What is blogging?

"Is blogging self-expression, personal publishing, a diary, amateur journalism, the biggest disruptive technology since e-mail, an online community, alternative media, curriculum for students, a customer relations strategy, knowledge management, navel-gazing, a solution to boredom, a dream job, a style of writing, e-mail to everyone, a fad, the answer to illiteracy, an online persona, social networking, resume fodder, phonecam pictures, or something to hide from your mother? It's all of these and more."

"A blog is a collection of digital content that, when examined over a period of time, exposes the intellectual soul of its author and authors. Blogging is the act of creating, composing, and publishing this content; and a blogger is the person behind the curtain. Part social software and part web building, blogging is peer-to-peer publishing -- the future of our connected lives."

-Biz Stone, "Who Let the Blogs Out?"



Memorize this, so that the next time someone asks you what blogging is, you can just say self-expression, personal publishing, a diary, amateur journalism, the biggest disruptive technology since e-mail, an online community, alternative media, curriculum for students, a customer relations strategy, knowledge management, navel-gazing, a solution to boredom, a dream job, a style of writing, e-mail to everyone, a fad, the answer to illiteracy, an online persona, social networking, resume fodder, phonecam pictures... a collection of digital content that, when examined over a period of time, exposes the intellectual soul of its author and authors...the act of creating, composing, and publishing this content; peer-to-peer publishing -- the future of our connected lives. And they will hand over the money. Both dimes.

But seriously, people memorize schpiels (how is that schpelt again?), perorations, litanae, librettae, rap lyrics, and grace all the time. They might even know that "No place like yours to study history wisely" is a mnemonic for the succession of English kings, from Norman, Plantagenet, Lancaster, York, Tudor, Stuart, Hanover, to Windsor. Or maybe they have memorized The Tale of Genji, Finnegans Wake or Proust. Perhaps they have even taken the time to learn how to underarm-fart Blue Rondo a la Turk. This would not surprise me. Were it real...now that would surprise me. Although I woundn't stick around to hear the 4/4 transition. Not unless it were my own. Sorry. I did hesitate. And was, of course, joking.