Day: June 29, 2002

Recovered from the Wayback Machine.

Gary asked an interesting question earlier in the week:

I wonder how many people started blogging after receiving this dictat from Chris Locke.

Seems that Chris, otherwise known as Rageboy is blogging papa to several people, including Gary, Denise, Jeneane and others.

I didn’t start weblogging because of Chris. I blush to admit that I started weblogging in April of 2001 primarily because I wanted to try out the technology. And I wasn’t all that impressed with weblogging at first – particularly since I had a Manila site and didn’t and still don’t like Manila as a weblogging tool.

Though I didn’t begin weblogging because of Chris, I soon became a fan of his; he was the first entry on my blogroll, and also paid me the kindness by adding me to his. In addition, I discovered one of my closest weblogging friends, Stavros the WC through Chris – leading to some really Strange and Wonderous Moments in Weblogging (SWMW), and a life that never promised to be dull. Scary at times, but never dull.

Through Chris didn’t start me blogging, you have him to thank for me still weblogging today. When I wanted to quit (and actually did quit for a time) last November, Chris (and Sharon another of my closest weblogging friends) convinced me to give the weblog a little longer.

Considering that I have a love/hate relationship at times with weblogging (we all do, don’t we?), I don’t know whether to thank Chris for his intervention, or tell him to go get f**cked. However, knowing Chris as much as anyone can remotely, I think he’d be equally happy with either expression.

Recovered from the Wayback Machine.

The Happy Tutor has written a longish weblog posting regarding my earlier posting, The Lost Art of Courtesy.

Happy writes:

I wonder, though, BB, are courteous blogs “scaleable”? If we want to reach an audience of 10-20 personable losers, and we all constantly comment on each other’s posts, then it would be cozy, but closed. Let’s say that 400-4,000 people read a blog, could the author possibly be “courteous” to all, going to their blog, and exchanging bland comments and notes?

Sigh. I never know with Happy Tutor postings whether he’s agreeing with me, or disagreeing with me. Should I respond to the Happy Tutor persona, who disagrees with agreement, compliments that which is to be despised? Or should I respond to the person behind the Happy Tutor persona, who has real opinions and real thoughts.

If I’m in a playful mood, I’ll usually respond directly to Happy, and fun is had by all. However, when I’m in a more thoughtful or somber mood, I find the persona to be irritating.

Are blogs online simply to be overheard? Or are they an extraordinarily exhibitionistic way to maintain a small social network? If you want to exchange pleasantries with a few friends, why not use email or a listserv? Why post personal conversations where millions could read and where every banal remark will be permanently archived in Google or the Wayback Machine? Why not keep a paper diary and circulate it by snail mail to your friends, and have them do the same?

Weblogging – Open door communities, with no borders or boundaries. Does this scale? Who gives a shit.

Now, Happy – you want more, knock at my door, and as password give your name and true opinion, and we’ll talk.