I had a great discussion with Jim Turner today in Denver, and we talked a lot about blogging and new media. He’s got some great opinions, and was a delight to bounce some ideas off of. One thing that I thought of after lunch was the future of the blogopshere.
Interestingly enough I found a great article today when I fired up my feedreader. This quote from the American is what really got me thinking:
The “blogosphere†is like a little experimental universe validating consumer choice vs. regulation—and consumer choice has won a colossal victory. Trial and error may not help find the right surgeon, but it seems to be a great way to find your right media diet. By and large, blog consumers have shown an incredible sense for quality and reliability.
Blogging’s greatest “weakness†is thus its greatest strength: Web authors and their sites come with no expectations, claims, or certifications of quality or reliability. Precisely because there is no authority filtering our blogged content, because of this healthy lack of “if it is printed, it must be trueâ€, the reader can and must judge for himself. Instead of floundering helplessly in a sea of (mis-) information (the self-serving admonition from media traditionalists), the internet news-and-entertainment hungry reader develops a knack for picking the cherries out of the innumerable offerings. The blogosphere has something for everyone. Viewpoints are chosen, not dictated, and niches of interest explored, not marginalized.
The blogosphere is so, so new. Imagine where we will be in 10 years. Today’s aging giants may be old news or maybe not. I think we have lots of change to look forward to. And by the way if you haven’t done so already, it’s time to start a blog.
Originally posted on February 17, 2007 @ 7:26 am