Is blogging dead? Not on this side of the pond!
First, the Best of the Mommy Bloggers is up on Under the Big Blue Sky.
Check it out, it’s an eclectic mix of stories from the trenches of motherhood.
Second, I read something the other day that is really bugging me.
The debate is raging in blogosphere. Some prominent bloggers have decided to “retire” because, to sum it up, now that blogging has reached mainstream in the US, it’s not cool anymore.
Microblogging, such as Twitter, is now the “in” thing.
I was born and raised in Silicon Valley. I was syncing addresses on my IPAQ when most people still had to look up their contacts on a Rolodex. I went to journalism school with Mr. Blogger himself and put up my first web site in 1993 (the IT guy kept coming over to my desk showing me Netscape and saying "isn't this cool?")
How did I find myself behind the curve?
I'm not. Because blogging is not dead. It's alive and kicking.
I don't think the people over at Wired travel much. Most people in the UK barely know what a blog is. When I told my group of coffee morning mums that I was a mommy blogger, I got blanks stares and the 4-year-old daughter of one of my friends brought me a tissue for my "boogers".
And I am in the heart of the "techy" Thames Valley, think of what it must be like UP NORTH.
Blogging is dead? It’s just started. Get over yourself.
That said, I'd hate to miss out on anything…
Photo credit: Josh Russell
Alisa Bowman | 21st Nov 08
I read that article, too, and like you it really bothered me. Dead? Come on! It’s growing in a huge way. Saying that blogging is dead is like saying coffee is dead just because there are a ton of coffee shops. With so many newspapers and magazines going 100 percent online, blogging is probably going to grow and turn into a very respectable profession. As for no longer being cool? I honestly think the the men who started it are threatened by the huge influx of us women. Yikes–the women are coming. Let’s say it’s not cool and maybe they will all go away….
Liz@violetposy | 20th Nov 08
I don’t think so, especially here in the UK. When I tell people I have a blog they generally look blankly at me and then I have to explain what a blog is. I must admit I’m surprised ‘Mommy’ blogging hasn’t taken off here in quite the same way as in the US. I suspect it’s down to the working hours of British Mums and the lack of any free time, rather than the inclination to blog.
Treemama | 19th Nov 08
I’m mainstream? How in the hell did that happen?
I save my nasty bits for Twitter because my family doesn’t follow it.
Iota | 18th Nov 08
If blogging is dead, what are we all doing?
Iota | 18th Nov 08
If blogging is dead, what are we all doing?
Erica | 18th Nov 08
Interesting, sometimes I wonder if blogging will ever make it over the water…did the boat sink? I’ve been blogging for over two and a half years now and have seen little progress really…
Carolyn | 18th Nov 08
Blogging is not dead, and try as they might, I don’t think it can ever truly be co-opted. Some of the big sponsored blogs are great. But I love the idea of someone stealing 10 minutes out of her normal, crazy life and pouring out her frustration, chaos, insight and insanity. It’s what connects us all.
I also love Twitter, but it lacks the guts of a good blog. 🙂
TooManyHats | 18th Nov 08
I agree. I happen to love Twitter, but the two are not the same. Twitter for me is like a night on the town: fast, fun, and mostly light. Blogging has depth and character and commitment. How can 140 characters ever replace actual supported opinions that make you think or a day-in-the-life that brings people closer? It cannot, unless you are linking to a blog from Twitter 🙂
Blog on!
magpie | 18th Nov 08
Not dead. No one I know in real life has a blog.
bloggingmom67 | 18th Nov 08
I agree with you. Blogging is hardly dead.
Yes, it’s going mainstream. Yes, big corporations are using it to market products. Newspapers are using it to give readers news. Sure, it’s not as edgy as it once was.
But that’s called progress. Blogging is evolving, and will, I think, continue to evolve.
I love twitter, but it’s not a replacement for blogging. It’s a complement.