There seems to be great confusion about what the blogosphere is all about. What is its purpose, its meaning, its goal. Whether or not such a goal even exists. And in how many ways exactly can a blogosphere be defined and described.
I for one am in favor of all the blogs that are out there. Discriminate none, delete none, commit yourself to doing what you do best and let no one get in your way. There`s plenty of space for everyone to go around!
Expression is everything. There is no greater freedom than the freedom of the web (that does not apply for piracy, pedophiles and sexual predators…) and we should embrace it, use it to the greatest extend possible.
Now click pause.
Weblogs are a tool. Similar to a hammer in my opinion. You can use it to build houses or bring them down. To create or to destroy. To sharpen or to dull. There are many usage of the same tool. Tool is defined by its usage. And in my opinion, people are not aware of all the different usages of this same wonderful tool.
Social benefit. Two simple words. And at the same time the meaning of the blogosphere. Functionality. Does it work? If yes…keep it. If not…change it.
I think some do not know what they are talking about. Framing blogs will be the death of them? If you check the state of the blogosphere, the growth is slowing down. Although it`s not significant (yet) I think we can write it off as illiteracy. People are starting to perceive blogs as “something”. For some, blogs are diaries. For some, blogs are the web. For some, blogs are a medium. Which of these definitions will prevail? It does not have to, but communities that perceive blogs as diaries are sure not going to use them the way communities that perceive blogs as a medium will. And can those two communities even use the same term for their tool? Because, the way things are now, people are narrowing their own options. Why? Cause there`s no one to tell them otherwise.
Be all that you CAN be…
You can look on blogs as on a tool but I see them as music. You can look on yourself as on one of the best bloggers but I think you’re full of yourself. Some will agree with you and some will agree with me. Not because someone will tell them to but because they can and will use their own brain. At least I count on that. Do you?
“Social benefit. Two simple words. And at the same time the meaning of the blogosphere. Functionality. Does it work? If yes…keep it. If not…change it”
Dude, WTF?! Perhaps you could make better use of your “tool” by expressing yourself more clearly instead of threading words together willy nilly.
Whatever the case, I’m so bored by this debate that I refrained from saying anything so far, but allow me this: get real. I doubt that even 1% of all blogs out there have any real social value. On the contrary, the majority are mindless drivel produced by angsty teenagers. It seems to me that you are waging some sort of battle (haven’t quite figured out what exactly it is yet) that you obviously can’t win because nobody actually cares. Everyone will continue using blogs to meet their own personal means (be they commercial, political, personal or, like you say, social), rendering your little crusade about the meaning of the blogosphere utterly pointless.
But please, don’t let anyone stop you from taking yourself so seriously – it’s the one thing on this blog that always keeps me in stitches!
Meet their own personal needs, not means, that is.
Using their own brain at something they know nothing about? Does this mean that the formal education does not mean anything to you?
The ideas have to come to their mind somehow and sharing the knowledge is very important. You have to have building blocks to build a house. And people have to see different types of houses that are already being build so that they can judge good building plans and bad ones.
Without critical point of view, without the knowledge, you cannot do that. And you are stuck with being all that you can be.
When you talk about the purpose of blogs, I usually diasgree with you. However, it seems that you actually got it right this time: blogs are indeed a tool that can be used for just about any purpose. And the term ‘social benefit’ is vague enough that I can agree it could be considered the meaning of the blogoshpere (if the emphasis, when you speak of the blogosphere, is on the interconnectedness of the blogs). Unfortunately I have no idea what you are talking about in the remainder of the post and I’m pretty sure the fault is not mine.
I am talking about broadening their horizons. I am talking about giving them different ways of usage and let them figure out the rest. Education and then letting them take over.
@Poulette – There`s more to blogs than just meeting ones personal needs. The blogosphere is not just a group of blogs. The group itself is actually more than just a sum of its parts. If only people would be more aware of that fact that has been manifested many times over.
What is there to know about blogging?! The one thing I love about blogs is that they don’t have limitations. Why should one make them artificially?! And even with limitations – do you really think it will make a difference? There will still be good and bad blogs because there’s simply to many people and to many tastes. I really don’t see a point here, really don’t.
I am having a lecture on blogging at the FDV on Tuesday, at noon. You should come.
Can you please send me some info on email? Thank you. 🙂
Instead of asking oneself “what is there to know about blogging?”, one should ask him/herself “what it is, that I don’t know about blog”. Sure, only the sky is the limit, but without broadening one’s mind, changes barely come.
But does broadening come with or without limitations? 😉
supporting cookie @poulette: I agree with those who understand the blogosphere as a new culture; it’s much more that any single reason…