Many of my friends have shut down their blogs, and moved on to twitter-- blogging is dead, they say. Too many talkers, talk for too long-- no one listens.
But I know different. Blogging will survive, in one form or the other, because we as humans have the need to discuss, debate, sympathize, rant, explore and so many other things-- not all of which can be done all the time to our satisfaction in 140 characters.
The A to Z Challenge was proof enough for me that we bloggers as a community love to mingle and hold forth on anything and everything under the sun-- from meatloaves to metaphysics.
Has anyone told you blogging is obsolete? Do you agree?
59 comments:
Yeah, that guy who tried to sell me a Beta VCR out of the back of his conversion van.
Nope, no-one has ever said that. Blogging is fun, and as you said, we all read each other and become a community.
Blogging dead, I think not; as for twitter I use twitter and if there is somewhere were everyone is only interested in themselves it is twitter.
facebook if more interactive but just does not look as nice as a good blog. So me for one will remain a blog fan for a while yet. Even if most bloggers like to mingle round me at a distance hoping I will not notice.
"Blogging will survive, in one form or the other, because we as humans have the need to discuss, debate, sympathize, rant, explore and so many other things-- not all of which can be done all the time to our satisfaction in 140 characters."
Ditto. :)
I don't believe blogging is dead - but then, there are good and bad blogs (and bloggers!)
We all appreciate people taking time to stop by and read what we have writen, but it is a two-way street which means you have to read as much as you write!
Personally, I like the way Twitter connects you with others - it's designed for quick 'catch-ups' and using as a 'signpost' medium to share your blog, or other points of interest.
I have found some great blogs and bloggers via Twitter. Facebook, I can do without, though! (am thinking of quitting that!)
Blogging allows us to say more and in more creative ways than any other social medial format. Twitter has little substance and is so ephemeral. It's good for those in a hurry or with short attention spans, but works best for directing readers to blogs that expound upon a topic.
Blogging is here to stay. I think the people who say it is dead are the ones who couldn't figure it out and got bored with it. That's not all of us.
Lee
Tossing It Out
There is no way I can do what I do on Twitter. My post for this morning was several thousand words.
I was a late comer to blogging, but I don't think it is going anywhere anytime soon.
If blogging is obsolete, then I better find a new hobby!
In no way is blogging obsolete, unless if by 'blogging' they mean 'talking to yourself and hoping the world adores you for it'
I think spuriously declaring something is obsolete is obsolete.
I don't think blogging is dead or even dying. I think blogging is a forum for thoughtful reflection and discussion . I don't do the twitter thing - dont' really understand why I would want to do that - can someone enlighten me? and FB is light and superficial. Blogging allows, IMHO, for more connection and more depth. It is not for everyone, for sure, but it is rewarding for those of us who like it, right? and who cares if others say it is dead - sucks to be them if you ask me :)
No, no and no! Blogging is not dead; is reading dead or writing? Blogging is a form of both. It's more creative than Twitter, and Facebook; I don't tweet and minimally do Facebook so I can see pictures of my grandkids. But today I read a comment on my blog from a young man from Nepal, struggling a bit with his English, but very sweet. The big world is out there, something you cannot get by Tweeting.
Obsolete or not, I'll be continuing to blog. Hell, I still read physical books, if those aren't obsolete by now, they will be soon, I'm sure!
I don't believe blogging is dead; you can as well say reading is dead if so. I also agree that bloggers help each other out and finally, when push comes to shove, people looking for important information will want to read more than 100 characters.
No one's told me that blogging is obsolete at all. I haven't done Twitter, nor will I. I love the blogosphere.
Like anything else, blogging is something that passes in and out of people's lives. Some will stay longer than others, some move on to things like twitter almost immediately. Blogging is dead to them, because most of those people won't come back to it. However, there will always be new people coming to it.
No one has ever actually told me blogging is "dead", but a number of my friends have told me they don't "get" it. They don't understand why I do it, or what's "in it" for me. Needless to say, those people have never taken a whirl around the blogosphere dance floor themselves.
