Following on from the first post below I found this article thru Rodney.
Here’s a quote:
But look at 2006 through a different lens and you’ll see another story, one that isn’t about conflict or great men. It’s a story about community and collaboration on a scale never seen before. It’s about the cosmic compendium of knowledge Wikipedia and the million-channel people’s network YouTube and the online metropolis MySpace. It’s about the many wresting power from the few and helping one another for nothing and how that will not only change the world, but also change the way the world changes.
It helps you understand why some get nervous. Of course elsewhere in the article you read this:
Sure, it’s a mistake to romanticize all this any more than is strictly necessary. Web 2.0 harnesses the stupidity of crowds as well as its wisdom. Some of the comments on YouTube make you weep for the future of humanity just for the spelling alone, never mind the obscenity and the naked hatred.
So there is toxicity online as in the real world.
But… there is also wisdom that will go unheard by those who only view the world thru one set of lenses, so my challenge to those who view blogs as toxic because they don’t conform is to ask ‘what are you afraid might happen?’
So far its been mostly bloggers who have responded to my previous post, but I know there are plenty out there reading (ironically) who view blogs as toxic.
So why don’t we open up the issues that concern you and get down to business?
Anyone?…
The blogosphere has been a great help to me. I often suffered anxiety or despair ab out the things I had been told in tertiary education or church. I felt like I was only getting half the story (or less).
Then I discovered blogging. It has been a great tool to liberate me from narrow thinking. There are some great minds on the web. I’ve learnt more about business, education, and the mission of the Church through blogs than I have through four years of tertiary education, and five years of attendance in my previous church. (However, the fundamental principles taught to me in those institutions cannot be replaced by blogs).
However, I’ve had to take constant check of what I read on the blogosphere. After frequent visits to some blogs, I feel as though I have just indulged in porn or some other unhealthy activity.
This blog usually serves as my penance 🙂
So do we need to do? Use wisdom. Be willing to learn and don’t hide behind anonymity. While you can be more critical toward people, organisations or concepts on blogs (excellent for those not confident in face-to-face confrontation), do not take part in character assasination. Maintain your standards online and off.
As one who read blogs (and the other week end actually learned how to). I have found them overwhelmingly positive.
Firstly I only read blogs that I find upbuilding and/or challenging. Therefore they have an element of personal growth with them.
Secondly I find a sense of community that others think similar/have similar challenges. This community is next to impossible to achieve off line. For example my ability to network in my local Christian community is severely limited by both time and location. That is it takes a lot of time to meet people and find out if it is relationship that is worth cultivating. Its takes lot of time to filter through all the dross to find the gold. Online it is a lot easier, for a number or reasons (a) people can be more transparent in blogs. (b) you can easily drill down through previous posts to get a better feel for someone, like having all devious conversations on file! (c) the share volume of blogs gives greater probability of finding someone you relate to.
The third point I guess in a warning, that blogs are only a segment of fellowship. It would be leaning towards toxic if a blog relationship was the only form of relationships that I had. It is blogs + mates + teachers + elders that kind of make up my mix of fellowship. So I guess like all things they focus could get distorted. Just like if my fellowship mix was, like it has been in the past all teachers and lacking in mates. This let to lots of knowledge and little wisdom. So exclusive blogging has dangers.
Fourthly and lastly because of the nature of blogs the relationships formed would be different. You can be more open in a blog, but at the same time you can be someone who you are not. This has the potential to be very toxic. So I guess those who thing blogs are toxic are maybe focusing on this part. Ironic really as I have the ability to be shallow and wear a mask irrespective of what medium I am communicating in!
i think i want to go buy a Time mag so I can be the Man of the Year!
Not a comment on blogs – though I do get the RSS feed from a number of Christian and political blogs – but a ‘well done on winning back the Ashes. There is no doubt that the best team is winning – though it pains me to say so.
Thanks Eddie – for a while there I held some hope for you guys, but it just didn’t turn out!
A shame its over so quickly…
Blogs are the new talk-back radio.
sometimes they are really interesting on important topics….mostly it is people blowing-off about hobby horses
They are at least one more way to connect with people
Blog On!
Gavin