What defines a blog?
Spurred by this thoughtful piece, made me think.
The question remains, “What defines a blog?”
What defines a blog?
Reading then rereading that linked piece, one, it comes from a young writer, and two, it has some rather brilliant points.
Started with a question posited in one of my horoscopes, and shows how I work, which is more Socratic than didactic — in my mind. The original question, and how I stumbled across that piece was looking to find out if the software shaped the way we write, or do we echo some other style, ape a previous engagement?
Mentioned before, I tend to subconsciously adapt a style from whatever I’m reading that impresses me. At one time, this was largely fact-driven journalism, until I realized that the rhetoric, on both sides, was biased. Made it easier when I could see that. Also drove me back to using multiple sources even if I don’t like some of the odious outlets.
Originally, academic writing was a hypothesis, a statement or pointed question with a clear conclusion, then three bullet pointed, supporting paragraphs, then the conclusion, as stated at the top.
- Here’s what I will tell you
- Point
- Point
- Point
- Here’s what I told you.
But the blog, and the blog-style I like? It’s an exploration, rather than start with a hypothesis, explore a topic, and see where it takes me.
Kind of how I work.
For good or for ill.
What defines a blog?
For me, it was software and presentation of data that defined the earlier works, and that just gave more space to do as I please, and then, when I finally got around to the current iterations, a certain lack of definition is better. I am under no obligation to write next week’s horoscopes. (They’re mostly done, anyway.) I do post almost daily in the blog, but that’s a matter of habit, and to keep my attention drawn to some of the fastidiousness, as required.
I enjoy keeping up some of the technologies.
From time to time, though, I have to remove myself from the equation and realize that the data is about what’s appears on the screens, and most of those are now phone-sized.
For good or for ill.
What defines a blog?
At one time, I would identify as an adamant Apple person (fan boy), keeping up with the latest and greatest. Not so much, anymore. While I do tend to favor the hardware, I just tossed (recycled) an iPad that was more than ten years old. Beats the old expected shelf life of typical tech hardware, lasting all of 18 months.
But that doesn’t define the work itself, and the seamless nature — almost seamless — if I were a software reviewer, I would have a few pointed barbs for the current tool-set, but that’s not part of this, and the point being, I can start working on a tablet with a keyboard, move to a mobile tablet, or even stand at the machine in my office, and work. Doesn’t much matter. The cloud works across all the platforms.
Loosely, and my own digital history bears this out, a web journal, that became a weblog, that finally got ugly and gets called a blog, it is a chronological series of posts, usually in most recent on top, and rolling downward, some with direction, destination, and clear goals, while others, like mine, just rambling thoughts that need an outlet of some sort.
One great Southern (East Texas) writer spoke about wrestling words to the page to make sense of life. Kind of what this is. I’m refining as I go, and the earlier heading, might fit this best, “Experimental & Experiential.”
For good or for ill.