(no subject)
these thoughts were inspired by a little paragraph in austinkm's latest entry, though i'll admit it's been something i've thought about quite often. it has to do with the term "blog" and how it SO doesn't apply to livejournal.
i really dislike the term "blog", and i especially get offended when people call my livejournal a blog. i suppose by the supreme literal definition of blog, which is just a short little nickname for "web log," the term applies.
however all the connotations that have been applied to and associated with blogging do not appear here at lj, not by any means. when i think of a blog, i think of somebody writing a journal for the sheer purpose of attracting readers. the blogger is interested in popularity and high web-traffic. otherwise, why would the modifiers "A-list", "B-list," etc. exist?
the comic strip "User Friendly" has a character who blogs, and is a "C-list" blogger who is trying so deserately to get more readers. the whole idea is to write in such an interesting way so that more people read it. he's not interested in just getting his thoughts out there, whatever they are. he's asked an A-lister to link to his site, all that stuff. it gives me the impression that there's a sort of popularity contest going on. the fact that the media jumps all over blogs and stuff, for this reason or that...and the idea of just writing whatever you have to say no matter what gets lost.
this particular space, and lj in general, is not about all that stuff. i don't care about popularity or high traffic...i'll be damned if i even know how many people read this thing anyways. and i actually flee from popularity. i'm glad my friends' list isn't 3 miles long, and that comments happen only here and there. that'd just be way too much to keep track of.
like i've been saying ever since i got this thing...it's mainly a sanity tool, and a fun little thought-playground. it helps me keep records of my own life, and a place to get my thoughts and ramblings out there hey, like this one! it helps me keep in better touch with my friends, and it's a fun little community for all you guys who are on here. i'm happy with my journal...and like Kathy said, that's all it is. a journal.
there is no blogging here.
i really dislike the term "blog", and i especially get offended when people call my livejournal a blog. i suppose by the supreme literal definition of blog, which is just a short little nickname for "web log," the term applies.
however all the connotations that have been applied to and associated with blogging do not appear here at lj, not by any means. when i think of a blog, i think of somebody writing a journal for the sheer purpose of attracting readers. the blogger is interested in popularity and high web-traffic. otherwise, why would the modifiers "A-list", "B-list," etc. exist?
the comic strip "User Friendly" has a character who blogs, and is a "C-list" blogger who is trying so deserately to get more readers. the whole idea is to write in such an interesting way so that more people read it. he's not interested in just getting his thoughts out there, whatever they are. he's asked an A-lister to link to his site, all that stuff. it gives me the impression that there's a sort of popularity contest going on. the fact that the media jumps all over blogs and stuff, for this reason or that...and the idea of just writing whatever you have to say no matter what gets lost.
this particular space, and lj in general, is not about all that stuff. i don't care about popularity or high traffic...i'll be damned if i even know how many people read this thing anyways. and i actually flee from popularity. i'm glad my friends' list isn't 3 miles long, and that comments happen only here and there. that'd just be way too much to keep track of.
like i've been saying ever since i got this thing...it's mainly a sanity tool, and a fun little thought-playground. it helps me keep records of my own life, and a place to get my thoughts and ramblings out there hey, like this one! it helps me keep in better touch with my friends, and it's a fun little community for all you guys who are on here. i'm happy with my journal...and like Kathy said, that's all it is. a journal.
there is no blogging here.