A blog about blogs:

I found the following article about blogging today - it's over a year old but still of interest to me as I wonder what it is I'm doing sittng here writing into cyber space about my entirely unimportant life.

In the article I find the dread word 'narcissistic.'

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Blogs mark the first 10 years

This article appeared in the Guardian on Saturday April 07 2007

Andrew Keen, a former dotcom entrepreneur and the author of the forthcoming book 'Cult of the Amateur: How Today's Internet is Killing Our Culture,' says that though it is enticing to believe that online diaries are empowering, the hype is dangerous.

"It's seductive in the sense that it convinces people to think they have more to say and are more interesting than they really are," he said. "The real issue is whether it adds any more to our culture. Most of it is just so transient and ephemeral."

...er... aren't we ALL transient and ephemeral anyway? Including this Keen chap here?

But he admits that there have also been some important contributions.

"Not every blogger is a narcissist who has nothing to say. In particular there are people in China and Iraq who are blogging - and that is very brave," he said.

Some blogs that have made their mark.


October 2003
Belle de Jour, the anonymous writer of a blog chronicling the life of a high-class London escort, gets a publishing deal, setting a precedent for so-called "blooks"

May 2004
Jessica Cutler, a congressional assistant, details her sex life on her blog, Washingtonienne, sparking a scandal

July 2005
Blogosphere now doubling in size every five months

April 2007
Around 70m blogs in existence, according to Technorati.com
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I like the word 'blogosphere.'

I don't like the guy who calls me narcissistic for writing an on-line diary. That smacks of wanting to keep the peasants in their place in case they get above themselves and start to think they are as good as he who thinks he really is important here.

mutter... mumble...