have become increasingly brief, and mobile.” So off those folks go to Twitter up a storm, yet say nothing of genuine substance.This technology was supposed to make every Tom, Dick, and Mary a writer. But it didn’t take long for most dilettantes to realize that blogging is hard work. You have to have something to say, first of all, and be willing to put in the hours necessary to say it. Then, to amass a following, you really need to exhibit some talent as a writer, or at least as an observer of the world around us. And you have to write for a readership beyond the circle of your closest compadres.
Too many neophytes start out with terrific enthusiasm, but not much else. They quickly fall by the wayside, especially if they can’t master the rudiments of proper spelling or grammar (too often the case), fall back on reprinting press releases, or find themselves scolded (which doesn’t happen nearly often enough) for shamelessly stealing copyrighted material and the work of other, more professional bloggers. Blogging is an awful lot like real journalism, when practiced well. And while there might not be an editor standing behind you, demanding that certain styles be adhered to, bloggers don’t live in a world free of legal and ethical expectations.
It’s no surprise that young folks, wanting to feel like they are part of a larger, online community but unwilling to commit themselves to the often exhausting regimen of writing, prefer other forms of “social networking,” those that are more the electronic equivalent of small talk. I don’t agree with the AP story’s statement that “blogging will die.” But I certainly believe that, like so many other activities requiring talent and commitment, it will eventually become a smaller enterprise, in this case engaged in by people who are serious about having their say--at some length--in the world.
4 comments:
I laughed when I found out some people think of blog posts as "long form" writing. (I also laughed at the superfluous form in long form.)
Here's part of what I wrote in 2008 when I read that Twitter had caused some bloggers to rethink their role in spreading bite-size chunks of information quickly:
"... that's not what I do with my blog, and the blogs I most enjoy don't do it either. Rather, we entertain or inform readers, or we explore topics large or small, and we generally do it by coming up with an idea, developing it at greater or lesser length, and reaching a conclusion. We write, in other words, and if doing it on a blog allows easier communication between writer and reader, that's all to the good. But it's still writing.
"These two bloggers, chastened into introspection by Twitter's success, are coming around to that way of thinking. They appear to have decided to leave Twittering to the Twitterers and to concentrate in their own blogs on "long-form" writing. Writing, in other words.
"It's good to have them back."
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Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Did you notice that the AP article referred to Twitter's 140-word limit?
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Detectives Beyond Borders
"Because Murder Is More Fun Away From Home"
http://www.detectivesbeyondborders.blogspot.com/
Of course blogging won´t die - just like the good book won´t die. Bad bloggers and writers may not last, but ...
I couldn't agree more with this post. I just started my daily blog (myyearincrime) with the new year, and damn, if isn't harder than I expected it to be. I'll be the first to admit that somedays it's far too easy to just put up the list of Edgar nominees (like I did today) than write something of substance.
I know I'll continue to work hard to improve, and sites such as this one continue to serve as inspiration and a model.
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