Oh, my! Blogging is obsolete? I wonder why I hadn't heard about it until now?
No, I don't think blogging is obsolete. It is my favorite form of social media. I don't use FB or Twitter very much. Mostly to share links to my blog posts or to share links of other bloggers posts. I haven't given Pinterest a try, so I can't comment on that one.
There will always be bloggers.
Eh, I don't know. It's flipp'n tiring that's for sure. Then again, I really enjoy interacting with other bloggers so to give that up...I don't think I'll be doing that anytime soon.
Dead? Not a chance!! New bloggers are sprouting up everywhere.
I do a lot of Google Searching and blogs related to whatever I am searching for come up as often as other websites. Because of that I think blogs are here to stay.
I love interacting with other bloggers - it's why I do it. I do have a Twitter account, but I use it to follow a certain segment - chefs, etc. (And actually rarely open it.) :)
It will neeeeever be obsolete!! Thumbs up for blogging!!
As a compulsive blogger, I find blogging to be a creative outlet for me. No way is it obsolete!
Go BLOGS!!!!
Greetings from http://recipesonthecheap.blogspot.com/
I was reading about it being obsolete before I even had a blog.
Maybe for normal* people it is, but I think it's a great way to meet other writers and practice writing.
*not writers
No blogging isn't obsolete. Too many talkers? That's Twitter. And I read far more blogs than I do tweets. Long live blogs!
It's funny that someone noted twitter made blogging obsolete because half the tweets I read link back to a blog or a website (and many of the websites are on a wordpress format that allows commenting like a blog). They work together, people!
Blogging to me is friendship, people I can be myself with albiet happy, sad or just plain silly. Most of my followers understand what I write about (I hope)
I have survived three A to Z Challenges and loved them from the start and to meet Arlee Bird the brainchild of the challenge was an extra bonus. We met when I flew from the UK to LA days he made us so welcome and spent a smashing day around Hollywood and had some great photo's taken . I say carry on Blogging and of course the A to Z.
Yvonne.
Dead? Not a chance... there are many many creative people out there with interesting things to say.
If people want a sound bite on Twitter that's fine, but I'm sticking with my blog and my blog friendships. They are priceless!
Alive and well and growing, in my opinion. I didn't "get" the community part of it at first. That's one of the bonuses of the whole A-Z experience: community becomes crystal clear as you participate.
I've not done twitter because if you read my blog you know I can barely keep it under 500 words...140 characters would *kill* me ;-)
Tina @ Life is Good
Post A-Z Road trip!
These are all fantastic comments. I enjoyed reading each one and it's a rare thing when I take the time to read that many comments to a post. I agree with what everyone said here. I like the way Arlee said it. For those who try it and don't like it, sure, it's not the "everybody is blogging" climate that it was a couple years ago. But it's still a viable social media forum and those who know how to utilize it can benefit from it.
Blogging is a creative outlet, definitely not everyone's cup of tea. I would much rather blog than tweet or FB. Each has its place, though.
Love the bloggers! I look forward to reading the posts. Why shut down the blog when it can feed to Twitter? That is like starting at square one.
Hope to participate if there is another challenge ~
thriftshopcommando.blogspot.com
I don't feel it's obsolete at all, in fact, I'm just getting back into it because I see how it benefits me & my readers. While I think DIY stuff is commanding the market, each blog is like its own forking story. It's interesting :) My blog (in its infancy) can be viewed at www.hayleequalls.com
My feeling is blogging is growing in strength and the community of bloggers networks and exchanges views.
The only issue is that non-bloggers just don't "get" what it's all about. My view is perhaps we should reframe it for the non-initiated as "Writing on the internet".
I really like blogging! I hope it's not dying...that would be just my luck, to find a creative outlet I love, with a network of awesome people...and have it end. I don't think that'll happen. There will always be those of us who really enjoy this form of communication...I missed this years A-Z challenge due to health problems, but I'm feeling strong and ready for the next one!
