The Metal Wings of Destiny has to be one of the nicest designs for a blog I have ever seen. While it is not in conformity with my tastes, which, as you can see, are a little more simple and as graphicless as possible. However, I do love great design work.
I did not start this post to discuss blog design, however, but to discuss the purpose of blogging. Metal Wings of Destiny came into the picture because AstreaEdge posted the following on that site:
You want them to be diverted to your site, even though you have nothing that they are looking for, because you only need 3,126 more hits until you break 50,000, or because your massive ego leads you to believe that your content is so damn good that they will keep coming back, again and again. That's right! Blogging isn't supposed to be fun mental exercise or a way to get things off of your chest or a way to meet other interesting people. No, it is all one giant popularity contest."Look at me! Look at me! The Instapundit linked to me! I am so, like, god of the blogosphere!"or
"OH. MY. GOD. The Instapundit delinked me! ME! Glenn Reynolds is so an unmitigated, motherf***ing bastard!"
Can you honestly say that the "Blogosphere" isn't chock full of idle chatter and useless brown noise?
I suppose if I ever get blogrolled by instapundit, I may have actually found a use for blogging. I just do not worry about it all that much. I still am not worried about page hits. I do not even run a counter, so have no idea how many hit the page, but I am able to see how many comment and how many trackbacks I get.
I know my readership is small, but I do hope it will grow. Is all of my content Pulitzer Prize material? No, but neither is everything in the Washington Post or New York Times. Is there some good stuff to be seen in my posts? I certainly think so, but then what I think are good are my ideas. That is why I blog, to share my ideas and who I am with those who read what I write.
Do I do it for fun? Maybe, but just because it is entertaining does not necessarily make it fun. I do find it to be entertaining, however, and I occupy entirely too much of my time blogging.
So what is the purpose of blogging? I suppose it is several things to many different people. Some bloggers actually do a very good job of reporting the news on selected subjects from a myriad of different sources. Some use it as a method to deliver tantalizing tales of their daily exploits for the pleasure of their friends and associates. Others use their blog to push a political agenda or promote a special interest. A lot of people just post .... what? whatever! I am still waiting to see the advertisers come knocking on the blogs trying to buy all that valuable space. I have a lot for sale.
Actually, I would rather become recognized by one of the big news sites and get paid for my unique insight into the ways of the world. Yeah, like that is ever going to happen.* I think I will just stick with my day job. Now, If I could just quit blogging long enough to get anything done.
*But seriously, I could write for the Weekly World News. They just make that crap up anyway.
Posted by Tiger at May 12, 2003 06:03 PMThe point of that post was twofold. One, most blog posts are not relevant to what people are looking for on Google. And two, too many people take blogging too seriously. They get fiesty when people delink them, they turn into babbling schoolgirls when someone big links them, and in the end they miss the point, at least as I see it.
Blogging isn't a job. It isn't something you do for money. Most of it do it because we have ideas and opinions that we want to share with others. We could just as easily (or maybe more easily) say nothing at all, or write these ideas in a paper journal. Instead, though, we choose to indulge in a little narcissism by posting these ideas and opinions online, hoping that someone will read them. This is fine, because it is why we are bloggers after all, but taking too seriously is ridiculous. I've even heard people get mopey/suicidal over their rankings on blog popularity indicies.
That first paragraph that you quoted was intended to be very sarcastic, in hopes of opening certain, over-serious bloggers' eyes. Unfortunately, sarcasm doesn't carry all that well through the written word.
Posted by: AstreaEdge at May 12, 2003 06:33 PMNot to imply that you didn't get the sarcasm (you certainly seemed too), however, the people who wouldn't catch the sarcasm are the people who probably need it the most.
Posted by: AstreaEdge at May 12, 2003 06:47 PMUhhhhhhhhhhhh...............I can't think of a thing to write. I will try to come up with something.:)
Posted by: Frank at May 12, 2003 07:53 PMUhhhhhhhhhhhh...............I can't think of a thing to write. I will try to come up with something.:)
Posted by: Frank at May 12, 2003 07:54 PMThanks for the link, Tiger. Reciprocated!
Posted by: anton at May 13, 2003 01:29 PM