Defending Blogging

What is it with people who attack blogging?

For the past year I have read and heard journalists, writers, radio hosts and even Elton John take their tired stabs at this new medium. Most missed the mark and only mention the problems we already know.

Blogging is a young discipline in the infant stages of its development and so there are bound to be ethical and quality issues attached to it.

One day, blogging will be a respected and accepted part of our information gathering routine - hopefully with this site contributing. In what form it is difficult to determine or say but one thing is for sure: it's here to stay.

Personally, I don't intend to stop. In fact, I consider myself an entrepreneurial writer. I may not get paid but I sit and design my own site, administer my own editing process and write my own original work with my own personal perspective - free of any corporate structure seen in most places.

Many of these people complaining against us fail to see that freedom of thought is exchanged in the blogging community more efficiently than it does most forms of communications. If anything, they should be relieved there is an outlet for them to express their true thoughts and intentions.

Alas, many writers who bash this medium are slaves to the dollar, ratings, editors and what not. Some seem lazy and bored. Hence, the questionable content we are fed at times.

Locally, here in Montreal there's a sports radio host who often attacks blogging as a result of a bad experience he had with it. To each his own. However, let's just say he is the last person who should be judging blogging. Best he finds ways to improve his own show. The people who blast bloggers for their apparent lack of reason (and penchant for rumours - I thought the media had that market cornered) should a) take a look at their own callers who are often make about as much sense as a piece of dead bark and b) be pretty confident in the quality of content they are providing themselves.

So, we're in an imperfect medium. One traditional and the other a pioneer. Both have the same essence. Yet, the older brother has not accepted a new sibling and is lethargically lashing out. Maybe the combined apparent lack of growth on one end and increasing competition on the other unwelcomed and they need, surprise, to blame someone. I can only assume.

My advice? Check out your own mess before coming into our yard.