WhatIsAWeblog Notes

WhatIsAWeblog - Dr. Morgan

-Williams
-blog concept about 3 things:
-frequency
-brevity
-personality
-Winer
-are personal
-on the web
-published
-part of communities (and yet NO ONE DEFINES A FRICKIN' 'COMMUNITY')
-Barrett
-designed for audience
-have a voice (duh)
-have a personality
-interactive extensions of who you are.
-GMU Nonfiction Universe
-often-updated sites that point to articles elsewhere on web
-often w/ comments.
-or to on-site articles.
-continual tour w/ human guide you get to know.
-lotsa guides to choose from.
-ea develops audience
-also comeraderie and politics between people running them.
-point to ea other in all kinds of structures.

-a coffeehouse conversation in text w/ references as required.

-BLOOD -
-in '98, only handful.
-Garrett compiles list of 'sites like his.'
-sends list to Barrett
-Barrett publishes on Camworld
-others w/ sites send URLs to him 2 b on list.
-in '99, list of 23.
-suddenly 'community' (which STILL GOES UNDEFINED…
-community springs up.
-cuz easy to read all on list.
-Merholz announces that he's going to pronounce it as "wee-blog" as if that means anything.
-shortened to 'blog'
-then bandwagon jumping began and no. of bloggers explodes.

-MEG HOURIHAN -
-look beneath content 2 observe common ground of all bloggers — FORMAT.
-provides framework for all blog experiences.
-enables social interactions assoc. w/ blogging.
-tools spit out varied content in same format:
-archives
-permalinks
-time stamps
-date headers

-RUSS LIPTON -
-"just a site organized by time."

-HALLEY SUITT -
-details multiple characteristics including:
-last place on earth to tell truth (hmmmm)
-watching brains at work
-a love letter
-a diary (blech)
-an open head
-all for readers' convenience.

-ANDREW SULLIVAN -
-what bloggers do:
-is completely new
-can't be replicated on any other medium
-is between writing column & talk radio.
-harnesses web's real genius
-ability to empower anyone to do what only in past could.
-SO, is first journalistic model that actually harnesses rather than merely exploits true democratic nature of web.
-is a new medium finally finding unique voice. (aka genre)

-JAY CROSS -
-a Website w/ dated entries
-usually by single author
-often accom by links to other blogs that the site's editor visits regularly.
-'one person's public diary or suggestion list.
-early ones started by Web enthus'ists posting links to cool stuff found.
-added commentary
-started posting daily
-read ea other's blogs
-community culture took hold -(what's a community culture???)

-KmBLOGGER-
-personal light-weight web publishing tool
-allows web content mngment w/ minimal tech know-how
-allows empowerment to personal publishers
-blogging about:
-frequency
-brevity (not any more)
-personality
-significance around the format:
-content chunks are chronologic
-and not the content(????)huh?
-defining characteristics:
-commentary
-sequential chronology.
-in open space:
-offer control
-shield against spamming that mars contributions to sites like usernet and slashdot.
-becoming default format for personal web sites?
-attraction in having your say w/out critique?
-private playground
-vs. online forum - cuz blog allows self-expression w/out criticism/hostility that happens in forums.

-STEVE MacLAUGHLIN-
-created writing renaissance on scale not seen for long time.
-today's Dave Winer & Doc Searls = past's Dr. Johnson & Samuel Pepys.
-given people way to publish personal thoughts in way never seen before.
-vs. diaries of historical figures & ordinary people of past:
-real-time conversations.
-multitude of readers on global scale.

-LET THERE BE BLOGS -
-diary not locked away
-posted on Web
-entire world gets 'inside your head'
-part diary
-part media digest
-part scrapbook.
-a way digital revolution enables communication in ways few predicted.

-BIZ STONE-
-ooooo…harsh analogy/reality!
-'94 - Web = garden:
-personal home pages blooming
-thoughts
-opinions
-life experiences
-people learning how to build own sites.
-exper w/ design
-sharing voice w/ world
-MEANWHILE: -business world scrambles for ways to 'monetize' Inet.
-capitalize on its fertility.
-THEN THEY PAVED IT ALL AND BUILT A MALL.
-now, Web:
-swollen w/ e-stores
-bloated w/ search engines
-exploding w/ mega-portals
-offer commercialized crap and 'free services'
-BUT, BEHIND SCENES, REAL REVOLUTION TAKING PLACE.

-<ex> -asks 'where were you on (date)?
-blog entry of girl
-point: -she knows where cuz published it.

-GOLDTHWAITE-
-not first to say this:
-start writing things down
-carry small notebook everywhere
-keep book for quotations/observations
-start file for research
-she keeps old shoebox fulla news clippings, scraps paper, napkins w/ ideas on
-when can't think anything to write, digs to find inspiration.
-(how about just not writing unless you HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY???)
-"blog is webby shoebox" - cute, ugh.

-NATE BOXER: BLOG AS MEDITATION-
-online journal = personal journal as email = letter to friend.
-medium too fluid/ephemeral to generate substance on own.
-he needs work w/ something more tangible.
-not satisfied just keeping few friends up-to-date.
-trying to keep in present
-mainly focus attention to detail of the moment.
-noticing what's going on all around in large/small objects not small task.
-difficult & rewarding

-THIS:
-the paying attention (above) side-effect - silencing of habitual internal monologue humans prone to.
-meditation silences this monologue.
-so does paying attention.
-only talking 15-minutes thru-out day.
-what mind doing in between solving probs and moving body??????
-NOT resting.

-SO, wants blog to serve himself and reader by keeping subject fresh.
-hopes some of effort will reflect back into physical world.

-a post, mon. june18, 2001 re: blogger -
-hates Blogger/loves Blogger.
-loves:
-easy, quick, cute, smooth, sassy.
-hate:
-used to actually think before typing out crap for strangers on Inet.
-used 2 b mini-peeks.
-used notes on what to mention.

-ditch Blogger & go back to tedious/difficult way?
-write every few days - but is worthwhile.
-OR,
-continue w/ stream-of-consciousness-brain-vomit attack.
-EXACTLY!!!!!! WHY do that???? Blatherings and yammerings and who wants to read…especially if a stranger???

-PLASTIC MEDIUM by NICHOLAS G. CARR, in The Industry Standard, Feb 26, 2001 p84.
-Net is plastic medium:
1. New apps quickly change how use it.
-<ex>- Napster and Blogger.
-most revolutionary app's NOT from commercial orgs.
-are from passionate amateurs
-interested in doing cool stuff vs. making money.
-THEN, those of Napstr and Bloggr scramble to retrofit business models to the new stuff.
-real impact of tech is that people can do things for free that used to pay for.
2. Internet is primarily platform for communication and not commerce.

-diff than tradit'nal media - unprecedented power to shape what do, how done, whom doing it with.
-people customize Inet to own needs/desires
-regardless of economic interests of businesses.

-Blogger entry from someone unable to hug other -
-blah, blah, blah…blown away by relationship…feeling bad cuz other is having rotten time and can't comfort them….
-writing on blogger cuz 'whole damned world should know.'

OTHERS -
-day trips into less-traveled corners of web.
-profound to mundane
-gutter to stars.
-daily postings which, over time, map a story.