The trend in blogging has really changed in the past few years. With Twitter’s 140 character limit and Facebooks hearts and games to spread the love seems many have stopped blogging on a regular basis. Instant gratification comes with the real-time services.
I find my news reader list full of feeds with no updates. I miss reading everyone’s posts. Typing a thought into a twitter window really does not take much forethought for me I can just type some little and sometimes dumb one liner and it is a done deal. While it has it’s place and I realize some use it quite effectively to discuss anything from natural disasters to politics in real time – it does nothing for me in trying to connect with for lack of better terminology – a support system.
I have never been able to find where everyone is sharing on Facebook this one is all me but I have hit a wall with it (pun intended). By the time I clear all the requests for games, join this or that cause – I am worn out. I may be wrong here but I suspect that most of the empty updates in my news reader authors are hanging out and doing their thing somewhere on Facebook.
The origins of blogging are in the weblog. Where websites had a webpage where you shared your thoughts about the web pages you came across, liked, and shared. Then with new software and services the transition to the blog – I guess more of a personal journal that morphed into what we have now. Not really into the technical history just what I remember.
For years I have maintained a site at this .com addy. It started out with a cheesy home page and sub-pages on bicycles, hiking, dogs, and vacations. Then as modems improved the addition of photos to go along with the content.
Then I jumped on the blog band wagon. WordPress turned out to be a super neat way to open up communication with folks. One of my first blog commenter’s (Karoli) still remains a friend. Gosh she has taken her blogging and social media interaction and participation to awesome levels! I get to say I know someone who was on CNN! due to her health care activism. Blogging and social media usage done well IMHO.
So I find myself wondering why maintain a blogroll, contact info, links to social sites that I can not figure out anyway, and type when my fingers take forever to do what they used to do in minutes? It is actually kind of a pain in the arse. The webcam video thing is much easier to pull off then typing these days. I started blogging again with a different goal – to connect with folks going through the same daily crap I am.
What say you? Text, video? Blogging V Facebook?
Meanwhile I just keep sharing my dribble . …
Please Jan, if you could take care of your dribble with a napkin or a bib or a washcloth, or (oh lordy) a poise pad, I’d appreciate it. But whenever you care to share your drivel, I’m all for it!
Have you done any more riding in situ while in the field? That seems like more fun than an exercise bike indoors.
Webster – I only managed a few rides last week. I rode to the auto mall in elk grove and met my buddy there and then we rode back to his house after he looked at some cars. Only about 8 miles. Then my legs were stuck as I call it for a couple days and it rained anyways 🙂 .
KRP is off today so I doubt I will ride today. Maybe swim? -Yikes! I am hoping that swimming is not on the list today LOL
I will keep a poise pad nearby for my next post ha hahahhaa . …
Good. I figured that if anyone could handle my snarkiness, it would be you. 🙂
Jan, I’ve only been blogging for a little over half a year. So, I haven’t seen the change in the blog world.
Yeah, sometimes I think I should use social media more to my advantage but then I ask what am I looking for? More followers? Nah. My blogging is kind of personal in the sense that a lot of folks I know wouldn’t relate to the challenges. I’m still quite self-conscious about it too. I really value the comments from folks such as yourself that can relate to aspects of the journey.
One of my brain tumor blogger pals has her blog intertwined with Facebook and her art business. It’s resulted in a large following which is also partially due to the fact that she’s a very cool person. However, being willing to do that is letting go of a certain degree of anonymity. I’m not willing to do that at this time. So, my online participation is fragmented and intentionally so.
Facebook is a strange freak show of life. But a show in which I participate. I return partially so I can see what healthy folks with “normal” lives are doing, thinking and up to. You know? I’m keenly aware that my daily existence and concerns have shrunk to a narrow sliver which is necessary but skewed nonetheless.
I like connecting with folks from the past on FB and seeing their kids and such. However, usually after catching up, I’m ready to de-friend them when they start sending kitty apps and/or political stuff I find inane. I also minimize my issues as “some health woes” unless they ask. I’ve put my blog listing in my FB info and taken it off several times. Right now it’s not listed. I don’t think of FB as a place to seek support for my challenges. It’s pretty shallow and not comparable to connecting to folks through more thought-out posts.
I don’t Twitter. Am sure I’m missing something but I have to make choices about online stuff. And, my short attention span doesn’t need to be encouraged!
Dang, I kind of went on. But you asked!
I like your videos and if they’re easier than typing, go for it.
I find the personal blogs much better at the connect with others going through the same stuff too. I guess you figured out that I think Facebook is a big time sink hole. I do have a separate account for my “real me” persona separating the internet moniker from my name. Gosh I so do not want my old high school buddies and not so buddy buddies to find my blog etc.
I am not for more follows LOL I just like friends I do converse blog wise to keep posting and maybe drop a comment of two once in awhile.
I think the Facebook type sites have really hit the MS blogging community hard – I mean if it is someones thing great but the average googler looking for the more day to day what do folks do and go through they are sure gonna have a hard time soon locating a blog that post regular – and Facebook makes it really hard to find stuff seriously.