I love 'meeting' people this way, (and the old way too!). There are an awful lot of people with a lot of interesting things to say! For me blogging is part creative writing, part chat room and a great way to meet new friends.. How else could someone from small town Canada 'talk' to people from all over the world?! It's great! I am on twitter occasionally, and I don't even have a facebook account...hate fb!
Nobody told me that blogging is obsolete but I have watched a few celebrities dismiss it as an irrelevant fad during TV news shows and such. Regarding it being obsolete though, nah, I don't agree with it because blogging and social networking are two different animals and thus, people use them for different purposes, which also means that it attracts separate types of audiences.
I know of bloggers and/or people who read blogs who still don't use Twitter and I know many people who are on Twitter but don't have a blog, let alone know what one is or are even interested in reading them.
Just look at Arlee...he wasn't even on Twitter a year ago but he still had a HUGE influence in the blogging world...so even if he weren't tweeting today, the A to Z Challenge would still exist and still be popular.
The only reason for anyone to give up blogging in favor of Twitter is if they just no longer like to blog or if they lack the chutzpah to make their blogging efforts matter. That is to say that blogging doesn't have to be obsolete just because a man or woman's passion for their own blog becomes obsolete.
Some people like to blog, some people like to read blogs but don't want to blog themselves, many people do both and other people like Twitter while their naysayers prefer Tumblr and everybody else seems to stick with Facebook while the remaining herd moves over to Google+ --- Do you see how much nonsense that is for people to label something as obsolete when it's still being utilized? LOL.
Of the 20 million or so members on Facebook, I'm not one of them but I wouldn't dare say Facebook is becoming obsolete. It's just something that I have no interest in doing.
To each, his (or her) own!
~Nicole
Blog: The Madlab Post
@MadlabPost on Twitter
There were blogs I enjoyed reading taht have gone by the wayside due to Twitter and Facebook...neither of which I do. I need more characters to put my thoughts down.
Blogging, an email to the world, is not obsolete. I embrace the ethos of a sharing, caring community. A blogging community where we rejoice in the diversity and yes, if logically possible, like I do, comment back to each person who so kindly graced me with a comment on my site.
The A to Z Challenge, although the concept is noble, has its cynical side with those who didn't do it to interact and be proactive. No, they used it to blatantly self-promote. Thank goodness, the decent bloggers, such as you, redressed the balance. I look forward to your reply.
With respect, Gary
I've not heard the comment that blogging is dead, but if I had, I would agree with you that it is not. It is often frustrating to devote good blocks of time to produce quality writing that hardly anyone ever reads, but it is a passion onto itself that will hopefully lead to bigger things.
I do not believe blogging is dead. Voices will come and go, but the need to build community, share ideas and successes, and learn from one another will encourage writers/bloggers to continue.
Twitter (which I love) might be called a "microblog," but it's really a way to pop in and have a quick conversation, or pick up a hint of information. Think of the logo - a bird flits here and there, but doesn't always land.
For me, it's not the same as blogging. :) I'm in no hurry to declare either venue dead.
No, blogging is far from dead. What do you think everyone is tweeting about? Blogs and blog posts...blogging and twitter go together and nicely compliment each other.
Aaron
Some authors have chosen social networking, such as Facebook or Twitter, over blogs and websites. However, blogging is not obsolete. I know. Mine is a new blog, and yet I've received close to 10,000 hits so far. That's 10,000 hits of promotion I would not have received had I never started my monster blog. Authors of horror and paranormal are discovering my blog and are asking to be guest authors. Readers are learning about my interest in zombies and other monsters and they are learning about my novellas. Blogging is not obsolete.
Jolie
Precious Monsters
Blogging dead? I wasn't paying attention. I was blogging.
Relying on one blog is a mistake. Perhaps from that standpoint people like twitter because you can contact more people faster.
But blogs like these, where lots of people come together I would not normally meet, these blogs are wonderful. Lots of good ideas, opinions and characters for our stories!
I don't think blogging is obsolete, but I think the wise blogger who wants to be read keeps posts under 700 words and doesn't blog every single day (or more).
