Blogging Insights NF # 53, hosted by Tanya

Today’s blogging quote doesn’t really make sense, at least not to me. Aside from its obvious and intentional rudeness — I don’t think any context could change its meaning — it’s snarky, snide, and wrong. Sure there are blogs with very limited readerships. Some of them will disappear quickly, others were only intended for a limited audience. Others are new and haven’t gotten an audience yet.

Maybe it’s the word “blog” to which Mr. Beault objects? If it was called a newsletter or magazine, would that make it less objectionable?

“A blog is a message in a bottle, both in purpose and likely readership.” Robert Breault

I’ve had 1,203,989 hits on my blog as of the writing of this piece and many people I know through blogging have had even more. Clearly someone is reading them. Whether or not the contents of the blog are serious or frivolous is a completely separate issue.

I’ve read more books that I would know how to count. At least half had so little content I don’t remember whether or not I read them until I try reading them (again) and realize they look familiar. There are entire genres of literature dedicated to being forgettable. Romances, for example, are intended to be light reading for people who have busy lives and don’t have time for deep involvement with a book — at least not at that particular time in their lives.

I was the editor for Doubleday’s Romance Library and I learned a lot about the genre and who reads them. You can’t judge a book or its genre by whether or not you like it. It’s a big, wide world out there and your judgement is based on your life experience and interests. Which may or may not have anything to do with anyone else’s reality.

I read tons of light fiction. I also read non-fiction, especially history and I write this blog. Sometimes its contents are serious, often not. I try not to spend all my time talking about serious (and depressing) issues.

One of the nifty things about blogging is that you can make it be whatever you want and you can do it immediately. You don’t have to wait for your agent to sell it or a publisher to publish it and ultimately hope bookstores manage to market it. Blog piece are ready to go as fast as you can type and proofread. A piece that has a message and which you feel is important can be kept alive for as long as people read it. Other materials can flash by.

One of the changes I’ve made over the past couple of years is to not change every piece I write every day. To go back and rerun pieces I think have value. It’s amazing how a piece to which no one paid attention in its first run can suddenly go viral on run number two or three.

Thumbs down on this quote. The man hasn’t read blogs which contain material he finds “important.” Which leaves out poetry, art, photography, current events, news, recipes, fashion, sports and a million other things.

People used to say the same things about radio and television. I don’t think anyone says that today. It always did and always will depend on the show — and you. Is this something you like? Something you find important? A show or a post which makes you look at an issue using a different perspective?

Robert Breault is like a man who listens to radio for the first time and judges the future of broadcasting by that one broadcast. Mainly what it tells me is he’s a guy who doesn’t like change. One way or the other, there’s no need to be rude, snide or insulting. If you are ignorant, use your brain to good purpose. Keep your stupidity to yourself.

Categories: #Blogging, #Writing, Anecdote

Tags: #Blogging, #blogginginsights, #Writing, humor, Marilyn Armstrong