October 05, 2004

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Michele eloquently and accurately pops the latest blogging bubble. Her premise is simple: that the very moment blogging is getting wide exposure, blogging is also reaching a low point. While I agree with her sentiments I can see a silver lining in the current clouds.

At least some blogs are mutating into quasi-journalists, hunting for scoops and trying to break news as a direct result of the success of the Rathergate (what a horrid name; it's such a cliché to add "-gate" to any controversy. Surely the blogosphere could have come up with some better?) and the large spike in traffic that resulted. The emergence of advertising on blogs and the rush of such exposure has turned some blogs into "scoop junkies".. This inevitably leads to pressure to break the next big story. But just like Big Media, news isn't like that. There are occasional big stories separate by the more humdrum and mundane. Sometimes several big stories break at once, but then there are periods of relative "quiet".

Some bloggers whom have hit upon the idea they may be journalists may be right. As is so common, whereas initially the blogging medium was composed mostly of generalists, we are now seeing the rapid specialisation by some blogs. This narrowed focus creates blog experts in particular fields and allows readers to jump immediately to certain nodal blogs for information on particular subjects. This is, I think, what Michele is lamenting. But specialists are following their interests and their traffic. The rewards (either financial, in readership or otherwise) are there for those that follow their focus. Yet there is still room for generalist blogs, although their popularity may suffer. Every day there are more blogs, there is more to read and yet God dictates there are only 24 hours in each day. You could compare the changes in the blogosphere to the general pattern of evolution - a combination of survival of the fittest and the best adapted. Generalists retain their niche and specialists find theirs, all coming together in a "blogosystem".

However at times the output of the blogosystem as a whole can disappoint readers, particularly long time ones. Blogs change over time as the interests of the author(s); some blogs that are now branching into journalism are a case in point. Along the way they will lose some readers and gain others. It is part of the constant process of change in the evolving life of each blog within the blogosystem. Just as the blogosystem as a whole evolves, so do the blogs within it. I share Michele's disappointment that some previously favourite sites have changed for ways I consider less interesting. But thankfully there are plenty of others out there to take up the slack. Another analogy is a marketplace. Stores change their wares to capture new or different customers or enhance their profits. Some older customers don't like the changes and have to find new stores to replace them. It's a pain in the backside, especially after finding a set that you like and can rely on. But eventually you find others to take their place. The stores (blogs) follow their self-interest and the shoppers (readers) follow theirs, and Adam Smith's Invisible Hand creates something greater. It's laissez-faire capitalism in action.

Longer time readers will note that the weekly "Enemablog" feature, where I summarised some of my favourite links of the week from around the blogosphere. It was for a simple reason: each week there was less and less I thought interesting or worthy enough to link to. I understand the intensity of the coverage of the US election; the importance of breaking the Rather story; and the other top stories floating around at the moment. They bore me to tears. The constant incestual linking between certain blogs is danger of becoming a constant cycle of mutual admiration to the exclusion of anything interesting. There seems to be so many more important things in the world worth talking about: Darfur, Iraq, events all over Asia. But if my previously favourite blogs choose to focus on things that no longer interest me, then that is fine. I'll simply move on to those that do. Like Michele. Or Joe. Or Dean. Or Helen. Or any one of the other blogs on my blogrolls. Time and content permitting, I'll bring that weekly feature back once I start seeing links again worth hanging on to.

We bloggers and blog readers have a choice. Thank God for the blogosystem's diversity.

posted by Simon on 10.05.04 at 04:45 PM in the Blogging category.




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Comments:

That's the beauty of the RSS reader, no? I can plug all of the blogs I like into it and, in one place, see what everyone is writing about. And if they happen to be focusing on the color (sorry, colour) pen John Kerry pulls from his pocket, well, I can move on to something more interesting. I'd say, once again, you've nailed it.

posted by: RP on 10.05.04 at 08:53 PM [permalink]

yeah i think eveyone is scrambling to find their own niches.

posted by: pylorns on 10.05.04 at 10:50 PM [permalink]

I've noticed a lot of blogs changing, and quite a number dropping off. I too have started reading fewer and fewer blogs, other than my die-hard favorites which I have linked in a certain place.

Your blog has also changed a lot-I read more of an edge to your posts, more of a strident political nature than perhaps you had even 6 months ago. But it's the way you write things that brings me here, and it's the fact that I really like you and your writing that keeps me here.

posted by: Helen on 10.06.04 at 07:30 AM [permalink]

You self aggrandizing pinheads crack me up. "Rathergate" was not broken by a blogger. it was done by a dude named Buckhead on a website called "FreeRepublic.com". FreeRebublic is not a blog but a message board. I love how your sad little community is lamenting the fact that any idiot can put up his own webpage and post a bunch of links to a bunch of other sad dorks' websites. Face facts, there is little difference between most of you. You offer nothing different than countless other attention starved children. As for being journalists, why would you want to go from being an amateur idiot to being a professional one? If you are starting to worry that your voice will be lost amongst the cacophony of sad sacks, take off your pajamas, buy a megaphone and a soapbox and take your show on the road...

posted by: germaine greer on 10.07.04 at 11:50 AM [permalink]




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