I seriously don't know how to start a blog. I doubt I'd want to because I probably wouldn't have the time to do actual research and write structured pieces. I'm too ADD, as Sharky poo points out. Plus, my take on "serious issues" would be too detailed, boring, and wonky for casual Internet readers to enjoy. Whoever said the Ben Hur 6-hour chariot race thing would be right on if they'd read any of my academic work. I'll try my best to write amusing, inane anal expulsive comments on here for the time being, though.

Comment by Bob A. Booey on Is Blogging Futile?

Sat, 29 May 2004 20:13:45 EDT

Thanks for the nice words, BB. I'm not sure they're deserved. I don't think I should be commended for being cynical, but I'm glad my comments made you think about your purpose and renewed your passion for blogging. I think maybe that's one reason for anyone to write, whether it's on a website or in a journal locked in your desk drawer: to overcome that cynicism. I'll plagiarize from the literary critic Wayne Booth (a man far, far smarter than I), who repudiated the notion a "nihilistic writer" as a contradiction in terms. Writing implies a desire to communicate and influence others no matter how difficult that gesture is, an affirmation of hope no matter the futility of that gesture. Booth also says that the only consistent gesture of the true nihilist would be suicide; that writing is in fact an affirmation of life and order. I don't know if I'd put silly blogs about pop culture (the only thing I'm equipped to comment upon with my limited intelligence) in that elevated category, but perhaps you find higher meaning in your online writing than I do mine. I make a few jokes, make a few connections, I offend a few people -- it is what it is. I gave a cursory glance to that Blackfive site just now and I don't really see how it betters humanity -- it just seems like another right-wing rant to me. Olsen: get me published. I'm briliant :) Sharky poo: Perhaps I was a bit harsh on you if you were the "Fantasia in 5!" fellow. I'm a bit thrown by the slaves comment; I have no idea what that implies or what it even means. None of you should assume that I agree with your politics simply because I think MacDiva is a poor writer and thinker -- I'm just a smarter leftie than she is. I might actually agree with her on some issues (like the Cosby business), even if I don't care for her argumentation. I love you too, though, Sharky dear. Perhaps brevity would have led you to edit this unfortunate sentence: "I think the wind beneath America's wings is either a load of hot air or a big overmarketed fart." I'll write an equally ham-handed sentence of my own so we're simpatico: I look at writing like lovemaking ... long, boring, painful, and spastic, where the payoff gets almost completely lost in the misdirected thrusts and clumsy groping. Nah, who am I kidding? My writing is positively multi-orgasmic. And I'm almost as good a lay if you can get me to shut up for a second :) Am I right ladies? Know what I'm sayin? Ya hear me? Mudd: by the way, you don't shape the news. Go back and read what I wrote about "delusions of grandeur" vis a vis people in power. Alright, that is all.

Comment by BB on Is Blogging Futile?

Sat, 29 May 2004 19:09:56 EDT

Dear Bob A. Booey: First off let me say that I was impressed with your intelligent post: I respect your cynicism and when you say there is a "certain delusion of grandeur" amongst bloggers who succumb to their "desire to hear (read) themselves speak (write) and that stated self-importance they associate with writing for whatever reason". Quite frankly, when you said that you hit a sore spot, and a bone of contention if you will, that I have personally struggled with because I find myself asking the same questions. However I will say this, I have actually been contacted by members of the mainstream media that actually read my articles and have even contributed to its content. Times like that remind myself that I am not necessarily 'talking to myself' and there is in fact real "dialogue". When I look at blogs like Blackfive that have actually made a difference in society, I have to respectfully disagree with your assumption that our humble blogs cannot make a small difference. I sincerely thank you for your post because you have forced me to seriously re-evaluate why I blog, and now more than ever I know why that I do. I hope that you will come back and read this post because I wholeheartedly encourage you to start your own blog. The blogosphere could use more intelligent, articulate people like you that have something of value to give to the community.

Comment by TDavid on Is Blogging Futile?

Fri, 28 May 2004 11:53:32 EDT

I'd say in the case of William Hung the percentage is closer to 99.9% of everything he has produced to date has been crap, Eric, but your point is well taken. ;)

Comment by Eric Olsen on Is Blogging Futile?

Fri, 28 May 2004 09:39:44 EDT

Does anyone not know that 90% (or 80, or 70 or something similar) of everything is crap, hence a similar percentage in blogs. what the hell do you expect? I certainly think the % of quality material here is higher, near the top, and I have seen thousands of blogs. Bob, since you admit to being new and ignorant about blogs, I will simply provide you with stats: see the little Site Meter box at the bottom left of each page? Click on it - our current daily average of unique readers is 11,973, and this includes weekends when traffic is down. So your assumption about numbers reading is only off by three digits. Now as to writers on the site, there are 458 currently registered, of whom 130 have contributed in the last 30 days (see left sidebar on front page: Your Blogcritics), so you're a bit off there too. Only a tiny % of people ever comment on any given site, and yet we still average hundreds of comments per day. This is all pretty obvious stuff, but that's okay, you're new. Oh, and one more thing, many of the reviews here are shared with the Advance Internet sites and are seen by additional hundreds of thousands of people per week.

Comment by Shark on Is Blogging Futile?

Fri, 28 May 2004 09:14:06 EDT

Bob A. Booey, 1) I love you, man. 2) You've got MacD's number. (But I am curious: how many slaves do you currently own?) 3) You're brilliant, but one word, babe: BREVITY. The one thing bloggers and their readers have in common is a case of terminal ADD. Well, that and overactive bladders. (see comment #5 + Hitchcock's Rule: a film should be no longer than the holding capacity of the average bladder. ~*Ben Hur, anyone???) *thanks, Chris! 4) "Fantasia in 5!" was mine. BTW: I saw the last 10 min. of the final (my 1st and hopefully last encounter with the winner) and was not impressed. But then again, I can hear equal talent in any one of about 50 local black churches in my area. Fffft. Just what we need: another 'interpreter' of tired, has-been soul power ballads. I think the wind beneath America's wings is either a load of hot air or a big overmarketed fart. (PS: that runner up gal: boy, did she have some thighs or what~!) That is all, Shark (aka "BC's Simon")

Comment by Ms. Tek on Is Blogging Futile?

Thu, 27 May 2004 19:52:07 EDT

I blog because I want to, I find it relaxing and it amuses me. I don't give a fuck what other people think. If you aren't doing it for you then you aren't doing it for the right reasons. I repeat, fuck what other people think.

Comment by John Mudd on Is Blogging Futile?

Thu, 27 May 2004 18:16:49 EDT

Some journalists love blogs, as they see them as wonderful story sources (but they don't always give the blogger credit), and others are scared to death of them, as they feel bloggers could replace journalists. I use my blog and blogging in general for three reasons: (1) I make money from it. Blogging has done wonders for bringing me more traffic, translating into more sales. (2) It allows me to inform customers and potential customers, as well as entertain them, all while giving them insight into myself. (3) It allows me to shape the news, and sometimes get free advertising (publicity). Blogging is the greatest form of public relations there is, because it allows you to be the media, as well as give the media a story without even picking up the phone. Tell them about your blog and they will tune in. Smaller local newspapers are also usually more than happy to syndicate your editorial content if they have room. Blogging can also be directly profitable. Take Jason Denton over at Gawker for example. He's banking on blogs, as are quite a few others. A friend of mine and I are even working on a Web magazine of our own, which we will publish using blog software. Is blogging futile? Perhaps. But eventually everyone will be assimilated, so it really isn't an issue for me as to whether it is futile or not.