You mean there are folks out there doing normal everyday stuff?
I prefer text to video, although I couldn’t really say why. Probably just the technophobe in me. But if video is easier for you, and it’s that or nothing, by all means do the video.
The whole Facebook status thing doesn’t really say much. My friends try to outdo each other with the wittiest observation or comment, which can be entertaining but doesn’t really tell me what’s up with them. A blog lets me keep up with people who are going through the same daily crap I am.
Ok one vote text and yes blogs are great!
The secret is out now you are a technophobe. As long as it is not a text to speech thing . …
gads I tried that again thinking I could get a transcript of the videos so I could caption them what a joke!
My preference? Keep stuff centered on the blog, share out using one of the aggregators like Friendfeed or posterous if you want. Facebook is unintelligible. I hate it. But having a fan page there is a good idea if you’re interested in getting the word out.
My problem now (which I am trying to figure out how to fix…) is that I have stuff spread all over a whole bunch of blogs. I don’t want to cross-post on mine and be redundant, but I want to preserve it as an archive, too. Still not sure what to do with that.
As to celebrity…well…you, too can be a celebrity. Just go to a teabag rally in your neighborhood and be sure there’s a finger-biter there. LOL… 🙂
I do have the Friendfeed set up but not super great at using it. I am thinking.
What you with stuff all over the place 🙂 such a shock! You could always cross post on oddtimes and make it private? You have the archive and can make it public if need be. Not sure what exactly your after. I do know if it under someone elses .com it can go poof in a blink of an eye. Here is a good one start another blog that is nothing but a place to cross post all your posts from everywhere LOL LOL seriously if you don’t know I sure do not.
Hey you are the only person from blogging that has been on CNN! I think I can do without the finger biters and photo snitching anyday.
You really do have the internet social media thing figured out – your efforts on the health care bill are top google material and you sure helped get the info out there.
Many of the readers my blog gets now are like me they get all nutted up if there is too much clutter, the type is hard to read, etc. I have come to appreciate blogs where it is clear and obvious where to click to add a comment! I am not so sure my present theme provides that? I am thinking it would be better if I could ditch the left hand sidebar but it does not play well with the attempts to do so. I found another basic theme so looking at that too.
Thanks for zz comment oh famous one LOL LOL LOL
I share many of your thoughts. I prefer blogs. FB is growing old and too many people I don’t know or can’t remember where they are from, even my blog roll is so big I get confused. But I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. 9Like, I can NEVER remember ur dagburnt name! Twitter is just advertising…but younger kids like it and there are some universities, Seattle depts., so kinda fun and informational too. But my blog posts suffer and I’m trying to write a book—ugh, too much. My vote? BLOGS But is I didn’t have one…? One day I will know.
Glad to know that I am not the only one confused!
I think Karoli touched the right track for me anyways. I think I will just hang around the blogs for awhile. If someone does not have a blog they can sign up for free accounts at google/blogger and create an identity so the can comment – web identity made simpler than before.
I am doing much better at keeping up by going back to my basic newsreader. Click the little rss icon thingy in the address bar and there I go subscribed until I delete. I can add the blogs comments feed there too so I do not forget to check back. One stop reading for my forgetful mind.
I am so into simplification now LOL
I believe in the right tool for the right job. I use the blog for long-form writing — it includes many of the struggles and conflicts, as well as celebrations that cannot be properly reduced to a bumper sticker.
Most of my friends use Facebook for the games and the news feed. Only a small percentage actively post anything about themselves. The news feed is something they can control, and the smart ones actively keep it meaningful and relevant by hiding the noise.
I post on Facebook because it has the most impact with the least effort — the friends who check their Facebook home page daily vastly outnumber the friends who even know what an RSS reader is. But the short form can’t, and never will tell the whole story. My blog does. The two together are quite powerful.
Totally makes sense to me but I so do not “get” facebook. I must be missing something with the news feed part because I open it up and all I get is pages of who won what on playing which game. I have to weed though it to find the blurbs that I guess I would call updates or status? I dunno.
I admit it is all on me I just do not get it! And the last few times I have had notices from facebook and had to go reset all my privacy settings. One time they all had been changed to show everything to everyone . … not a dependable service if it does that IMHO. Make your changes but do not over ride my settings!
I never got myspace either so maybe I am a social network illiterate, an internet dinosaur LOL
I started doing youtube because it is easier than typing.
If you hover your pointer over an unwanted item in your news feed, a “Hide” button will appear in the right hand margin. Click it, and you will be given the option to hide the user, or if the post was from an application, to hide the application. A couple of hidden applications can dramatically clean up your news feed.
Also, when you click on the “Friends” link from the home page, you are given the option to see a feed of just status updates.
As far as privacy settings go, I agree that resetting customized settings is really bad form. Haven’t noticed it myself, but I’m pretty new to the whole thing.
Most awesome! Kind of feel like I missed the DUH factor but hey thank you! Much easier on the eye and much easier for the brain (well mine anyways).