Whither the Blog?

(Warning: Personal reflection and blogging geekery ahead.)

I wrote a little tongue in cheek piece a week or so ago about the 1st anniversary of the blog, but I've actually been giving some thought to where the blog is headed these days.

To me the blog has become a personal proving ground for my writing. I find myself more inclined to writing longer pieces, and less towards the simple linking to things that others have posted on. I still do some personal bookmarking by way of the blog, but for the most part I'm turning towards more original pieces. Some short, some long, but all me and what I think about things. Oh, and my attempts to be funny.

But wait! That's not the way to get popular, to get picked up by the big bloggers and deemed Important! You have to post every day. In the morning so the East Coast readers can see your stuff. Post comments in other blogs and link, link, link! A few short words ("Wow, Blogger XYZ is sure stirring things up over at the XYZ blog! He's giving 'em hell!) a link in, and watch those numbers rising. Sure, sure, you have to offer something of value, but the main thing is to plug away!

The thing is, the more I read the Big Blogs and try to follow the chatter among the Important Bloggers, the less inclined I am to want to be one of them. I don't want to be a political ranter. I don't need to be an "industry expert". And while it's certainly cool to have your blog linked to from all over the world, and a fun ego boost to see the number of visitors rising, the blog is still just about me and what I'm thinking about. I'm not fighting the Main Stream Media. I'm not flogging a cause other than my own. In other words, it's just a blog. A journal. Me and my opinion. No holy mantle has been placed upon my shoulders by virtue of my willingness to spend $10 a month for web hosting and the time it takes for me to sit and write.

I've been influenced of late by Chuq Von Rospach (chuqui), an Apple employee who writes at his Teal Sunglasses blog along the lines of where I think this blog is headed. He has a great level-headed approach to blogging and its importance in the Grand Scheme of Things. For instance, he breaks on of the Holy Precepts of Blogging by (gasp!) deleting some posts, but then gives a rational defense for doing so. Hmmm, a blog entry that has some thought behind it. There's a concept.

And to show that great minds think alike, here's his summary of where his blog is going.

Since I'm not terribly interested in being the Big Dog Blogger type, but instead being, well, me, with whatever audience that attracts, I've decided to do something I've been considering for a while, which is moving to more of an essay format. I have a couple of natural writing lengths, one around 1500 words, one around 5,000. the quick-linking will continue, but anything else, I plan on slowing down, thinking it through, and doing it right, or not doing it. Doing it badly just isn't what I want to be known for.