Calling this one: Why I'm doubting semester honors

The act of putting pen to paper encourages pause for thought, this in turn
makes us think more deeply about life, which helps us regain our
equilibrium. ~Norbet Platt

So i researched blogs. i wanted to look into the strengths and weaknesses of blogs. specifically from the standpoint of a blogger.

some nitty-gritty details

• blogs began to grow around 1999, thanks to some user friendly programs like livejournal and blogger
• currently there are 1.5 million plus blogs online. that's a lot of posts, man.
• its not uncommon to see business blogs, entertainers blogs, and political blogs to name a few. it's not all what-coco-the-dog-did-today out there

here are some of the advantages i found

• informal tone - one blogger said she can communicate with costumers in a way she can't with a newsletter or personal email
• blogs are simaltanously one-to-one and one-to-mass. another blogger said he can address questions on a personal basis while documenting the answer publically for further reference
• the flexibility of the medium. unlike newspaper which is bound by print, tv which is bound by images, or coffeehouses which are bound by the space, blogs can be visual with pictures and videos, straight text while reaching across great distances.

i like lists. let's get another

• in 2002, Senator Trent Lott resigned after several blogs got heavy traffic thanks to his foot-in-mouth racist comment.
• Dan Rathers got similar treatment after some investigative bloggers found out documents used on 60 Minutes II were fakes
• Tamill community members have been protesting outside of the US embassy in Toronto for nearly two weeks. Much of the organization was done through blogs. Along the same lines, the protesters are getting online support.

"That's all fine and good meg, but what about the teenager who posts all her emo crap? you can't tell me that adds to anything."

in fact i cannot.

but i can say this. a few of the bloggers noted that the process of writing for a blog helps them think - collect thoughts, best ways to say things, how can i enhance presentation, all that jazz. plus most of the bloggers were quick to note the surplus of blogs. one aptly put it that sometimes "reading blogs can be like driving down the highway and looking at billboards – none really stand out, and the next day its difficult to remember what you saw."

but there is potential. any writer will tell you practice makes perfect. so if 14 year old needs to vent about her awful math teacher, let her. you don't know, she may write the next great american ... novel? podcast? i dunno.

the point is even if the only other person who sees the blog is someone digging through google, there are still benefits to blogging.

here endth the lesson.