This was an interesting read, in that it reveals what most of us have already heard given to us as “warning”, but it seems to me that the passage below unmasks what SHOULD be a “then so what?” for these who judge blogers to be “too wierd”.
But it’s also not hard to find examples of the worst kinds of uses.
A blog easily becomes a therapeutic outlet, a place to vent petty gripes and frustrations stemming from congested traffic, rude sales clerks, or unpleasant national news. It becomes an open diary or confessional booth, where inward thoughts are publicly aired.
Oh, they left out “What I ate for breakfast”
Worst of all, for professional academics, it’s a publishing medium with no vetting process, no review board, and no editor. The author is the sole judge of what constitutes publishable material, and the medium allows for instantaneous distribution. After wrapping up a juicy rant at 3 a.m., it only takes a few clicks to put it into global circulation.
We’ve all done it — expressed that way-out-there opinion in a lecture we’re giving, in cocktail party conversation, or in an e-mail message to a friend. There is a slight risk that the opinion might find its way to the wrong person’s attention and embarrass us. Words said and e-mail messages sent cannot be retracted, but usually have a limited range. When placed on prominent display in a blog, however, all bets are off.
So, if “we’ve all done it” , then why the judgement? For me, that’s the appeal and the power of blogs to a large extent. It’s a way to get to know people, and know them beyond the usual “PR”, sanitized, tidy, and often as a result, PHONY extension of their persona. With blogs we can sense the absence of corporate posturing and “one size fits all” marketing BS. I think that is crucial for theological blogging.
This is PARTICULARLY why I believe blogging to be a candidate for being a crucial resource to churches, to let members explore in more depth and detail afforded by face to face events and meetings, the passions , concerns, joys, and humor of one another. Indeed, there are plenty of examples of people who see each other every Sunday (and perhaps even on Wednesday nights, if you’re a Baptist or a Church of Christ person) to have the “I didn’t know you were interested in X or that you thought Y”. It is a springboard for many offline, face to face “real life” encounters and growth of relationships, because the blog has “given permission” and opened awareness that there is much of mutual interest to talk about.
And when I say “Real life”, that’s another questionable assumption. When relational breakthroughs like the above described “I didn’t know you thought X” happen, an avenue of very real revelation of personal truth has happened, and no thanks to the “real life” of traditional social interaction that somehow and often “blocks” this from happening by sheer intimidation, and by the tendency of churches to “fill the time” to the brim with little time left for actually getting to know people, unless you want to “catch someone at the door”, and then have to deal with the fact that you maight be “detaining” them from getting on to their next scheduled event. With the blog’s personal background, maybe people are not so apt to “rush out” of the post event buzzing of conversation and look up someone who has raised an issue in their blog that deserves a conversation, or has had a particularly entertaining or profound point about some issue that is worth a face-to-face kudo.
I’m with eric on this. I wonder why blogging and other things are such a threat? Granted, I’m one of the ones who rant and rave but at the same time, as eric said, I have friends I trust that hold me accountable.
Of course it’s true that blogs can be used immaturely or whatever, but did they ever address the reasons why people blog? Not just to rant, but in my opinion, I blog in exact opposition to those who would want to keep stifling forms of institution in my face. I blog, while respecting academia, but also because I acknowledge its limitations.
Sorry author of this article, I’m not going to spend another four years of my life in school just so that some snooty person can vet my thoughts. Sorry, IVAN TRIBBLE, that you have never experienced the joy of blogging. Sorry, Ivan, that I’m not going along with the status quo of academia and the other arid structures in the world just to express myself. I trust my friends enough to hold me accountable. It’s called community, and more particular, the Church.