interesting survey.…

though doesnt mean i agree with it

Interesting indeed. I think the next year or so will see a shift in blogging trends as it becomes easier still (as if it wasn’t easy enough already) to create your own blog. The number of small, off-the-radar weblogs with ‘nanoaudiences’ will no doubt increase massively as companies like Microsoft and AOL build blogging services into their consumer products. I think this may have a negative effect on existing blogs. Already I’m starting to get tired of reading about blogging everywhere I look. Soon blogging will be as popular and widespread as downloading mp3s. I remember not so long ago, Jag, you wrote about not wanting to refer to your site as a ‘blog’ anymore (a decision you backed down on, I think). I read similar arguments on other weblogs, and at the time I didn’t really see the reasoning, but recently I’ve started to think that way myself. If calling my site a blog means that people associate it with the online journals of teenage girls (and every other blogger stereotype), that’s something I’d like to avoid. “Blogs” covers a huge range of sites, but to some extent they all get tarred with the same brush (by the mainstream media, at any rate). I was surprised to read that women are more likely to blog than men, and that the average age is so young. Most of the blogs I’ve come across are by people around my age (26) or older. But then I’m not seeking out the weblogs by teenage girls in China - I actually have no accurate picture of the demographics of the blogosphere (of which I’ve visited only a miniscule fraction). I suppose what’s so interesting (and exciting!) about it is that it’s unprecedented; pretty much anyone - from a homeless man using a computer in a public library, to professional writers - can publish to a global audience. The static personal homepages of the mid to late 90’s failed to capitalize on the potential of personal publishing; weblogs may yet fulfil this dream.

Hi Stu, agree 100% with your sentiment re “tired of reading so many blogs” - I get a sort of exhaustion just keeping up with those in my reading list!

Fascinating observation on the “re-classifying” of “blogs” as “journals” - or something else. In my case - it was absolutely about the need to disassociate my own “blog” with the feeling that blogs are about mindless ranting without purpose. I had this kind of “romantic” notion that my own weblog would be more poetic or arty. “Journal” seemed to be a better fit to this definition - and would be different to the mainstream as such - but I rapidly came to conclusion that whatever you call it - it doesn’t matter; self-expression doesn’t need to be classified as such. Anyway - I still think of “blog” as being a more uncouth term when compared to “journal”. Perhaps I am just too egotistic?

On the “girl” thing: well frankly, it didn;t come as a surprise to me - but then - I guess I started out this whole thing only after “tracking” many LiveJournal blogs - and LiveJournal is famous for its young female bias. Now - I don’t consider myself a dirty old man or anything like that - but there were a couple of LiveJournal blogs that I followed which really inspired me. I think it was the “poetry” that did it. Deep down I feel that I could be a “poet” too!

I would have to agree with you when you say that the whole concept is exciting - there is something very anti-establishment about the concept. Something very “levelling” in the status aspect. Something very powerful in the sense that every hompage in the universe of homepages as equal status - after all, it’s all just a URL away. The blog/homepage/URL concept, in my mind puts the homeless man operating out of a cybercafe on the same level playing field as the mega-corporation. After that it’s all about brand - and in some egotistic way, I hope that the Route 79 “brand” is as powerful as “Ford” or “Boots” or whatever. Never mind the reality of it - the psychology is the thing that’s compelling …

Hi Jag. I agree, for the most part. This talk of branding intrigues me. I’d say someone like Jeffrey Zeldman has capitalized on the popularity of his weblog and promoted himself as a brand (the beard, the orange, that blue hat…); which is fine for him, as he’s found a way to make some money from it (hell, I’d do the same if I could.. just look at Tom Tomorrow). I’m uncomfortable with the word (in relation to blogging) because of its association with corporate culture - which I think blogging is basically not a part of/counter to - but you’re right; a blog with a stong image/design/style becomes brand, of sorts. Hmm… I need to think about this one some more! ;-)

Hi Stu - when I draw parallel with “brand” - I don’t dilute in my own mind the delight David & Goliath effect - the “levelling” that I talked about - e.g. what started out in someone’s bedroom being called “Yahoo!” is jostling for position with Time Warner.

But getting on to brand - I have studied brand intensely over the years and I think it has a more powerful effect than you can imagine. We often think of brand as “logo” or “image” - but that’s just the surface. Brand value is far deeper than that - and you can have enormous brand value without a brand logo …

I am not a teenage girl.…

i liked it alot i hope we can be friends or chat somtime

I think it’s a load of old crap