Some Thoughts on Blogging
I've been thinking a bit on this whole blogging thing that seems to be occuring, not just across the world, but in little pre-existing communities, in particular the one here in Chattanooga.
To give a quick history, proximal to our group, Nick Smith got the first blog some time ago, then turned me on to it, and then I sorta became an evangelist for the whole thing, even doing a bit of my SIP on the bloggin' shennanigans.
In my SIP I argued that bloggin', apart from the "good" of functioning as a traditional internet news and information resource, could not create new communities of the type Christians would desire for a number of reasons. But I also argued, with a good bit of nearsightedness, given the newness of blogging in culture (and it's role in our little community here in Chattanooga), that blogging could strengthen already existing communities by providing a new and solid communication tool which could fill in gaps that exists in our communication-relationships (like not being able to talk while were at work) while bolstering face-to-face communication by providing more conversation and relational fodder.
And I must say I'm thoroughly amazed at how seemingly pervasive blogging's affects have been. I don't think a day goes by when a face-to-face communication does not in some way reference or bring up something someone has mentioned on their blog. In fact, often times conversations that occur on someone's blog over an issue or something occuring in somebodies life will explicitly carry over into a conversation at our traditional Sunday night get togethers or weekly small groups.
But if I can nail down what I think these crazy-little-things called blogs are doing, I think they're functioning as "interest repositories." That is, they serve as storage banks for things of interest that we might have forgotten to talk about when we meet up with our friends later. It's as if, by getting them out there, outside of our heads, when they first come to mind, they have the possibility of being obtained by other minds in the hope of discussing them and hashing them out later. They're like filing cabinets full of our "at that moment fancy."
I mean, how many times have you head a conversation with somebody where you forgot something you knew you wanted to talk to them about. Or, something came up in a conversation where you remembered knowing something that related to the conversation, but just couldn't bring it back to mind. It's as if blogs are taking a step towards remembering these things by taking a step toward's collective memory.
What I wonder then, as more and more of my friends hop on the bloggin' train, is if we'll see little to know distinction between ideas shared on a blog and shared in person. Perhaps conversations will reach continuity between the digital world and the physical, face-to-face world. It seems like a scary thought, as if that means there's something inherently impersonal to our communication if it can attain a 1 to 1 translation from the real to the digital.
But I doubt that will happen. Until I can feel those sexy sexy arms of Andy Montgomery wrappin' around me through his or my blog, I'll take the "real" thing over the blog thing anyday.
Josiah Q. Roe | By Josiah Roe | 04:12 PM
Comments
Good thoughts. I wonder if the easy transition from digital to personal communication in our community has some relation to our tendency to talk in a constantly analytical manner, an approach that has a lot in common with online discussions. I mean, if we were more informal in our "chill time," I think there'd be a more clear division. Maybe the truest communication, the most personal, isn't in the "deepest" discussions, but in being happy and vulnerable in the presence of a person.
Posted by: mesh at June 10, 2003 04:49 PM
I dunno, I remember you mentioning this in the "shallow-female/shallow-male" distinction you brought up last week, sorta.
I think the idea is that we're all a little fedup with our constant analytic take on everything, and that we feel we're somehow missing "the moment." It's as if we're commitment the old enlightenment "murder to dissect" mistake.
But what I think is that it's all subjective to the people involved. I also think there's some fear involved on both sides, fear of missing the point and fear of not fitting in with those who can talk out their posteriors on anything.
Heck, I think it's all up to the people involved. I mean, how many blogs have you stumbled across where people just gush gush gush on their blog, and are just like that in person! There's little distinction, so I'm not sure we're more prone to it because we have a "colder analytical" approach to communication.
Posted by: JosiahQ at June 10, 2003 04:58 PM
Well, I, for one, think "over-analyzing" is only "problem" for Covenant folks period...blog or no-blog. It just spills over into blogdom. I read any Covenant blogger I can get my hands on (whether I know the person or not), because we were trained to engage the world and our thoughts and to work them out in a community. We are very unique in this respect. Outside of Chattanooga, and other Covenant "ghettos", it is very difficult to find the same kind of stimulation when you're having to watch what you say lest you use a vocabulary word unfamiliar with the typical person around you.
