What is blogging? Time was you could simply say: “writing a blog”, but now? I wonder whether the genre has outgrown the platform, with the likes of Seesmic, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and Delicious providing new spaces for ‘things we used to blog’ (any more you can think of?).
As I write a book and ask myself this question I wonder: can you define blogging without mentioning technology? Personal? Open? Linked? I’d love to know your thoughts.
18 Comments
Leading, provoking, guiding a global conversation in your particular field. You do it very well on this blog, as do people like Scott Karp, Aaron Wall, Michael Arrington and Darren Rowse.
The temporal dimension of blogging is unique. It is defined in relation to the temporality of whatever event (of whatever scale) is being written about.
It's simply publishing that's open to all.
I like "global conversation". There is also something about demonstrating expertise, yet being transparent and open to reaction. I understand how this can be tricky to define. Earlier this year, I was involved in writing a proposal to launch a blog – without mentioning the word "blog".
Chunks of stuff (content) published in date order surrounded by information (data) which gives it life on the internet and brings people to it through search, etc.
Blogging is an exchange of media, through an innovative self publishing tool wherein commentary can be made and received, in real time, on an International scale. Blogging utilizes mediums such as text, writing, video, photography to convey, refer and express individual as well as community thoughts, musings and opinions. To be the author of a blog is to take on many hats, or roles. One might be any number of these: teacher, philosopher, community activist, mediator, journalist, mentor, and inspirationalist. Blogs connect people who may never have been connected otherwise. It is a tool for communication and exchange with few limitations and limitless possible configurations.
Article or story writing in a virtual world, (without an editor).
Blathering on…? Maybe that's just me.
http://tinyurl.com/4e25ww ” target=”_blank”>http://tinyurl.com/4e25ww - my response
Could be… usually is at first… but a blog is a place for posting content that changes over time. Not just topic changes. One example: format changes, too. Posts can be lists, articles, videos.
These are all great. Only thing I'd add: Flexible self-publishing. Blogs have to be dynamic sites over time. If there's something you want but aren't getting, there's a way to think a way around it. If not, it's a static website on a network of blogs, which, is isolating.
I'm still good with Citizen Journalism
For me blogging is totally for me. I selfishly write whatever I want. Venting, spouting, gushing, sharing…sure, but with who?
I'm with Pete here. I can say it without using the word "technology", but I need to say "online": items published online in date order. Doesn't matter whether you write short text (twitter) or long (any journalist who writes a column online is a blogger), whether you publish photos on flickr or videos in a podcast. Doesn't matter whether you allow comments and feedback, and whether you have subscribers, and how much interaction you allow. My opinion is if you publish items online in date order, that's blogging.
I would say that blogging is turning a way you can turn a monologue in to a conversation
It's a conversational form of writing, which may be meaningful or total blather. The content is up the blogger, who will be judged or ignored based on their contribution to the conversation.
Gavin, I truly appreciate your choice of the word 'conversation' as the true value of a blog is to provide a forum of communication, where the blogger makes a post that acts as the catalyst to drive comments…the more "global" and dynamic the comments the closer we converge towards a real conversation of ideas and thoughts. That's the true value of a blog. And unfortunately today, blog comments are fairly static and often simply die in cyberland.
I like a slightly paraphrased version of Technorati's definition of the blogosphere: interconnected communities of writers and readers at the convergence of journalism and conversation… maybe it can help.
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