Blogs.. 21st Century Version of the CB Radio

[Dennis K]

Why do so many of you have blogs? Do you really think anyone outside your circle of friends care about what your opinion is? It makes me wonder if blogs aren't a testament to ego. They remind of the craze back in the 70s when everybody had to have a CB in their car so they could communicate, but now nobody cares. Today everybody feels like they have to have blog so they can get their opinions on any and every topic under the sun.

[MushMouth]

I started my blog as an outlet to comment on things that either interested me or bothered me (ok, mostly stuff that bothered me), to practice writing, and to have a diary of my thoughts and quick reference point whenever particular comments come up regarding certain issues. Plus, it simply helps me sort out my thoughts about issues and put them through self-criticism.

I never had any delusions that my blog would be read by anyone, but if people find my blog through a search engine I do think thats neat.

[clayholio]

Why do so many of you have blogs? Do you really think anyone outside your circle of friends care about what your opinion is? It makes me wonder if blogs aren't a testament to ego. They remind of the craze back in the 70s when everybody had to have a CB in their car so they could communicate, but now nobody cares. Today everybody feels like they have to have blog so they can get their opinions on any and every topic under the sun.
You say that like it's a bad thing. Of course blogs are a testament to ego. That's what makes them so much fun.

[Donald M.]

Blogs are like standing up on a milk crate in the middle of a crowded city park and ranting to your heart's content about any stupid little thing that comes to mind. People pass by and some will stop to listen, most won't care, in the end it's just about emptying your head out into the open air so it doesn't fester.

Me, I prefer to let it all build up until I finally snap, strip buck naked and take a busload of nuns and orphans hostage with about forty grenades strapped to my head.

[JerrBear81]

I've made some great online friends because of my livejournal.

[Punchy]

Feel free to never read a blog again if they bug you so much.

[StoneGold]

Hah! Hah I say! I've got your blog beat! I've got a podcast! (http://www.videogameradio.com)

[Tommy]

The thing I hate is that people are taking Blogs more seriously than they should. Take CNN who I have seen report upon what people are saying on the Blogs. Which besides being craptacular TV is just plain wrong. Any idiot can type out a blog.

[JerrBear81]

The thing I hate is that people are taking Blogs more seriously than they should. Take CNN who I have seen report upon what people are saying on the Blogs. Which besides being craptacular TV is just plain wrong. Any idiot can type out a blog.

A Chipmunk could :C)

[Ronald Bryan]

Some blogs become huge, others are made just for that individual, and might have one or two people who will read them. Just like the old geocities sites. Now me, I just use them as a place to put my stuff in storage, and if anyone wanders into them, they can have a few moments of fun.

[meethraa]

The thing I hate is that people are taking Blogs more seriously than they should. Take CNN who I have seen report upon what people are saying on the Blogs. Which besides being craptacular TV is just plain wrong. Any idiot can type out a blog.
But does that mean that there aren't some good ones out there?

Also, truth be told, any idiot can write a book or be a reporter these days.

[Tommy]

But does that mean that there aren't some good ones out there?

Also, truth be told, any idiot can write a book or be a reporter these days.
Yes, but they are still blogs. No one is regulating the Blogs. A reporter still has to deal with the regulations of journalism. Things like Libel and slander cannot be applied to blogs. It is literally out of control.

[Joe Grendel]

This is a bad analogy. CB Radio operators were frequently made to shut up by others using the band, particularly actual truckers for whom it wasn't a toy. ;)

[meethraa]

Yes, but they are still blogs. No one is regulating the Blogs. A reporter still has to deal with the regulations of journalism. Things like Libel and slander cannot be applied to blogs. It is literally out of control.
But is that a bad thing? Think about those stories that are dumped for fear of that king of legal retaliation, even if the story itself has merit. A blog seems to be a good resource on those occasions.
I'm not saying giving it necessarily the same amount of legitimacy as a news office, but is too much information better than too little?

[Tommy]

But is that a bad thing? Think about those stories that are dumped for fear of that king of legal retaliation, even if the story itself has merit. A blog seems to be a good resource on those occasions.
I'm not saying giving it necessarily the same amount of legitimacy as a news office, but is too much information better than too little?
If the information is wrong it is. I would rather have an hour of news a day that I knew was going to be correct than all the news in the universe if I had to try and separate the truth from everything else. And might I add that most of the problems in the world of news reporting lately have been because they have been attempting to compete with blogs.

[Joe Grendel]

If the information is wrong it is. I would rather have an hour of news a day that I knew was going to be correct than all the news in the universe if I had to try and separate the truth from everything else. And might I add that most of the problems in the world of news reporting lately have been because they have been attempting to compete with blogs.
Most of the problems in the world of news reporting lately have been because journalists who are told their shit don't stink have started to believe it.

The same thing has happened since the writing was first invented. People just have short memories and don't recall similar cycles 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 years ago.

[meethraa]

If the information is wrong it is. I would rather have an hour of news a day that I knew was going to be correct than all the news in the universe if I had to try and separate the truth from everything else. And might I add that most of the problems in the world of news reporting lately have been because they have been attempting to compete with blogs.
I understand that news corporations might seem more legitimate than a faceless someone sitting on a computer, but there are all sorts of bloggers who are opened and clear about their agendas, much more so than most tv stations and newspapers, and maybe you're not considering those.

