Matthew, as you may recall, I supported your concept here in a previous comment, and love the idea of open discussion.
But with all due respect I must politely dissent on the issue of blogging. Personally I support the idea of reciprocating blogging comments, as that is really the nature of what this is all about. Building a community of bloggers in my view, does require mutual visitation, as I see pwersonal friendship as a far more lasting aspect of blogging. As an older blogger, I am past the point where analytical discussion on cinema should be seen as more vital than the personal connnection I relish here. I don't need more friends, but I've met some of the loveliest people here, people I hope to see in person some day.
To me blogging is all about mutual connection, not one-sided initiation, irregardless of the twitter competition. I am not after anything in my life at this point. I am happily married with tehbest wife a man could hope to have, five great kids, and a secure teaching position. I've made some mistakes - I plaguerized part of a review at a previous site I was writing for out of time pressures and the desire to impress, and I spend far too much time on all this, but make no mistake about it, blogging is a reciprocative venture, and there are few people I know who aren't heartened by the support of their peers.
I have written far less as of late-and am even delaying an opera review that I want to post badly, because I have chosen to play host and honor others' writings, which often is a far more gratifying aspect of the full blogging experience.
While one can't measure blogging success on the number of comments they receive, it's clear what bloggers out there have achieved the most remarkable success with people's skills. To me personal effervescence is the quality I admire most in the blogger's ranks.
I admire your frankness here in a public forum.
Sam Juliano said…
The other aspect of blogging that I fully support and rarely fail on, is answering every comment at my place to honor and show full repect with the person who is commenting. My position is always that if a person spends time addressing me in discussion, I am absolutely committed to responding, and I'm happy to do it. You didn't actually broach this issue in your video rant, but I just wanted to add it here as part of my own blogging convictions.
Thanks for your well reasoned response. I'll try to address your points as best I can.
I think you may have misinterpreted my comments about reciprocal blog comments. I'm not talking about an open exchange between blogs, where people travel back and forth between each others blogs, reading and commenting regularly. I'm talking about people who only comment on someone else's blog if that person comments on their blog first. I doubt you were ever a MySpacer, but it reminds me of when people would post bulletins telling everyone they had posted new pictures, and if you commented on them they would go give you a picture comment in return. It's that kind of thing I don't like, because commenting out of some sort of obligation just leads to bland, obligatory comments rather than anything of substance. It's just not genuine.
I love the community aspect of blogging, but honestly I've felt it more strongly on Twitter just because it's more instantly interactive, if perhaps not as substantive. But it does lead you to the work of others in a way just finding blogs on your own can, and allows for even more of a two way dialogue between the author and the reader. That way, the line between author and reader becomes blurred, and it is very much a two way discussion.
You should join Twitter sometime Sam. I think you would enjoy it. I have found it very gratifying.
Sam Juliano said…
That's a most fair clarification there Matthew.
As far as Twitter, I do eventually want to get over there, I know it's hugely popular!
Comments
But with all due respect I must politely dissent on the issue of blogging. Personally I support the idea of reciprocating blogging comments, as that is really the nature of what this is all about. Building a community of bloggers in my view, does require mutual visitation, as I see pwersonal friendship as a far more lasting aspect of blogging. As an older blogger, I am past the point where analytical discussion on cinema should be seen as more vital than the personal connnection I relish here. I don't need more friends, but I've met some of the loveliest people here, people I hope to see in person some day.
To me blogging is all about mutual connection, not one-sided initiation, irregardless of the twitter competition. I am not after anything in my life at this point. I am happily married with tehbest wife a man could hope to have, five great kids, and a secure teaching position. I've made some mistakes - I plaguerized part of a review at a previous site I was writing for out of time pressures and the desire to impress, and I spend far too much time on all this, but make no mistake about it, blogging is a reciprocative venture, and there are few people I know who aren't heartened by the support of their peers.
I have written far less as of late-and am even delaying an opera review that I want to post badly, because I have chosen to play host and honor others' writings, which often is a far more gratifying aspect of the full blogging experience.
While one can't measure blogging success on the number of comments they receive, it's clear what bloggers out there have achieved the most remarkable success with people's skills. To me personal effervescence is the quality I admire most in the blogger's ranks.
I admire your frankness here in a public forum.
Thanks for your well reasoned response. I'll try to address your points as best I can.
I think you may have misinterpreted my comments about reciprocal blog comments. I'm not talking about an open exchange between blogs, where people travel back and forth between each others blogs, reading and commenting regularly. I'm talking about people who only comment on someone else's blog if that person comments on their blog first. I doubt you were ever a MySpacer, but it reminds me of when people would post bulletins telling everyone they had posted new pictures, and if you commented on them they would go give you a picture comment in return. It's that kind of thing I don't like, because commenting out of some sort of obligation just leads to bland, obligatory comments rather than anything of substance. It's just not genuine.
I love the community aspect of blogging, but honestly I've felt it more strongly on Twitter just because it's more instantly interactive, if perhaps not as substantive. But it does lead you to the work of others in a way just finding blogs on your own can, and allows for even more of a two way dialogue between the author and the reader. That way, the line between author and reader becomes blurred, and it is very much a two way discussion.
You should join Twitter sometime Sam. I think you would enjoy it. I have found it very gratifying.
As far as Twitter, I do eventually want to get over there, I know it's hugely popular!