Thursday, September 20, 2007

HW 9: Who Are You Blogging For?

In reading David Kline and Dan Burstein’s Blog! How the Newest Media Revolution is Changing Politics, Business and Culture I came across an interview with Ayelet Waldman called, A Weblog Saved My Life Last Night. Waldman reminds us that in this frenzy to connect with people of like minds through blogging, there are hidden risks. As a novelist she insisted that, “writing so openly about her personal life was draining both her and her husband of story ideas. Plus it was taking up too much spare time, usually two or three hours a day” (Waldman 308). Waldman’s point is that while blogging felt right for her in the moment, upon further reflection she realized it wasn’t doing her life that much good. I’m of two minds about Waldman’s claim. On the one hand, I agree that blogging can bring unforeseen risks. On the other hand, I’m not sure that blogging can be seen as the whole reason her work was suffering. I think that blogging to reach out to people and connect is a wonderful thing, and her claiming that it was somehow responsible for her own writing going downhill seems to me like she is using blogging as a scapegoat. Perhaps there needs to be a balance between what you write about and why you’re going online. Is it to write and be heard, or is it to connect and make friends?

1 comment:

Tracy Mendham said...

Good application of the "agree and disagree" style of response.
(I got the impression that Waldman wasn't so much saying that her work was poor and blogging was the reason, more that she foresaw blogging being a drain. However, your point about purpose stands.)