Friday, October 31, 2008
Blogging Gone Bad
MMI recently commented extensively on an Ed Stetzer on the state of Christian blogging. Quoting Todd at MMI:
Of course, some disagree. I think the jury is still out.
Blogging is not what it used to be, but is it dead? I don't think so, "matured" is a more reasonable description. What is dead, but was really a false hope to begin with, is blogging as community. Yes, through blogging I have met many interesting and wonderful people - some have become friends for which I am forever grateful. But that is not what blogging is about - never has been.
Those that proclaim the end of blogging because it is being replaced with social networking tools are right - sort of. Those that are in blogging to build relationships, which admittedly in the Godblogosphere is probably most people, are moving on, and for good reason. Blogging is a lousy way to build a relationship. Those that have become friends through blogging have done so because we have gotten together face-to-face and interacted as human being. Frankly, I have not followed the crowd into social networking on the internet because it is STILL a poor substitute for actual human interaction.
But blogging was never designed to be about relationships - that has been a fortunate by-product. Blogging is about PUBLISHING. Hugh Hewitt had it right - still does. The fact of the matter is that outside the realm of Christian blogging it continues to grow and thrive and prosper, at least among those that do serious writing.
It is sad to me that people are "writing off" Christian blogging. But what is more sad is that, unlike in some segments of secular blogging, Christian blogging has largely failed to produce good new voices, with good ideas, good research, and good writing. Instead we see Christian blogging largely reduced to product promotion or the kind of bickering we opened this post with.
To be sure there are some good voices out there, but they have been largely ignored, lost in the rush whenever another catfight erupted.
I am betting when the social kibitzers have all run off to twitter their way to knowledge about who goes to the bathroom when - those excellent, if relatively quiet voices will be left to the audiences that really care.
Funny how much it resembles the church, isn't it. Many are called, few are chosen.
Technorati Tags:blogging, godblog, christian blogging, maturity
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Author's footnote: It could be implied from this post that I consider myself among "the chosen." For the record, such is what I aspire to, but I have no idea if such is the case. That is something for others to decide.
Blogs seem to magnify an existing problem in the body of Christ: We don't do a very good job listening to and learning from one another.Now I think this is a pretty reasonable bit of analysis. There are reports from various reputable sources that Christian blogging is dead, or at least rapidly dying. Wonder what role this kind of stuff played in that?
It seems large numbers of the Theologically Preoccupied scowl across the pages of their study Bibles at the Evangelistically Fixated and accuse them of being culturally adrift--in some cases rightfully so. Many of the Evangelistically Fixated chuckle when they see books on evangelism written by many of the Theologically Preoccupied who sometimes consider the smallness of their churches a sign of their faithfulness...
Of course, some disagree. I think the jury is still out.
Blogging is not what it used to be, but is it dead? I don't think so, "matured" is a more reasonable description. What is dead, but was really a false hope to begin with, is blogging as community. Yes, through blogging I have met many interesting and wonderful people - some have become friends for which I am forever grateful. But that is not what blogging is about - never has been.
Those that proclaim the end of blogging because it is being replaced with social networking tools are right - sort of. Those that are in blogging to build relationships, which admittedly in the Godblogosphere is probably most people, are moving on, and for good reason. Blogging is a lousy way to build a relationship. Those that have become friends through blogging have done so because we have gotten together face-to-face and interacted as human being. Frankly, I have not followed the crowd into social networking on the internet because it is STILL a poor substitute for actual human interaction.
But blogging was never designed to be about relationships - that has been a fortunate by-product. Blogging is about PUBLISHING. Hugh Hewitt had it right - still does. The fact of the matter is that outside the realm of Christian blogging it continues to grow and thrive and prosper, at least among those that do serious writing.
It is sad to me that people are "writing off" Christian blogging. But what is more sad is that, unlike in some segments of secular blogging, Christian blogging has largely failed to produce good new voices, with good ideas, good research, and good writing. Instead we see Christian blogging largely reduced to product promotion or the kind of bickering we opened this post with.
To be sure there are some good voices out there, but they have been largely ignored, lost in the rush whenever another catfight erupted.
I am betting when the social kibitzers have all run off to twitter their way to knowledge about who goes to the bathroom when - those excellent, if relatively quiet voices will be left to the audiences that really care.
Funny how much it resembles the church, isn't it. Many are called, few are chosen.
Technorati Tags:blogging, godblog, christian blogging, maturity
Generated By Technorati Tag Generator
Author's footnote: It could be implied from this post that I consider myself among "the chosen." For the record, such is what I aspire to, but I have no idea if such is the case. That is something for others to decide.
