Blogger Corvida wrote an excellent post yesterday entitled “The Repetition of the Blogosphere” in which she lamented the repetitive conversations and innovation plateau in the [tech] blogging world.
In her post, she verbalized a sentiment familiar to many of us:
Either I had nothing to say about the subject, or what I was thinking had already been said. There’s no point in rehashing a point just for the sake of saying something different. This is how I’ve been feeling lately.
This seems to be a common problem as of late, as also echoed by Robert Scoble in one of his best pieces yet, “Has/How/Why Tech Blogging has Failed You.” Even though I can’t compare my amateur experiences to their professional ones, I can definitely relate; for me, though, it’s a little bit different.
Blogging doesn’t quite feel like content creation
I started up andydesoto.com for one simple reason: I enjoy being creative, tackling nonstandard problems, and producing and sharing content and material with the people around me. However, unlike creating viral YouTube videos or groovy indie tunes, blogging is much more subtle in that it focuses on the written word rather than something more immediately glamorous.
I think part of what can occasionally make the blogging experience less rewarding is that writing about a niche topic, whether politics, technology, food, or otherwise, is often an exercise in finely treading a line between content creation and mere content commentary. When we spend too much time creating metacontent, that is, content about content, things start to feel much less rewarding for us.
I think in the tech world, the danger of this metacontent is that tech bloggers rarely are the ones that are creating the primary source content. Personally, I think that if I had the requisite technical coding or design skills, for instance, I would be creating iPhone applications instead of merely writing about them.
How do we make news?
The big question is this: how do we make news, rather than just write about it? Corvida and I had a brief exchange in the comments section where she suggested writing about something new, being a “discussion starter,” but I wonder if that’s enough (or, even, if that would be successful).
I think part of the secret might lie in some of the mobile blogging tools and utilities that are slowly being integrated into our lifestyles. Scoble’s massive repository of Qik interviews, for instance, provide a humanness and accessibility that feels much grander than mere words on a page. Perhaps synthesizing a wider array of multimedia into coverage and commentary would make for a more rewarding experience.
Your thoughts?
Perhaps this is what separates the blogging ‘men from the boys,’ so to speak; what differentiates the truly great minds from those in the middle of the pack. I guess I know one thing: I’m eager to struggle my way upward, even if it means I’ll just be further up in the middle.
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
You bring up some good points here, Andy.
The most popular content on my blog is stuff that is, for the most part, original and specific to me. I didn’t read something somewhere else and then say it in my own words, I took it and flipped it in a totally different way. These posts were mostly based on my ability to talk about things I created outside of blogging.
The only thing that separates us from other people are the things we do that they can’t, won’t or haven’t gotten around to. I agree that video and other types of media may help you to feel like more of a creator, this is one of the reasons I started doing music talking about things out of the blogosphere.
Seems like the more tools you have at your disposal (and can actually use), the less boring you will be to yourself and your audience.
I think there’s something that the newer media can do to add some spark, but I don’t think that words alone are at their end either.
Well, since my blog is mostly just my thoughts, things that have happened to me, and sharing pics/vids/etc that I enjoy … almost everything has been said before (and often better).
However, I don’t try to be a tech blogger. Tech blogs that I enjoy reading typically have the same content as others. But, often present it in a humorous way, or have some other spin on the subject that other tech blogs don’t.
You bring up some good points here, Andy.
The most popular content on my blog is stuff that is, for the most part, original and specific to me. I didn’t read something somewhere else and then say it in my own words, I took it and flipped it in a totally different way. These posts were mostly based on my ability to talk about things I created outside of blogging.
The only thing that separates us from other people are the things we do that they can’t, won’t or haven’t gotten around to. I agree that video and other types of media may help you to feel like more of a creator, this is one of the reasons I started doing music talking about things out of the blogosphere.
Seems like the more tools you have at your disposal (and can actually use), the less boring you will be to yourself and your audience.
Rahsheen: I think you nailed it on the head there: “The only thing that separates us from other people are the things we do that they can’t, won’t or haven’t gotten around to.” I have a little list of mantras I repeat to myself whenever I compose a new post– I’m going to add this one to the top of the list.
Mark: Absolutely not! It takes much more craft to be able to achieve your ends with words. That’s one of the reasons that I love blogging: it’s slowly (imperceptibly!) making me a better writer. What a valuable skill.
TJ: Presenting something with a twist seems to be a common theme. I think you’re absolutely right. Problem is, thanks to the Internet, the world is running out of twists! Still no excuse, though, gotta be innovative!
I think there’s something that the newer media can do to add some spark, but I don’t think that words alone are at their end either.
Well, since my blog is mostly just my thoughts, things that have happened to me, and sharing pics/vids/etc that I enjoy … almost everything has been said before (and often better).
However, I don’t try to be a tech blogger. Tech blogs that I enjoy reading typically have the same content as others. But, often present it in a humorous way, or have some other spin on the subject that other tech blogs don’t.
Thanks for the comments, guys!
Rahsheen: I think you nailed it on the head there: “The only thing that separates us from other people are the things we do that they can’t, won’t or haven’t gotten around to.” I have a little list of mantras I repeat to myself whenever I compose a new post– I’m going to add this one to the top of the list.
Mark: Absolutely not! It takes much more craft to be able to achieve your ends with words. That’s one of the reasons that I love blogging: it’s slowly (imperceptibly!) making me a better writer. What a valuable skill.
TJ: Presenting something with a twist seems to be a common theme. I think you’re absolutely right. Problem is, thanks to the Internet, the world is running out of twists! Still no excuse, though, gotta be innovative!