Where’s the Blogging Backwash?
11. Jan, 2009 
6 Comments
Ever since I started blogging back in January of 2008, I’ve encouraged and practically forced others to start blogging. Partly because I felt as though everyone had something valuable to say – anything from tips on sewing to customizing a Linux install.
Obviously there’s been an explosion of blogs in the last few years. Technorati indexes 1.5 million posts in real time. And, of course, we all have to find ways to differentiate ourselves and building a fan base isn’t always easy.
But what I really want to talk about is what happens after all of this has been accomplished. First, let me set up a couple scenarios that will hopefully resonate with you.
Scenario One: Let’s say for example, you’re a blogger that’s worked hard to build a sweet looking blog, you’ve mastered the skill of creating sticky content, optimized for SEO, and even have a solid flow of people interacting with and carrying on the conversation. You’re reaching a decent sized audience, have all the ad’s in place, and make a few bucks a day on average. Yea!
Scenario Two: You aren’t one of those money thirsty types, you have a much more noble purpose. You’re all about making an impact on the world – promoting a good cause, spreading ideas that will revolutionize the way we think and live. Society improves, people are blessed, the world is a much happier place, etc, etc.
Granted, scenario two seems much more worthwhile, and I’ll say right now: I’m a big fan. However, the value in both scenarios seems to be a bit lop-sided. Please don’t misunderstand me, I am all about the conversation, the extension and passing of something beyond the scope of the blog itself. And, I admit, their needs to be an instigator, someone to initiate the conversation and provide a foundation. But I long for a medium where there is an exchange of value, directly in proportion with each giver.
Is it forums? I don’t think so. They’re a great place for exchanging valuable information, but I’m talking about value beyond information – the world is absolutely full of information. Is it money? Maybe. Exchange of goods and or services? Maybe. I can’t quite put my finger on what this should look like, but something that satisfies the needs for both the blogger (giver of content, receiver of attention) and the reader (giver of attention, receiver of content) in a way where both can be rewarded and encouraged to continue to provide value.
Who knows, maybe the problem is the medium itself. Blogging was designed to function as a medium and maybe, just maybe, there’s no room for backwash? Something to think about.
I realize this is more of an abstract post, but it’s something I’ve been thinking about quite a bit lately. Hopefully I’ve made some sense, but feel free to ask questions or make suggestions. I’m all ears!
you don’t make sense to me…explain a little….
Is it possible that wiki’s are providing this? Contributors to wikis are doing it because they get to give content *and* receive recognition for their contributions(although how much recognition they get is something I’m not sure of), and the readers both receive content and give attention to the writers of those pages.
A thoughtful post. I think there is a lot of disappointment when people believe the Internet can replace real world relationships and meaning. Sometimes, to me, it’s like the old exercise of trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. In other words, the Internet was created by a scientist and came to be overseen by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce and Dept. of Defense. That was eye opening for me and shed a lot of light on why certain interests on the Internet and Web seem to always be amazingly popular like making money, politics and journalism. Just my thoughts on it.
First off, scenario one is just as worthwhile as number two. The way people make money online isn’t always at the cost of the user. Businesses are the ones who pay for ads, not users. So if I click on an ad, it doesn’t cost me anything – hopefully it provides me with something of value. So if someone is producing content – either making money on it or for free – its still beneficial to the reader.
I’m not sure I follow what you’re saying about exchanging “value” which isn’t content online. After all first and foremost the internet is a place for information and communicating. Buying and selling goods comes in second. Monetizing things happens, because there is a cost to produce content and keep websites running and because people want to earn a living, etc.
The internet is the medium, blogging is just a form of content. What exactly to you mean by backwash? Too much information for you or I to take in. Well that’s already here, and in many forms from tv/print/online. You have to pick and choose who gets your attention and what will benefit you. That’s just the nature of an information society.
It also seems you’re asking what happens when everyone has a voice? Well, audiences go where they like what they hear or are challenged by what they hear. So some people will gain an audience and others won’t. Some will be able to benefit from their hard work of writing and sharing online, others will either chose not too, or won’t gain an audience large enough to benefit from.
But there isn’t an end game in this. And it isn’t a one to one relationship. People will have many roles in this type of communication. I can write about lots of things and listen to many more. That’s the beauty of empowering lots of people to contribute – there are always more listeners than there are speakers.
So will the internet “get full” or turn in on itself. Not that I see it. There are so many people who aren’t even listening to the conversation yet that to think there are too many voices is out of the question.
Interesting stuff, but I think you have a question which you haven’t quite formulated yet. =)
David,
One of the constructs of Twitter that I like is that all my “friends” highlight the information that they find interesting. And because they’re my “friends”, there’s a chance that I might find it interesting; and it usually is something I would never have come across on my own.
@Zeeshan – Hmm ok. Can you narrow it down a bit? Were there specific points that were fuzzy or was the whole thing hard to understand?
@Luke – Good thought – I didn’t even think of wiki’s, however they still don’t quite offer the exchange of value I’m thinking of…but thanks for suggesting that. Wiki’s definitely serve a valuable purpose.
@Vanessa – Great answer! I totally agree with you, and I think their is a lot of wisdom in what you say. To be honest, I almost didn’t write this post, simply because I had a similar thought of: Am I looking for something that the Internet/Blogging itself can’t really provide? But, I reasoned it would be a good thought provoking exercise. Thank you for your comment. :)
@Mike – Where do I begin! First off, thanks for such a complete response. :)
You’re absolutely right, people making money online (or most people) don’t do so at the cost of the readers. Hopefully the majority of the time, it’s actually helping out the user – I totally agree. And because of that I would also consider it worthwhile. I merely considered scenario two to be a “better” use of ones time. Of course, this was strictly my opinion.
Yes, I believe I wasn’t clear on the whole “exchanging of value” or what I considered to be valuable; and quite honestly the more I think about it, I believe my “ideal” value may be more of a physical or spiritual thing rather than technological. I would agree with you, that the internet is primarily a means of exchanging information. However, information provokes thought, and thought leads to action. My hope, was for that action to reflect upon the information received in some form of synchronization between the sharer and the user.
Ah yes, “Backwash”. I had a feeling their might be some confusion here. Of course the term “Backwash” usually has a negative connotation, but I was simply using it as an analogy to signify the return of ones favor after taking part of an article or piece of content. The Backwash, of course, would be something of value to the producer of the content. And hopefully, aid in the continuation and furthering of the initial post. I do admit, it’s a bit confusing and I apologize for not clarifying the term.
I totally agree with you on what happens when everyone has a voice. The readers go where they choose, and attention is given to those that they consider to be valuable. The beauty of the internet. :)
I couldn’t agree more with your last couple paragraphs – beautifully said! I can’t wait to see how the internet progresses, how systems evolve, people change and adapt. I’m super excited! :)
Thanks again Mike for your thoughts!
@Steve – Twitter is a great resource. Especially in tipping off particular articles and spreading buzz. Thanks!