Credit
About three weeks ago, I posted some musings on the relative importance of credentials in art and artwriting, respectively. The piece appears to have been fairly well received, and now Jennifer at simpleposie, has kindly taken up the subject. For those of you unfamiliar with her blog, much of her posting consists solely of questions, which are then debated extensively. Recent queries expand upon some of my own. I've been participating, you should too, if you're interested in these topics. I also have to say that I envy her format, since I find it so much easier writing in response to others.
posted by arthur at 12:55 PM
8 Comments:
Hi Arthur,
I hope you don't mind my citing your post - the issues you raise are really interesting - and really "in the air" around the blog'o'sphere. So please, yes, anyone with an opinion chime in - all are welcome.
J@simpleposie
Thanks for pointing out this interesting site. You raise an interesting point about web writing, blog writing in particular. It seems that every blog post should answer with a question, for the sake of promoting discussion. Edward Winkleman is a master at this. I find it not an easy style to learn. We are not trained in the educational system to write this way. Interactive writing is a new form. I wonder if schools could teach it, and if it would be useful or harmful. Or, (to close with a question), do you think ending each blog post with a question mark is a sign of uncertainty about one's ideas?
Simpleposie-No, I don't mind at all, quite the opposite. You're clearly better able to get this discussion going than me.
Karl-I think traditional schools are afraid of "interactive writing", people in journalism somewhat less so. The local public (primary and secondary) schools here in Ithaca recently banned student blogging on school computers. No doubt there were some legitimate concerns, but
I also think that schools in general try too hard to isolate their students from the rest of the world.
do you think ending each blog post with a question mark is a sign of uncertainty about one's ideas?
I think that ending a piece of writing without a question mark is an attempt to mask uncertainty.
Arthur,
You're right, you do do well in responding. How to make a blog where you answer the questions rather than posing them? It seems for this you want to be a recognized authority, where people can write in with questions...
Ask Arthur:
I guess the question I would want to know, since I'm just starting myself, is how do you feel you achieved success in blogging? Do you feel you have general lessons that other people could apply?
That's an example, of course, but if you decide to respond, I'll read carefully.
How to make a blog where you answer the questions rather than posing them?
You already know a way to that, although there are many others.
how do you feel you achieved success in blogging? Do you feel you have general lessons that other people could apply?
I haven't acheived much blogging success, if by that you mean popularity. My blog is only about three months old. If you mean quality--something I think I've only achieved inconsistently--I would just say write well, in your own voice, about things you know and care about. Or did you have in mind some other kind of advice?
I like your suggestion to write in one's own voice. What you're saying, I think, is don't assume another voice, even if it might seem better, more cool. The best thing is rather to grow into something that fits with the blog medium, which is new and unfamiliar to most of us.
You mention that quality varies from post to post -- this is natural. As a reader, I'm wondering, how can I get to the best of The Thinking Eye? Are your best pieces ones that would be of continuing interest? If so, how would you point your readers to them, aside from pointing to the complete archives? Is there a good way to overcome the time-flow format of the blog (where everything gradually flows away), without it ceasing to be a blog?
This is getting into the topic of web design. You recently discussed the idea of a website as an artwork in itself. If you find a good example of this, I hope you will profile it.
Is there a good way to overcome the time-flow format of the blog (where everything gradually flows away), without it ceasing to be a blog?
I think the flowing format is essential to a blog. Blogs tend toward the topical the way newspapers and magazines do. So I think an old post, no matter how good, is inevitably going to feel dated unless perhaps you can find a new context for it. Linking back to an old post is one way of doing that, as is simply reposting the whole thing. I think the best thing to do would be to revise a post and find somewhere that isn't a blog to publish it.
blogs transience... sigh.
Arthur, I think you are on target here with your comment. Blogs must live for the day. That said, this (new) reader is still interested in "The Best of the Thinking Eye", however dated it may be. Sooner or later I'll wade through the full archives to find it, if I have to.
Best,
Karl
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