If all your friends jumped off a bridge…
Over ten years ago, when mendax.org first went online, the term “blog” didn’t even exist. Back then, we called it an “e-zine”, and blogs wouldn’t emerge as a recognized entity until 1997, and didn’t actually catch on until the century clock reset.
The webscape is much different today than it was a decade ago, and arguably it’s the blogosphere that defines the latest evolution of the World Wide Web (WWW). For instance, years of searching Google for information have now transformed into searching the blogosphere directly for timely intelligence. With this newfound emphasis on blogs, and the simplicity involved in setting up a blog using free tools and services, everyone wants in on the action, whether or not they have anything useful to say.
Recently, I had a conversation with someone who “didn’t get” blogs. They assumed, falsely, that blogs were limited in scope to the “journals” of yesteryear, which preceded the term “blog” and were little more than online diaries. While these types of cathartic blogs remain [unread], the amount of useful information across the blogosphere has risen since personal blogs went mainstream, in part because the blog hive-mind corroborates information from the various nodes that is built upon it. The end effect is a signal-to-noise ratio much better when taken as a whole than looking at random blogs and attempting to filter out the crap from the facts.
Still, new bloggers n00bloggers need some advice to stand out and contribute, else fall into obscurity even among the social circles their authors participate in. Contribution can mean a number of things, and needn’t even be complicated, since they can borrow ideas from legacy web pages of the 90s and just link to cool stuff, thus serving as a repository of information for its readers. Only now, this information can be organized chronologically, which is one of blogging’s biggest strengths.
Of course, the definitive historical record, based on the strength of blogging protocol, only stands when it is not abused. Some bloggers, for example, have no qualms with post revisionism, wherein posts are edited after an online stay of hours or even days. While correcting for grammar or basic sentence structure is an acceptable practice, making heavier modifications to one’s posts well after publication is poor etiquette when such changes are not identified. Similarly, good manners associated with reporting changes to a post are automated in most forum software packages.
Like it or not, there is a basis for good blogging etiquette, in part because such etiquette formalizes and standardizes the blogosphere. This is why sources are cited with links, and jumps are embedded in sentences rather than appended at the end of statements (i.e. “which you can find here“). Fortunately, a great many of these “unspoken” rules can be realized by just reading what’s already out there, and taking occasional guidance from appropriate sources.
To be fair, even big-hitters screw up now and again, so the difficulties associated with running a personal blog can sometimes add up. Fortunately, running such sites is easier than ever now, so it’s up to the authors and readers themselves to determine whether or not a blog has what it takes to make it from a small idea to a lasting success. Authors should heed the saying, however, “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”
Either way, thanks to the Internet and its many users, the rest of the blogosphere will ignore or ridicule you anyway. And heck, that’s worth blogging about.
Popularity: 2% [?]
I want to publicly thank WyldKard for using my blog as an example of authors who ignore “blogging etiquette.” I couldn’t be happier as, with all due respect to WyldKard, I find the concept of “blogging etiquette” a bunch of BS. I correct and sometimes attempt to improve my posts as I review them or find new relevant information. To not improve them based on” rules” decided by a random vocal group seems to me, well, ridiculous. After all, blogs started because people were unhappy accepting news and opinion from the established sources. To restrict this form of expression by following rules created by whoever calls themselves an expert seems to fly in the face of what started the popularity of blogs in the first place. I am proud to say that I could care less if such people think my blog follows their arbitrary standards. It is my opinion, done my way. That is the point.
As for the title of WyldKard’ post, intended I believe to insinuate that some people blog only because their friends do, I believe the title better illustrates why he organizes his blog the way he does… because everyone else does it that way. Me I have enough stupid rules to deal with in my life. I am a free thinker, a rule breaker. I sometimes exceed the speed limit, rip tags of my mattresses, even jaywalk. I follow rules when they make sense and ignore them when they don’t. I say question everything, blog the way you want to blog, and if anyone tells you otherwise, tell the blog cops to get a life.
Your public thanks is much appreciated after I told you ahead of time, in person, that I would link it accordingly. In typical fashion, however, you respond only to part of my post, ignoring the disclaimer. In this case, editing of a post isn’t an issue, but rather, informing one’s audience of the edit is. Thus, the obligatory “update” addendum, which is not an afront to opinion, but an afront to public record.
In the case of editing one’s post willy-nilly without notification to the blogosphere, you don’t ignore the rules because they don’t make sense, but rather, you ignore rules that do make sense, for no reason other than a lazy complacency to not follow the successful consensus. If that makes you a rebel, I wish you the best of luck attacking the Death Star that is the Internet, only in this case, no thermal exhaust port or shoddy shield generator on Endor will save your blog from obscurity.
I hate it when daddy and daddy fight. *weep*