This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it gives the bloggers who research their writings and put extra care into crafting pieces that a larger percentage of people can read and enjoy kind of a bad name. Perhaps not a "bad name" but a generic one, nonetheless. "Blog" has become the "Kleenex" or "Rollerblade" of online writing. "I'm blogging right now." "I'm going Rollerblading tomorrow." Are you writing an online diary about how you stepped in this HUGE puddle and then missed the bus, only to be welcomed at work with fresh baked bread, or are you writing an interesting piece about something cool that happened in Madagascar? Are you toodling around your neighborhood or are you doing sweet jumpy things on inline skates? (I have a huge knowledge of inline skating/rollerblading, if you can't already tell).
I know this isn't a totally valid comparison--blog isn't a trademarked brand. But it does make some sense, yes? It's a blanket term that encompasses many forms of the written word, as made clear by how Blogger explains what a blog is. The term comes from an amalgamation of the words "web" and "log." Web+log+lazy pronunciation=blog.
It all makes sense, but for my own good, I need to think outside the blog. If I want to to be a writer, I need to write. If I don't want to be a blogger, I shouldn't blog, I should write. So that's what I'm attempting to do. I will write, on blogspot, on my blog, but I will not blog. I will write.
Blogs that Give Blogs a Good Name
- Swiss Miss: This is a design blog with pictures, links and commentary on new happenings in the design world.
- The Goat: The Backcountry.com's blog posts amusing, interesting and educational posts related to outdoor recreation.
- Gusto: Eating with Pleasure: This is my friend Jenny's site. She is a great cook and food culture writer.
- Laughingsquid: It's just funny, darnit.
- Timothy McSweeney's: Also funny, darnit.
- The Forecast: A blog from one of my favorite bands, Railroad Earth, it generally reports on lesser heard happenings in the environmental realm.
