I’m a blogger, not a tweeter
Twitter has never held any appeal for me. 140 characters? C’mon, that’s barely enough to get me started. And have you ever noticed how nearly everyone who tweets ends up sounding like a Valley Girl?
But blogging attracted me right from the start, even though it takes a lot more time and effort. A big part of the fun is what I learn while doing the research and writing the posts, as well as reading the back-and-forth of the many wonderful commenters on this blog.
I was always puzzled when I’d hear that there were over a hundred million blogs. Clearly, many of these were either spam and/or kids fooling around for a couple of days and never coming back again—which turns out to be the case.
According to ex-blogger Dylan Wilbanks, blogging isn’t for everyone, even those who think it might be for them:
Blogs are meant for people for whom being a writer, being a creator, is a passion, or perhaps a requirement of life. They’re meant for people for whom Facebook’s ”˜What’s on your mind?’ question can’t always be answered in 500 characters or less.
That would be me.
In 2007, Michael Banks wrote a book called Blogging Heroes: Interviews With 30 of the World’s Top Bloggers. It doesn’t seem to include any political bloggers, but:
When Mr. Banks published “Blogging Heroes” in 2007, there was still a widely shared belief that one could instantly become rich and famous through blogging. Eventually, Banks says, “people sort of woke up to the fact that blogging required tremendous dedication and effort. The best bloggers are there at the keyboard every day, 12 hours a day sometimes, no matter what.” Good blogging he says, is intensive. “You can’t just blurt anything out. You have to think it through.”
Rich and famous through blogging? Pul-ease. That’s reserved for a precious few.
And I put in a lot of time here, but it’s hardly 12 hours—fortunately for me and what’s left of my life.
Less than 12 hours? Slacker!
Dylan Wilbanks “He continues to update his Twitter and Facebook feeds. Those sites, he says, allow him to trade “small thoughts with my community, and right now all I can manage is small thoughts.””
Well, I’d say that if all he has is small thoughts he’s finally found his medium.
File under “The medium fits the message.”
With all due respect for Mr. Banks, he’s not describing blogging, he’s describing fanatical obsession. I spend way too much time on the internet myself, but at least, I acknowledge that.
As for Twitter: On by blog is a post about one of my favorite bloggers (said post including a link to a post his which got me hooked on blogs in the first place) in which I lamented his apparent from blogging, only to discover that “He’s Back!!!”.
That assessment turned out to be premature. Since the new post that generated my excitement, all that appears on his blog page now is “Follow me on Twitter.”
Good Lord!!!
Take a look at the “Today, I was unprofessional…” link in my post, and then look at what passes for messages on Twitter,.
I am truly saddened that he has chosen to become a Twit.
I opened a Twitter account solely to be able to ask a couple of questions to him, and to Roger L. Simon, but I will probably end that account. As for actually using it, life’s too short; if I ever become addicted to that, I fear I will be in need of therapy that I simply cannot afford.
As bad as I am about ever getting around to publishing anything on my blog, it could certainly be worse.
I hereby solemnly promise that the words,
“Follow me on Twitter”
shall never grace my blog page.
Never!
–
neo,
Well, I can’t do anything about the rich and famous part… but your blog is one of my favorites. 🙂
JR Dogman
I have followed many blogs for years. With the direction this administration is taking the country I became very depressed. I finally decided that as a citizen one thing I could do was start a blog for my local community and link to all the great blogs and news articles I was reading. I was sending emails with links, articles and anything else interesting, so I felt a blog was a more efficient way to handle them. I have a very small following, my husband, sister, son and two nieces also post from time to time, we are all a little different so it makes it more interesting. My son and husband do all original writings, they are writers, so I feel pretty good about the blog, just wish it had a larger audience.
Not a twitterer (twitter? twit? oops, sorry), huh?
You and me, Neo.
Not a popular opinion, though; I caught some grief when dared to express what I really think about it…
I don’t tweet (not being a bird). But I remembered this Weekly Standard piece by Andrew Ferguson, who is one of the great treasures of Washington journalism. It’s definitely worth a look, being both fun and informative–as all Andrew’s work is:
http://tinyurl.com/4kbdz3
Very exactly put!
The noteworthy bloggers are those who would be, and can be effective, interesting writers. It’s all about being able to write, and — something few seem to value among the tweeters and Faces — having something to write about that will gain respect from those who have done well enough in life, by their own means, to say “screw ‘social justice’ !”
Which means being able to think, to have been curious enough to have something to think about, and enjoying exegesis. Which starts out with reading . . . . .
And, for that successful blogger, the huge stamina and endurance I doubt I ever had — certainly not past about fifty.
I tried twitter. I followed only a few people — ones whose blogs I liked to read and a few selected commenters from those blogs.
