Missing The Point

Matthew Taylor doesn't get it.

Writing in today's Bottom Line magazine about the impact of technology on privacy, Mr. Taylor raises some valid points about the ability of blogs to fuel the rumour mill. Unfortunately, he then ruins it by lapsing into a blinkered criticism of the medium, suggesting blogs are little more than a self-indulgent avenue for egotistical, wannabe writers to vent their spleen. As if to illustrate his point, he throws in some comments by me about this site, then rounds off by suggesting I now find running LIB to be a chore.

Building an audience and keeping a blog going is hard work, yes. But it's a labour of love, not a chore. To condemn blogs because many of them are poorly-written personal websites is to miss the point entirely. A personal blog is often only meant to be read by the friends and family of the author, so who cares if it's self-indulgent, incoherent, or chock full of grammatical errors? Not its intended audience, I'll bet.

What's more, many blogs aspire to be much more than online diaries. They're more like online newspaper opinion columns - just more interactive - and some are very well written. Many, such as this site, aim to provide a community and generate debate around a common subject of interest. They enable ordinary citizens to set the agenda and express their point of view. Bad publicity on a well-read blog can be extremely damaging to a company - just ask CBS.

There are also "collaborative blogs", run by groups of individuals. To my mind there's little difference between a collaborative blog and a newspaper, except maybe a few journalism degrees. And you don't have to have one of them to be able to write well or have something interesting to say.

If Mr. Taylor thinks blogs are just "sheer exhibitionism", he needs to read more widely. The Truth Laid Bear is a well-regarded directory of the "best" blogs. I suggest he starts there.

Comments

[Two Cent Charlie on 07.07.05 at 19:10]

"blogs are little more than a self-indulgent avenue for egotistical, wannabe writers to vent their spleen."

Took the words right out of my fingers.

Limey, if you start finding it a chore hire a helper.

[Adjustah on 07.07.05 at 20:26]

$20 says he didn't know what a blog was until it was on the front page of the Gazette...

Typical of Bermuda - we read a story in the paper and we're a fuggin' axe-pert.

"Guilty"

[Cancundreaming on 07.07.05 at 22:36]

Limey, to an extent, Taylor is right, producing a blog is a bit self indulgent and egotistical. To suggest that the impetus for your blog had purely altruistic motivations, frankly, is a bit silly. Limey you produce a blog that offers your opinions on various topics across the board, yes anyone in the community can respond, but you more often then not set the topic. You encourage people to respond to your opinions, whether they agree or disagree. Limey, that's a bit self indulgent and egotistical.

I was the editor at a paper at Utoronto, and I have to say some of the reasons why I did it was egotistical and involved some self-indulgence. That's not to say it's a bad thing and it’s not to say that we didn’t and you’re not doing good things. Both those qualities can be good things in reasonable and balanced respects. Blogs aren’t automatically a bad thing, they operate outside the sphere of normal journalistic ethics and rules, which is often their gift and their curse. That's not to say that their not well written, for the most part they are, your certainly is, but 'let's call things by their proper names'. A spade is a spade is a spade and it takes a special kind of confidence to believe that one’s opinion warrants a special place on the Internet for all to read and respond too.

[The Limey on 07.07.05 at 22:48]

Cancundreaming

Take your point, but if someone starts a blog and their opinion isn't worth reading, then, well, no-one will read it. And if it is worth reading, then who cares what the motivation is of the person writing it?

[The Limey on 07.07.05 at 23:15]

George Orwell once wrote an essay entitled "Why I Write".

I think he probably had it about right:

I see that I have made it appear as though my motives in writing were wholly public-spirited. I don’t want to leave that as the final impression. All writers are vain, selfish, and lazy, and at the very bottom of their motives there lies a mystery.

[Triforce on 08.07.05 at 15:09]

Sounds like Mr Taylor is concerned about his role as a journalist being threatened by bloggers. He should be reassured - people will continue to read the Gazette, reporters aren't going to be fired and replaced with bloggers.

[Slowhand on 13.11.05 at 07:41]

"blogs are little more than a self-indulgent avenue for egotistical, wannabe writers to vent their spleen."

IMHO I think the same could be said for most writers!!

[Ethiops on 13.11.05 at 10:32]

There is nothing wrong with proper selfishness.
It's often the fuel behind healthy relations. Blog on my fellow wanna b writers. ;)