Proudly stand on your soap box
To me, blogs are about standing on your soap box, waving your opinion around, hoping that someone else will listen and care. I know that in class Emi talked about being able to raise money for clients through blogs, and I can see how that could be successful; however, it seems to me that most blogs are just about ranting. I think more than persuade, they reinforce the ideas of those who agree and anger those who don't. I write all this to say that after reading the articles posted on Emi's blog yesterday, I haven't really changed my mind, but perhaps, I've just become a little less cynical and a little more hopeful on the subject of blogging. If text-messaging, e-mails, and instant messaging can be used to stage major protests and revolts, going so far as to push Ecuadorian president Lucio Gutierrez out of office, then maybe there is hope for blogs after all. With a method placed behind this madness of blogging, maybe ranting could pay off and do more than make people mad. So on this note I say, "Get organized and proudly stand on your soap box!" Who knows, maybe it will make a difference.
4 Comments:
I'd be curious to see the findings of any study that explored whether certain types of personalities are drawn to blogging.
Figure you have the political types, the advocates and, of course, the exhibitionists. Is there some characteristic that unites all bloggers?
Also, how great is the audience for the (I'm assuming) millions of blogs out there? Is there a reader for every blog?
Maybe bloggers are the new novelists, trying to share their wit and creativity with the universe.
I have to agree, I've been very skeptical about blogs and always considered them an "outside community." Working in Washington, it's hard to connect with people outside the Beltway, and blogs seem to be a way to do that. It's hard to get the jaded and pragmatic Washingtonians to connect with idealists and political purists though.
I also agree that blog-based fundraising has the potential to be really big in the future. Dean's campaign proved that.
It also seems to me that Blogs are the "talk radio" for liberals. It's an important community for Democrats at the moment, but Republicans are fast catching up.
I suppose it would feel good to have a "soap box" moment every now and then via your own blog. The trouble seems to be getting an audience...
Thank you kelly k and el jorge for your comments. I, too, feel that the problem lies in actually getting an audience to read the blogs and rally around the ideas in a way that would provoke organized action. Findings from such studies as kelly k mentioned would certainly help to identify specific audiences and better direct blogs to target those people or groups accordingly.
I think a good blog is much more than just standing on a soap box.
A good blog encourages discussion, promotes healthy debate, and ehances discourse.
It should seek to of course unite already like minded people, but also encourage outside opinion.
I have read many of these blogs in the class so far, and must say I am confused as to what people's definition of "idealism" is.
I don't know when liberals cornered the market on it.
I think true idealism belongs to neither side...and in fact is quite the opposite...true idealism is uniting both sides, encouraging positive discourse, and bridging the gap between polarization.
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