Future of weblogs? (Posted 06/22/00) June 22, 2000 8:50 AM Subscribe
Will the future of weblogs be due to the issues people have with the current ones, or will it take an entirely new breed?
One problem always given is that there are too many. Too many what? Thoughts? Opinions? Are people supposed to read a certain select set of weblogs and agree to disagree because they don't have more options? Or is it just a popularity issue? Maybe it is just the people involved are concerned because since it is spread so thin, there is a lesser chance of someone reading their weblog. Maybe it is just an issue of categorizing them. If I want a weblog where the author posts often about horror movies, how do I know how to find it? Right now, I don't have the facility to find it, except for word of mouth. Right now all I have are weblog directories that either have a one sentence marketing blurb, or have generalized posting categories. Bleh.
One problem brought up recently is infinite recursive linking. Is everyone in the world truly linking to the same things, or is it just the circle of weblogs you happen read? Maybe it's time to explore new places. Personally, I think it is that weblogs are too generalized. When 10 people start their own weblog and have the same interests, they are bound to find and like the same kind of content many many times in the future. When 10 of those weblogs' readers then make their own weblog on the same topic, they may have a new perspective on the same links, but not actually different links. Don't complain about the person who just posted the same link you saw elsewhere and didn't comment on it. Don't read their log. Read and celebrate and discuss and argue with the people that have actually written a perspective on that same link.
Unless the issues people have with the current state of weblogs are rectified by some magical app or system or person or computer, &c., it will take a new breed. I think the future of weblogs will lead towards specialization. I hope it will be with lengthier, better writing. It will be hiking weblogs, cooking weblogs, c++ weblogs, rocket from the crypt weblogs, &c. Two of my current favorite weblogs are xblog and goodexperience.com. Why? Because I know exactly what kind of topics will be covered, and I won't have to wait a week for a topic I like to finally crop up.
Oh, and they won't be called weblogs.
One problem always given is that there are too many. Too many what? Thoughts? Opinions? Are people supposed to read a certain select set of weblogs and agree to disagree because they don't have more options? Or is it just a popularity issue? Maybe it is just the people involved are concerned because since it is spread so thin, there is a lesser chance of someone reading their weblog. Maybe it is just an issue of categorizing them. If I want a weblog where the author posts often about horror movies, how do I know how to find it? Right now, I don't have the facility to find it, except for word of mouth. Right now all I have are weblog directories that either have a one sentence marketing blurb, or have generalized posting categories. Bleh.
One problem brought up recently is infinite recursive linking. Is everyone in the world truly linking to the same things, or is it just the circle of weblogs you happen read? Maybe it's time to explore new places. Personally, I think it is that weblogs are too generalized. When 10 people start their own weblog and have the same interests, they are bound to find and like the same kind of content many many times in the future. When 10 of those weblogs' readers then make their own weblog on the same topic, they may have a new perspective on the same links, but not actually different links. Don't complain about the person who just posted the same link you saw elsewhere and didn't comment on it. Don't read their log. Read and celebrate and discuss and argue with the people that have actually written a perspective on that same link.
Unless the issues people have with the current state of weblogs are rectified by some magical app or system or person or computer, &c., it will take a new breed. I think the future of weblogs will lead towards specialization. I hope it will be with lengthier, better writing. It will be hiking weblogs, cooking weblogs, c++ weblogs, rocket from the crypt weblogs, &c. Two of my current favorite weblogs are xblog and goodexperience.com. Why? Because I know exactly what kind of topics will be covered, and I won't have to wait a week for a topic I like to finally crop up.
Oh, and they won't be called weblogs.
« Older so if there were a limit on front page posts, what... | can I use micropayments to allow for... Newer »
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
I think what will change most is peoples expectations for their audience. They'll stop pouring over hit counts and referrer logs. They'll put up a labor of love and not worry so much about it's popularity.
When I put my site up I did it just so that friends and relatives would be able to find me and catch up any time they wanted. And it's worked great for that. People I haven't seen in years still stop by to say hi. I like that.
Once I stop caring how many hits I was getting, I enjoyed doing the site a lot more.
I guess my point is that most "weblogs" will end up getting more personal.
For things that are lists of links with commentary, I think MetaFilter has that nailed. I get interesting links, and commentary, and discussion, and related links. Pretty cool.
posted by y6y6y6 at 3:58 PM on June 22, 2000