The Arrogance of Blogging

So I was out at the bar discussing the finer points in life. (I was drinking Coke, so no, I was not a bleary-eyed drunk trying to sound intelligent while being unsuccessful at forming basic words.) Somewhere between the discussions on fame and a dispute on astrophysics, blogs came up. Both my friend and I blog on a regular basis (I, in case you missed it, blog daily. My friend blogs at least two or three times a week.)

Why do people blog? My friend charges that blogging is arrogance, plain and simple! What conceit, to believe that thy opinion is worth reading! What pretentiousness, to think that the trials and tribulations of yon daily life hold value to anyone but thyself! Oh, the pompous spectacle that is blogging!

Okay, he didn't go nearly that far (he just said "I think blogging is kinda arrogant..."), but he had a good point.

Is the typical blog worth reading or is it merely a vanity for the author?

My answer to that question? “Yes.”

“But wait!” you cry, “The question was not a yes or no question!” (Actually, you probably didn’t say that, more likely you just went “This guy is weird.” And that’s okay.)

The answer to me is that yes, blogs are vanities toward the author and are sometimes worth reading. A decently written blog (A tall order, I know) offers excellent insight into how a person thinks and lives. They are excellent for character studies.

For example, a cursory evaluation of my blog reveals that I am quite random (I don’t have a theme of any way, shape, or form), I am wordy (I use large words and have a habit of talking a lot to say a little), I am a bit of a night-owl (I never manage to post before midnight), and have a bit of a Tinfoil Hat complex (My guarded attempts at remaining anonymous).

(Tinfoil Hat, by the way, means someone is bit of a paranoid privacy nut, which I will admit to being. It’s usage, in case you want to know, is “Pardon me while I put on my tinfoil hat, but…” if you are raising privacy concerns, or if you’re using it in reference to someone else you think is going overboard “Take off your tinfoil hat!” or “Wearing a tinfoil hat again, I see.” You get the idea.)

Alas! Most blogs are not well written. Many amount to “Dood, n I wuz like WTF? Ppl r always piking on me, n my g/f is cheetig n I hate teh wurld!!!!1!” In other words, most are incomprehensible garbage. And some are even worse.

Fortunately, if you are able to wade your way through this quagmire, there is a lot of good stuff to read! A politics blog here, a history blog there, or just a good witty one about everyday life. Some are actually useful! Blogs may be a vanity, but they are one worth having. So blog!

(And, in case you’re wondering where I think I fall into the grand scheme of things… I don’t think I do. I don’t think this falls under either “good stuff” or “incomprehensible garbage.” Mainly, I just write because I feel like writing. So perhaps I fall into “Pure vanity.” Which is okay by me.)

But that’s all I got for tonight kids. So ‘til next time, Rock On.