Even following less than 20 people, I couldn’t keep up, because the conversations overlapped and became senseless unless one really followed closely — meaning several times a day. Who needs that kind of pressure?
I blog for myself. I have a tiny group of readers and a few posts that bring Google hits. I don’t have any ad links and don’t plan to. If I wanted to make money, my time would be better spent waiting tables at a run-down truckstop on a non-Interstate highway.
Now that I think of it, I might get some good blog fodder from a job like that 🙂
“Rich and famous through blogging?”
After Michelle Malkin sold Hot Air, I was curious how much she sold it for. I didn’t see the price paid mentioned in the press release announcing the sale, but knowing the buyer, Salem Communications, is a publicly traded company, I knew there was a chance Salem might disclose it in an SEC 8-K filing. While all the terms of the deal were not disclosed, Salem did disclose that the acquisiton purchase price was $2 million for the blog. (It’s the first bullet in the section called Acquisitions and Divestitures in the following link).
http://preview.tinyurl.com/y8cymng
Not bad for a blog only about 4 years old and which Michelle didn’t appear to devote a bunch of time to.
Neo, you are awesome, even if you don’t spend 12 hours a day! I have been blogging for a year now and am surprised at my attachment to the process. It’s just about my little life and some of the ideas I entertain, but it has changed how I live my life. I look for interesting and fun things to do, think my thoughts more coherently, and take more photos than ever before. I have a few fans and that’s all I ask for. I used to think the world wide web was a curse, but my goodness, where would we be in these crucial days without it?
DON’T TWITTER! It would demean you and your thoughtful readers.
It takes even a bit for me to get started on my required class blog for History of Animation. And usually most of my posts end up being lackluster pieces of crap cobbled together a few hours before or after the due date.
Blogging ain’t for everyone, that’s for sure. But then, if the subject got me, I tend to rant on and on and on in forums. But usually, I’m tearing apart some poor soul and his/her unclear view of what counts as canon in that particular fandom. ^^;;
I’m more of a gadfly and a pest.
Unrelated, but fascinating in its aspect:
Hmmmm. I guess we do have an immune system.
http://internet-haganah.com/harchives/006795.html
I read two blogs daily, from top to bottom, this being one of them. I glance over a couple more; and on Saturdays or Sundays, I look through many. There are enough blogs on the right hand side of this screen and the other blog I visit regularly to choke a horse. Couple that to what is available to click on and read at Drudge, and just keeping up grows hair.
I know little of tweeting and things of that design…happily, I might add.
I happened on a web page during the so called Hawaii tsunami that was nothing but scrolling twitter post. Basically it was one million post of adults saying “Are we there yet?”
Well, I’d say that if all he has is small thoughts he’s finally found his medium.
You rang?
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I concur. You certainly can’t do good political tweeting, it takes too much description to demonstrate a point.
I know of two good bloggers who have switched to tweeting, one because she is in grad school and just doesn’t have the time to blog like she usually did/does, and the other just got burnt out and went off traveling the world. He tweets because he’s just throwing out random things he’s encountered, not because he’s trying to make a particular point.
NBretagna Says:
March 16th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
…
I know of two good bloggers who have switched to tweeting, one because she is in grad school and just doesn’t have the time to blog like she usually did/does, and the other just got burnt out and went off traveling the world.
I just saw this today.
The first sounds like Rachel Lucas, who disappeared from my blog list for that reason.
The other sounds like Frank Martin (Varifrank) who is still on my list (see my post “Varifrank is Back!!!”, which seems to have been premature). I really miss the points he was making when he was blogging.
neo’s “And have you ever noticed how nearly everyone who tweets ends up sounding like a Valley Girl?” sums up my feeling towards Twitter perfectly.
Looking above in the comments, I appear to have already addressed some this. I have since closed the Twitter account I mentioned as having in that comment. As IO said, “Life’s too short.”.
–
neo;
In your “change” series, I came to 7B, then “Mariner”, and said, “2 years ago! Arghhh! What about those 8 more segments she threatened/promised? Where’s the thumbscrew?”
I TRULY hope you haven’t let that wonderful series vehicle run into the ditch.
Brian H: I keep waiting for a lull in the news, because those posts take a lot of extra work. But there’s been no lull in the last couple of years.
I also have been thinking of turning it into a book. I’m dragging my feet on that, too, obviously.
But I appreciate your interest. I really need to get cracking on it.
Please don’t let the perfect kill the good! Believe me, even a half-armed preliminary version of what you would consider polished enough to include verbatim in a book will be just fine — and consider all the brilliant commentary you’ll attract to help with the final version.
🙂 😀 8)
Thank you for all you do.