Another thought. Reason for blogging: Being an historian, I'm somewhat obssessed with the historical record. I have seen how frustrating it is when someone I want to study has not left an adequate historical record. Subconsciously, I think I try to avoid that in my own life. I keep scrapbooks, take pictures of all major events, and record all my doings. Sometimes I feel guilty for just recording what I've done for the day(s) on my blog rather than some interesting thought. I feel a profound need to record. And if I feel particularly creative, I try to make the record as interestingly written as I possibly can in the moment.
Reason #2 for blogging: I have always wanted to be a writer of fiction, but as a writer of history, I rarely get to exercise creative writing (at least I ought not to be). My ideal would be to practice writing creatively on my blog, though that is mostly not the case.
Reason 3 for bloggin: Probably the "interest repsository" for ideas, thoughts, interesting things found, etc, is the majority of the reason I keep a blog. Partly because I have very few friends around that I can talk to, besides my wonderful husband, so depositing my thoughts gets the need for communication out of me to some extent.
Sorry...I didn't mean for this to be so long...you just got me reflecting..
Posted by: Jeannette at June 10, 2003 06:38 PM
In a few spare moments before work this afternoon and the adventure in zaniness that I describe on my site, I read a selection from Bruce Sterling's new book Tomorrow Now. He talked about the transition from a product economy to an information economy. In the new informations economy that we are transitioning into, the forms of biology take root into technology. He had some catchy word that described it well but the long and short of it is that technology is growing in a biological way, that is non-linearly.
Apply that to this conversation. Blogdom is a great non-linear form of communication. Basically there are around a dozen people right now in the Covenant community that have blogs. In a face to face conversation between the twelve of us sitting in a circle we would all have to take turns allowing one person after another lead discussions. This would take a long time and not be particularly profitable. The only alternative would be for everyone to talk at the same time, communicating nothing. However in a blogging community everyone can talk at the same time and be heard. We are all constantly saying things of our own and responding to each other at the same time. This is very organic, very biological. My very basic understanding of microbiology says similar things. In the cell, all the different components are constantly giving out new information as they're responding to each other.
Covenant Bloggers are basically the individual parts of a single celled organism.
What is the point of this elaborate comparision?
1) Even though we all want our personal face time with each other, their are unique opportunities that bloggin can provide
2) Like it our not, our society is on a track to function like blog communities do more and more
3) I am in Maine, but I feel that the blogging community we have in Maine is making me more integrated with a greater amount of people's lives than any other method of communication would. I would say that this is because of the biological nature of the blogging community. "Try Organic!"
Posted by: matt at June 11, 2003 12:29 AM
Conversations like this fascinate me. Analyzing your analyticalness...behold the irony.
I have found blogging to be a great tool for getting to know people I've never met, getting better acquainted with people I live near but didn't get to know before, and starting conversations with people I know well, often times discussing issues we may never discuss in "real life."
I, like Jeanette, am also interested in leaving a record. I have read letters written by my great-great grandmother and am so delighted to get to know about who she really was. While a paper letter may stand the test of time better than a blog (who knows where the internet will be in 3 generations), I know I would never sit down and write paper letters or keep a paper journal, so blogging is my only hope for such a record.
And on another subject: thanks so much for the offer to host a blog for me, Josiah. I'm very interested. I've actually been looking around for other hosts for the past few weeks, but the fact that I am HTML challenged has hindered me. If you really don't mind the extra trouble, send me some more information (you can e-mail me). Thanks!
Posted by: Christin at June 11, 2003 11:14 AM
Hey!
I never got to see your SIP!
Posted by: Jeannette at June 11, 2003 08:59 PM
Matt, I loved your comment. I'm constantly trying to find ways to describe how I/the world as a postmodernist/-world. The redefinition of time/narrative seems an essential part of that discussion. (As seen undoubtedly in pomo music, for instanct).
Posted by: Jeannette at June 11, 2003 09:03 PM
That book that I pulled out of Tomorrow Now would be a very helpful read for you to pick up. Sterling takes the 7 ages of man idea from As you like it and splits analysis of man into the seven categories. For the infant he talks about genetic engineering, for the student he looks at the information economy, you get the idea. Its a very interesting, pragmatic, and thoroughly post-modern look at the future.
Posted by: matt at June 11, 2003 11:34 PM
