In a sense, this is the second half of my earlier, Blogging Is Bizarre post.
About two weeks ago, about to go on vacation, I wasn’t sure if I’d have Internet access abroad, and even if so (turned out I did) I didn’t know how motivated I’d be to write (turned out not much), so I put out a call for “guest bloggers” to fill in while away.
While a Blogger’s Code Of Conduct is a great idea on paper, I won’t participate in it. I have nothing but sympathy for the Kathy Sierra situation, but an ethical standard imposed on bloggers (even on an “opt in” basis) simply won’t fly. Here’s why:
This final guest post is by Jennifer LeBlanc. Her blog is MissPenName, where she writes about literature, journalism, and feminism with a dash of humor.
A mutual editor/friend got Jason and I in touch with each other. He wants a vacation; I want to be his guest blogger for a day. And we each think the other’s blog is just swell. But would it work? He’s a Mac, I’m a PC. He blogs solely about technology and entertainment. I mainly blog about politics and society. But we have one thing in common that trumps all other differences: we are both cat people.
Just in case you didn’t know, cats rule the blogosphere. Yes, they are utter snobs and they lick themselves, and we cannot get enough of them.
Maybe it’s because we’ve seen five temples and a Zen garden in the past two days, but I found this post over at Rex Hammock’s blog very interesting, where he contemplates and attempts to answer the eternal question “Why do I blog?”
I actually found his answers rather interesting as he considers the blog a very personal experience, doesn’t really consider it “writing” and that he doesn’t blog for an audience.
I’m also reconsidering some aspects of my own blog and why I blog. It’s a bit simplistic to say that this vacation has shifted a few of my priorities in the short term.
Kind of sad situation going on, which I’m just catching up on now, but blogger Kathy Sierra has encountered negative comments directed towards her on various sites, leading her to cancel speaking engagements and perhaps give up on blogging. Several notable bloggers may be behind the comments, lending an additional air of distaste.
A big part of the problem is the perceived anonymity that comes with the Internet. Many blogs allow anonymous posts and comments. I used to spend a fair amount of time in the Craigslist and Usenet forums and inevitably, the base comments would be from anonymous users.