3 ms·

Rise of the Tablog

36 points by fogus 17y ago

pie 17y ago
While I am swept up in the argument and the author has my head nodding along to each point, this is clearly an act of gross generalization that uses the worst of the blogging world as examples. A blog is simply a tool, or perhaps merely a loosely-defined format. No tool or format constitutes a panacea for every problem. I'm glad that the author (and hopefully the reader as well) is thinking critically about how technology is best applied to real situations and problems.
- jackchristopher 17y ago
  His criticism is more about what he sees as the blogosphere's negatives than about blogging in general. But I agree with it. There's immense pressure for people, particularly newbies, to do the kind of blogging he's talking about. In effect it's become an expected part of "playing the game" in the medium. Of course you can ignore that. But you'll probably be ignored by the blogosphere. I never blogged because I felt the blogosphere expects articles like: Ten Things Corn Flakes Can Teach Your About Lisp Programming. I can't imagine talking to people that way. Does that really sound natural? To me it, regardless of how friendly or informally written, that make me sound like a one-man newspaper. Eck. I think a big part to the success of Paul's essays, is how his friends are the immediate audience. Newbie writer's usually don't have that. They have to build an audience from scratch. When I really think about it, what do I really want? Ultimately, I want communication and connection with a few passionate people who care about the same things I do. If I can just bounce ideas off them I'm satisfied. If my ideas hit mainstream, wonderful. I like blogging, But it feels likes it at the point where I'm "not allow" to use the the medium that way anymore.
byrneseyeview 17y ago
If you are trying to make money online, start a business with an obvious group of products, benefits, and prices, like 37signals. That's not how 37signals started at all. They were a web design company.
- trafficlight 17y ago
  So? That's what they are now and that's what matters.
AndrewDucker 17y ago
And this is why I have a journal, rather than a "blog" - it's a place for me to splurge whatever I happen to feel like, whether it be links, updates about pancakes, or a rant about c#. It's there for my friends, or anyone who happens to feel like reading it, not a tool for any purpose.
jackchristopher 17y ago
Server seems to be melting (for me) at the moment. Here's the Google cached version: http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:LSsihXo7tIQJ:putthingsoff.com/articles/rise-of-the-tablog/+Rise+of+the+Tablog&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:LSsihXo7tIQJ:putthingsof...

36 points by fogus 17y ago

pie 17y ago

While I am swept up in the argument and the author has my head nodding along to each point, this is clearly an act of gross generalization that uses the worst of the blogging world as examples. A blog is simply a tool, or perhaps merely a loosely-defined format. No tool or format constitutes a panacea for every problem. I'm glad that the author (and hopefully the reader as well) is thinking critically about how technology is best applied to real situations and problems.

jackchristopher 17y ago
His criticism is more about what he sees as the blogosphere's negatives than about blogging in general. But I agree with it. There's immense pressure for people, particularly newbies, to do the kind of blogging he's talking about. In effect it's become an expected part of "playing the game" in the medium. Of course you can ignore that. But you'll probably be ignored by the blogosphere. I never blogged because I felt the blogosphere expects articles like: Ten Things Corn Flakes Can Teach Your About Lisp Programming. I can't imagine talking to people that way. Does that really sound natural? To me it, regardless of how friendly or informally written, that make me sound like a one-man newspaper. Eck. I think a big part to the success of Paul's essays, is how his friends are the immediate audience. Newbie writer's usually don't have that. They have to build an audience from scratch. When I really think about it, what do I really want? Ultimately, I want communication and connection with a few passionate people who care about the same things I do. If I can just bounce ideas off them I'm satisfied. If my ideas hit mainstream, wonderful. I like blogging, But it feels likes it at the point where I'm "not allow" to use the the medium that way anymore.

byrneseyeview 17y ago

If you are trying to make money online, start a business with an obvious group of products, benefits, and prices, like 37signals. That's not how 37signals started at all. They were a web design company.

trafficlight 17y ago
So? That's what they are now and that's what matters.

AndrewDucker 17y ago

And this is why I have a journal, rather than a "blog" - it's a place for me to splurge whatever I happen to feel like, whether it be links, updates about pancakes, or a rant about c#. It's there for my friends, or anyone who happens to feel like reading it, not a tool for any purpose.

jackchristopher 17y ago

Server seems to be melting (for me) at the moment. Here's the Google cached version: http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:LSsihXo7tIQJ:putthingsoff.com/articles/rise-of-the-tablog/+Rise+of+the+Tablog&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:LSsihXo7tIQJ:putthingsof...