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August 03, 2004
The inner circle - A book review
This morning I finished the book I was reading, We’ve got blog, how weblogs are changing our culture, with introduction by Rebecca Blood. Overall I thought it was a good introduction to what weblogs are all about. The book is well written, by 28 authors. According to the blurb on the back inside flap of the jacket, “some of the best writers on the web explaining the history and importance of weblogs, the mavericks who created them, and how they are changing the way we surf the web.”
Using a term they used in the book, I’m going to “deconstruct” the book, starting with the front cover. Then I’ll provide a link to the blogs of some of the 28 authors, most of them pioneers in weblogging dating back to the birth of weblogs in 1997 to 1999, so you can get a feel for the kind of writing in this book. Some of it is thought provoking and well-spoken, and some of it is irreverent and cynical. But all of these voices together paint a picture of what a weblog is and isn’t and the culture surrounding some of the ‘communities” of bloggers.
The Title of the book is We’ve got blog, how weblogs are changing our culture. But in my view, after reading this book and checking out many of the abundant links provided, it is a lofty and ego-centric claim to say that it is changing our culture. I see change, and people being affected by weblogs, but it is within small pools, or Inner Circles of those that choose to dive in and swim among them, often not coming up for air. Their lives are online. (see page 61, “Deconstructing “You’ve Got Blog” by Joe Clark).
Traditional weblogs were constructed by people who were passionate about the internet and spent an inordinate amount of time surfing and collecting links to share with others who were equally as passionate. Their pages consisted of links to unique and interesting things usually with commentary by the blogger to add their point of view to it. Kind of like ‘Value Added’ links. The book claims that this kind of weblog is changing the way we surf the web. Is it?
The book itself points to the rising use and need for search engines like Google and yahoo and the greater impact they are having on how people are finding content on the web. Weblogs have been seen as filters on the web, but through the lenses of the blogger, who’s interests and attitudes are reflected in their links and commentary. Then end users of the internet still have to use search engines to find what is outside of the limited views and reach of each individual blogger.
Brigitte F. Eaton, the force behind Eatonweb was interviewed by John S. Rhodes in 1999 about weblogs, usability and beyond. (page 99, chapter 15) She said, “They (blogs) are nothing new, they’re not changing the world with their content, they’re not going to make anyone huge amounts of money, but they are a form of self-expression and community which others enjoy reading.” This is a more accurate depiction of how blogs are changing something. She said, “I think self-publishing is a huge trend which will certainly be growing over the next few years.”
I know this book is about weblogs, but when talking about the overall history of the internet and self-publishing, it fails to mention anything but it’s own little piece of the whole. For instance the book fails to mention the role and impact that communities like Geocities web pages, Yahoo and MSN groups, Instant Messenger services, search tools, listservs and portals have on the way we surf and find content and how they are changing our culture. While many of these hard core bloggers are exchanging links among themselves, the world is opening up through live talk and webcams. On Jorn Barger’s website, Robotwisdom, he points to one of his favorite things on the web: Ana Voog’s Anacam, which is a way for her to display her life on webcam, 24 hours a day, seven days per week. He’s since found others doing the same thing. Call it ‘Reality Web’ if you want.
After reading this book I’m left with the impression that the demise of weblogs as we know them now is near, a phase in something greater as the tools become more sophisticated and easy to use. The other impression I have is the ‘community’ that the original bloggers loved and cherished is being flooded by non-internet passionate people who are changing the format of blogs and who are not focused on the blog phenomenon. With easier and easier tools, they are focusing on displaying their lives and telling their stories. The book seems to mourn the loss of the weblog origins and the tight knit inner circle of internet junkies.
Finally, most people I know who spend a fair amount of time on the internet do not have a clue about weblogs. So the claims of the book that they are changing our culture and the way we surf the web do not match my experience or observation. However a blog is an easy way to self-publish with tools like Blogger and Movable Type, but so are personal web pages and discussion groups and listservs, which have all become very easy to use and create for novice web people.
I would still recommend this book for a great overview of the Blogging concept. I have read it and enjoyed the stories and the insights into a world I knew very little about. Now I’ve got blog too.
Some of the Contributors to the book:
Cameron Barrett, Camworld: http://www.camworld.com
Rebecca Blood, Rebecca’s Pocket: http://www.rebeccablood.net
Joe Clark, joeclark.org, fawny.org, contenu.nu, various blogs: http://www.joeclark.org/weblogs/
Geekman, the mighty geek: http://www.themightygeek.com
J.D. Lasica, Online Journalism Review: http://www.ojr.org/ojr/page_one/index.php
Marquis (Sean Michaels), Tang-Monkey.com: http://www.tangmonkey.com
Nikolai Nolan, Fairvue: http://www.fairvue.com
Derek Powazek, Powazek Productions, Fray, Kvetch, San Fancisco Stories: http://www.powazek.com , http://www.fray.com ,
Rich Robinson, a personal website (don’t call it a blog): http://www.inferiority.com
Giles Turnbull, WriteTheWeb: http://www.writetheweb.com , http://www.gilest.org
Stay tuned for tomorrows post, “The illusion of the inner circle”
Posted by carl1236 at August 3, 2004 10:42 PM | Attitude