Commercial Break: Enlightening The Media

February 27th, 2006 · 5 Comments
by Booksquare

We realize that most of our readers aren’t lucky enough to hear the behind-the-scenes conversations (nor the re-enactments) at BS HQ, so it’s possible that you missed some ranting and raving in the last week or so. It all started, more or less, with this:

Take Gallup’s poll. Beyond flat to declining blog traffic, it found just 9% of Internet users read blogs frequently, 11% do so occasionally, 13% rarely bother, and 66% never do. And “reading blogs” ranked last in a list of 13 common Internet activities, below things like emailing, checking news and weather, and shopping.

It continued, at various points during the week, with sudden exclamations, “What is a blog anyway!” “Most people don’t know what a blog is!” “Are you a moron?” (this final thought was directed toward another driver, by the way).

As the media dissects the decline of the blogging revolution, it fails to note the truth of the matter. Let us help (we like to help). You are reading what is commonly called a blog; you are also visiting a website called Booksquare. Because the BS team counts lazy as its prime characteristic, we use blogging software called WordPress to facilitate posting. That we hand-code everything is just a manifestation of our mental state. Most of you who come here don’t care one way or the other how we get our content online, though some of you have an unhealthy obsession with our inability to post more pictures. See previous re: lazy.

Blogging technology is just a tool. It’s simple content management. In some cases, it’s free.

And pretty much all we care about is that we can work in our pajamas. We were born to wear flannel covered in skiing kittens.

Reports of blogging’s demise are bosh, but if we’re lucky, something else really is going away: the by-turns overheated and uninformed obsession with blogging. Which would be just fine, because it would let blogging become what it was always destined to be: just another digital technology and method of communication, one with plenty to offer but no particular claim to revolution.

File Under: Square Pegs

5 responses so far ↓

  • Steve Clackson // Feb 27, 2006 at 11:15 am

    “our inability to post more pictures”
    “wear flannel covered in skiing kittens”

    Please keep your inability strong..for oursake:)

  • Booksquare // Feb 27, 2006 at 11:21 am

    This is what I’m saying. Pictures are a slippery slope, you post one, then another, and then you think, hmm, maybe they want to see what *I* look like (you don’t). Rest assured, there are lines even I will not cross. Though those kittens are really cute.

  • Steve Clackson // Feb 27, 2006 at 7:29 pm

    They probably are but please don’t lessen your steadfast resolve:)

  • Kevin Holtsberry // Feb 28, 2006 at 9:53 am

    Blogging technology is just a tool. It’s simple content management.

    I have been saying this till I am blue in the face, but noboddy seems to be listening. Thank you for restroing my faith in humanity. At least one other person get this.

  • Booksquare // Feb 28, 2006 at 6:17 pm

    You are not alone, though if I’m the one restoring your faith in humanity, well, we probably should take a long look at how low your faith has dropped!

    My new theme for this year is that a blog is a website. Easy.