I’ve been lost in cybermedia just long enough to make a personal and perhaps insightful observation. Why is this important to me? Because instead of writing every day, I’m swept along by what everyone else is writing. Or selling. Or convincing me I must have in my arsenal of marketing strategies.
However, I write this with true respect for the social media revolution. Who can refute the sweeping tide of interconnectedness, the prize of Alexa ratings, the number of followers displayed on a Facebook page (shhhh–new design rumored)? Do we blog because we love writing or to avoid the black hole of cyberinvisibility? To keep our names, books and/or products “searchable?” Is it all really about “relationships” or more about tips for selling 100 books in 2 weeks (or less)? Are these agendas mutually exclusive?
Intrigued by the short history of the blogging phenomenon, I found an interesting overview published in 2007: “Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship” at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00393.x/full. Fourteen years ago, SixDegrees.com launched the first social network site. And here we are today, finding ever more innovative ways to connect, reconnect, recycle connections and add total strangers as friends to our blogs.
Does anyone remember telephone party lines and how intrusive it seemed to share conversations with others. These days, blogging and social networking offer a version of those old party lines we once avoided.
All of which leads to my burning question as a relatively new blogger. Is blogging a black hole in the social media cosmos–one part of of a “complex but orderly self-inclusive system“? Are we missing out if we don’t join in? For me, the answer is more about focus than fashion.
I confess I’ve incorporated many of the widgets and devices that make connections readily more expansive. And, I’ve made some reasonable purchases from bloggers to help boost my own marketing presence. Not to mention the flirty appeal of a quick tweet. But time spent meandering 
the gadget mall and connection corridors leave me, literally, at a loss for words.
So I thought I’d write this post to share my own bewilderment. Is there anyone in the blogosphere whose posts are crafted with the pure intent and joy of writing? I’m not referring to heavy weight journalists or top tier commentators. I mean people like me. I’d like to believe that time spent blogging is worthwhile. That it’s not about the metrics, but the content. Are there any “beacons” out there–sources of blog writing quality, guidance and inspiration?
Here’s an experiment and challenge for my readers:
- In the spirit of inquiry, I invite you to join the conversation. Suggest a topic about what makes a great blog–it may be the headline for my next article!
- In the spirit of a newly versed blogger, I invite you to check out my brand-new children’s picture book, Sunbelievable at http://storyquestbooks.com/sunbelievable-book/. Today is the last day for free shipping with signed copies!
I welcome comments and feedback. Hmmmm… could this be the start of a beautiful connection?