No, not at all! People will always need to hear from others, be inspired, encouraged and motivated. Humans are made for communicating...to God and mankind!
Blogging for me is meditation and meditation is something what you really need which is good for us. I won't call it an addiction but rather a habit of writing, my blogging usually contains my day to day happenings which is just normal but the best part is I write it freely as if talking to my own people ....Blogging can never be out of my life
I've heard that blogging is dying and/or dead. But I just love it too much to stop. :) I've met so many awesome people through blogging. :)
Hi Damyanti and Lee .. I'd be surprised if blogging died - there are too many opportunities with it and so much we can learn from doing it and connecting with others ..
Where's the true camaraderie via Twitter? We can't all live at an 'ad life' headlines in and out and that's it .. no cohesion etc ..
Personally I don't think blogging is dying ..
Cheers Hilary
Blogging is definitely NOT dead. In a social media world where everyone is jumping from fad to fad blogs are more relevant than ever. FB, Twitter, Pinterest and all of the other platforms could shut down tomorrow and all of those "connections" would be lost. Those of us who blog and have our own homes on the web will still be here because we only go to platforms to play but our blogs give us somewhere to "live" on the web. That is what brings the sense of community, longevity and relevance to blogging for me. It is the difference between having your own place and living with someone else. When you live with someone else no matter how much you "personalize" or "customize" it, it still isn't home. Your blog is your space. IMHO. Having a place to call your own and invite over friends/readers/bloggers/commenters will never be obsolete.
I hope it isn't dead. I've only been doing it less than a year. I've got a lot more posts left in me.
I'd actually argue that blogging is more 'alive' than ever before. The rise of Twitter is doing blogs a huge favour, and driving traffic towards bloggers that would otherwise remain undiscovered. You only have to look at the latest Wordpress figures to get a glimpse at just how much blogging is on the rise.
Whilst blogging may be 'dead' to those who basically use it in the same terrible way as they use Twitter ('I'm making my toast now'...'Hmm, jam or butter'...'Think I'll go for both #lol'), for those of us who have a niche and plenty to share, it'll be alive for quite some time.
Thanks for a thought provoking post. Have a gander at http://ryancaseybooks.com if you wish, :)
Long live blogging and long live bloggers!
Am amazed and gratified by the responses-- tho the seeker of balance within me wishes we heard from some of the naysayers as well.
If blogging were obsolete, would you have received 54 comments?
Looks like the results are in. Blogging is NOT dead. I agree w/ another commentator - fb is becoming obsolete. The novelty has worn off. And there's no substance on fb. Twitter is the same way. Blogging, which I called WRITING, will be around forever. It may take a different form, but writers will always write.
Haven't heard that blogging is obsolete yet. Has someone told this person there are more than 180 million blogs?
Twitter's fine, for what it is, but you can't get into much depth with the kind of limitation it imposes.
Wired Magazine declared blogging dead a couple of years ago, yet, I don't believe it. I think I know what they meant. A lot of people didn't have enough to say to sustain a blog, so they abandoned theirs and moved to Facebook or Twitter or Instagram or Tumblr, but too many people have more to say than those venues permit. Also, too many of those venues have a censor function. While someone can still censor you on your own blog, even if you've bought the domain for yourself, it's more difficult to do and less likely to happen.
Visiting for the A-Z Challenge. Find me officially participating in the Challenge here: http://polarbear60.org/randr
Great topic! I'm not of the notion that blogging is obsolete any more than writing a great story or article is!
There are a ton voices but I can't help but to think that if the writing is good/useful and site is kept up with that others will find value in it.
I don't think blogging is dead-- as others have attested here, it's alive and well. I do, however, think the landscape of blogging is changing-- especially in the writers' world. How, is the open-ended question.
Blogging or a "web log" is simply another form of article writing. To say that no more articles will be written is just kind of dumb. Now what may be true is that it's more difficult to come up with content that no one else is echoing so that you can get page views, but that's a different argument entirely.
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