And this...
I would rather have an hour of news a day that I knew was going to be correct than all the news in the universe if I had to try and separate the truth from everything else.
... is particular interesting to me, because that's exactly how I feel about the "regular" news. Call it paranoia if you will, but when I'm watching the news there's rarely a sense of knowing that that's the truth, and at least with certain blogs the subjectivity is right there up front.

[Dennis K]

Feel free to never read a blog again if they bug you so much.

I'd have to read one before I could never read one again, and quite frankly, (from the posts on this board and others that I frequent) I see no reason to start.

[howyadoin]

That's a big 10-4, good buddy. You got your ears on, come on back?

[Dennis K]

Now I'm going to have that damn song "Convoy" stuck in my head.

[howyadoin]

Now I'm going to have that damn song "Convoy" stuck in my head.What's your 20, Rubber Duck?

[meethraa]

I'd have to read one before I could never read one again, and quite frankly, (from the posts on this board and others that I frequent) I see no reason to start.
Ah, but that explains the first post.

[Dennis K]

Ah, but that explains the first post.


Yeah it does. While some people's post almost always entertain, or almost always make me think, nobody's post make me want to read every damn thought that comes into their head.

[meethraa]

Yeah it does. While some people's post almost always entertain, or almost always make me think, nobody's post make me want to read every damn thought that comes into their head.
Fair enough. Do you apply that rule to everything, like music, printed literature, art, etc, or just blogs?

[Punchy]

I geuss it is best to remain ignorant ...

[jessecuster]

I just started mine after months and months of my friends yelling at me. I am known as kind of the "master of hyperbole" always saying "this was the best ever, or worst ever somethign or other. So finally with much pushing from my friend Mattlandia (http://www.mattlandia.com), I started my own, detailing all the crazy links and new music that I love so much. You can read it from the link in my Sig. But apropos of my nickname, it is named: This is the best EVER!".

[Dennis K]

Fair enough. Do you apply that rule to everything, like music, printed literature, art, etc, or just blogs?

When I'm addressing music, printed literature, art, etc, I'll label the thread as such. This thread is about blogs, and I still say blogs are trendy testaments to the over-importance of one's own ego. God knows I've got more than my own share of shortcomings, but supposing that anybody wants to know my opinion on a whole host of subjects isn't one of them.

[Dennis K]

I geuss it is best to remain ignorant ...


So having a blog is now the sign of intelligence? I guess not. If you're going to try and question another person's intelligence, it's best if you get the spelling right.

[Punchy]

So having a blog is now the sign of intelligence? I guess not. If you're going to try and question another person's intelligence, it's best if you get the spelling right.

No. Choosing to berate something without having investigated it yourself is a sign of ingorance.

[meethraa]

When I'm addressing music, printed literature, art, etc, I'll label the thread as such. This thread is about blogs, and I still say blogs are trendy testaments to the over-importance of one's own ego. God knows I've got more than my own share of shortcomings, but supposing that anybody wants to know my opinion on a whole host of subjects isn't one of them.
I'm addressing music, printed literature and art in general because the exact same logic applies. All kinds of creative endeavors are expressions of one's ego to some degree, and just like in those areas I mentioned, blogs can be so diverse and specialized that any generalization comes off as silly.

You have blogs on psychology (http://radio.weblogs.com/0132028/), blogs on law (http://www.lawblog.com/), blogs about sports (http://sportsblogs.org/), blogs about cars (http://carscarscars.blogs.com/) and blogs on tunning (http://www.tunertricks.com/blog/), blogs on astronomy (http://www.strudel.org.uk/blog/astro/), blogs on astrology (http://www.astrocamp.com/vedicastrology/) and blogs on tarot (http://toniallentarot.blogspot.com/), photography blogs (http://www.chromasia.com/iblog/) and blogs on photography (http://www.livingroom.org.au/photolog/), blogs about cooking (http://ilforno.typepad.com/il_forno/), Blogs about sex, blogs about blogging (http://www.theweblogproject.com/) (and about bloggers (http://www.esztersblog.com/)), and any other kind (http://carrie.prettyposies.com/) of blog you can think of.

But you might've known that already if you had actually ever read a blog.

[howyadoin]

I am known as kind of the "master of hyperbole" always saying "this was the best ever, or worst ever somethign or other.Too funny. I saw an ad for some movie yesterday, and the caption about it was "the best movie ever" or something like that.

Then I noticed the quote was from aintitcoolnews, and suddenly it all made sense.

[Dennis K]

No. Choosing to berate something without having investigated it yourself is a sign of ingorance.


As long as it's not a sign of ignorance.

[Punchy]

As long as it's not a sign of ignorance.

Try addressing the post and not the typo.

[meethraa]

http://tsunamimissing.blogspot.com/

One of the most striking examples I've found during my ongoing investigation.

[meethraa]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2044802.stm

Something else to consider, from a 2002 article:

Hossein created one of the first blogs in Persian last year.

"It was a good tool to get to know what is happening in Iran," he told the BBC programme Go Digital, "what the youth are talking about, what are their problems."
He had so much interest from Iran that he decided to write a simple guide in Persian, to help others set up their own blogs.
Seven months on, there are more than 1,200 Persian blogs, many of them written by women.

"For the first time in the contemporary history of Iran, women can express themselves freely, even if it is not in their real name," said Mr Derakhshan.

"They have found the courage to speak about themselves and how they see the world."