Dotcomslashblog: Yeah, Yeah, The Blog’s Dead, Now Talk To Me
Frits
· 2 years ago
Well, I gues that syndication of our mobile phones and pc's will make social networking a lot more social... think about it, people in your phone are a lot more 'real' than those on-line.
Josh
· 2 years ago
I don't really get the "real life" thing; never have. Some of my online friends, I've known for a little over a decade. The friendships with them have outlasted many of my "real life" friendships. Just because you're interacting with someone via text doesn't make it less real. Just my .02. :P
Regarding the blog being dead: nah, I don't buy it. I've tried the social websites and I honestly don't care much for them. They're like.. I don't know, popcorn friendships. Fun to play with, but not overly filling. It's hard to be filling when you're limited to 100 characters...
Also, I have a strong aversion to the "collection" mentality on social websites. See Scoble for an example of this. The guy has like, 3000 friends or some such on Facebook. Come on. 3000 friends? Just because you clicked "Add Bob to your Friends List!" doesn't actually make him a friend. Vague acquaintance, sure, but friend? No.
Frits
· 2 years ago
Maybe 'real' wasn't the best choise.. what about 'analog'?
hans
· 2 years ago
Maybe it's not the hardware but our software that's got to adapt. We're still programed to a certain extent to define our social lives from within the boundaries of our physical bodies. People aren't real unless we've smelled or heard or seen them. Maybe our ideas about what makes someone and something real should change. Maybe it's a good thing that one can't smell all those people on the other side.
Nils Geylen
· 2 years ago
Due to massive amounts of social networking statuses to update, I haven't got round to thanking you for, and commenting on, your contributions.
Please rest assured that me and my identities are doing fine. They are scattered across Cyberia, buying everyone macchiatos from their iPercolators.
I will take these fascinating suggestion into consideration when my social integrator hits the market. I will personally see to it that you will all be properly upgraded to standard compliance.
Seriously, though: thanks for all the comments and input.
Aidan L
· 2 years ago
Very interesting entry Nils.
You are completely right in what you say, blogs do have faces. I often find on some social networking sites that I accept an invitation from someone who I knew at primary school, but never talk to them. It sometimes seems all so pointless.
"But if we’re still sending tweets and nudges in five years’ time, social networking will have become the flop of the decade. That’s for sure."
Great way to end the entry. I agree wholeheartedly.
Would I be correct in saying that "Web 2.0" includes social networking? If what you say actually goes ahead, and it does flop, surely that would result in a bit of a flop in Web 2.0. Perhaps not a complete flop for "Web 2.0", but still a flop nonetheless..
Nils Geylen
· 2 years ago
Thanks Aidan, I appreciate that. Actually, when I began thinking of this post, I started out with the dot com bubble. That time, all the new net companies flopped because they offered more than people wanted. I was hesitant to call any failure of these social services a web 2.0 flop, but I'm glad you read between the lines. Although not as outspoken and brazen as I first conceived it, that idea is still there. Well-spotted.
Aidan L
· 2 years ago
I am glad that you mentioned the dot com bubble as I have heard so many people refer to it, yet no one has ever offered much insight into it for me. Your little description has certainly helped me to understand it a bit better :-) .
Perhaps I was reading into it too much, but I don't believe that the Web 2.0 will be a complete flop, but like you said, the idea is there.
JoeDrinker
· 2 years ago
Hi Nils,
I agree. With all the technology available at our fingertips, we're told that we can now communicate with people all over the globe at the push of a button, and that's true, but on a singular level. Do we ever really know people we meet online, even if we converse with them for years? How many times on the news do you hear the neighbor of the serial killer say "We just never knew he was like that. He seemed so nice."
All things considered, blogs seem to strike me as the best way to get to know someone, if only because we can't interrupt them while they speak. I read blogs that go on for pages, while in person, I know they wouldn't have taken the time to say as much or share as personally, if for no other reason than the time it required of their audience.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to fill your inbox with all manner of friend requests.
Cheers.
JD
Adem
· 2 years ago
I don't think the blog is dead, although I think it is changing.
I see less and less of the standard generic blogs that were cropping up in their thousands a few years back which had little or no 'real' content and were instead filled with 'quizzes', 'personality tests', and the rest.
It seems that bloggers are putting a lot more effort into their posts along with adding individuality in the way of custom templates, all of which equates to a more meaningful blog.
Yes there are dead blogs out there, and many have switched off from blogging, but I think many of these people were lazy bloggers and are more suited to the 'social-networking' background where everything is automated and limited and it's so easy to add gimmicky widgets.
To sumise I'd say that although there may be fewer active blogs and many dormant blogs, the ones that are still going have improved themselves and provide a much richer environment for those that read blogs. We are getting better.
All Comments
Regarding the blog being dead: nah, I don't buy it. I've tried the social websites and I honestly don't care much for them. They're like.. I don't know, popcorn friendships. Fun to play with, but not overly filling. It's hard to be filling when you're limited to 100 characters...
Also, I have a strong aversion to the "collection" mentality on social websites. See Scoble for an example of this. The guy has like, 3000 friends or some such on Facebook. Come on. 3000 friends? Just because you clicked "Add Bob to your Friends List!" doesn't actually make him a friend. Vague acquaintance, sure, but friend? No.
Please rest assured that me and my identities are doing fine. They are scattered across Cyberia, buying everyone macchiatos from their iPercolators.
I will take these fascinating suggestion into consideration when my social integrator hits the market. I will personally see to it that you will all be properly upgraded to standard compliance.
Seriously, though: thanks for all the comments and input.
You are completely right in what you say, blogs do have faces. I often find on some social networking sites that I accept an invitation from someone who I knew at primary school, but never talk to them. It sometimes seems all so pointless.
"But if we’re still sending tweets and nudges in five years’ time, social networking will have become the flop of the decade. That’s for sure."
Great way to end the entry. I agree wholeheartedly.
Would I be correct in saying that "Web 2.0" includes social networking? If what you say actually goes ahead, and it does flop, surely that would result in a bit of a flop in Web 2.0. Perhaps not a complete flop for "Web 2.0", but still a flop nonetheless..
Perhaps I was reading into it too much, but I don't believe that the Web 2.0 will be a complete flop, but like you said, the idea is there.
I agree. With all the technology available at our fingertips, we're told that we can now communicate with people all over the globe at the push of a button, and that's true, but on a singular level. Do we ever really know people we meet online, even if we converse with them for years? How many times on the news do you hear the neighbor of the serial killer say "We just never knew he was like that. He seemed so nice."
All things considered, blogs seem to strike me as the best way to get to know someone, if only because we can't interrupt them while they speak. I read blogs that go on for pages, while in person, I know they wouldn't have taken the time to say as much or share as personally, if for no other reason than the time it required of their audience.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to fill your inbox with all manner of friend requests.
Cheers.
JD
I see less and less of the standard generic blogs that were cropping up in their thousands a few years back which had little or no 'real' content and were instead filled with 'quizzes', 'personality tests', and the rest.
It seems that bloggers are putting a lot more effort into their posts along with adding individuality in the way of custom templates, all of which equates to a more meaningful blog.
Yes there are dead blogs out there, and many have switched off from blogging, but I think many of these people were lazy bloggers and are more suited to the 'social-networking' background where everything is automated and limited and it's so easy to add gimmicky widgets.
To sumise I'd say that although there may be fewer active blogs and many dormant blogs, the ones that are still going have improved themselves and provide a much richer environment for those that read blogs. We are getting better.