Aren’t I fancy with the accent on the passé? Drove me nuts trying to get it to appear. Then I remembered, gotta use the number pad, NOT the keyboard numbers. Yes, when the mind works, it’s a wonderful thing.
Last week, on one of my writing lists, a writer I respect said she feels that blogs are becoming passé, if they aren’t already. That, basically, in this age of social networking (MySpace, Facebook, etc.) and micro-blogging (Twitter, some aspects of Facebook), blogs are no longer the “place to be” (my words, not hers). I’ve been thinking about this. I personally don’t feel that blogs are passé. Yes, I have a MySpace page and I’m on Facebook, but I still feel blogs are a great way for writers to connect with readers and other writers. For one thing, you don’t have to belong to a blogging network in order to read and post on a blog. At least, you don’t have to with WordPress blogs (such as mine). You don’t have to log in. The most you might have to do is enter a bunch of mixed-up letters in a Captcha and provide a valid email address so you aren’t relegated to spam.
Some blogs do require commenters to log in, but it’s not a must across the board, like it is with Facebook and MySpace, etc.
I’m not into MySpace. It was fun in the beginning, but I quickly grew tired of receiving friend requests from people with huge, ungainly layouts that take forever to load (and I’m on cable). I’ll maintain my presence there, but I’m not actively seeking friends on MySpace.
I enjoy Facebook much more than MySpace, and, I admit, I primarily like Facebook because I play FB Scrabble with several writer friends there. Like when I’m eating lunch or printing out pages for a scene I’ve just drafted and need to revise. Or when my mind needs a quick, two-minute break.
Blogs, for me, are easy, because I keep a list of my favorite blogs in my blogroll. A couple times a week, it’s easy to click through and read what my favorite bloggers have been up to. Again, usually, no logging in. If I have to log in to comment on someone’s blog, I’m far less likely to comment.
What about you? Do you prefer blogs or social networking sites like MySpace or micro-blogging sites like Twitter? If you don’t blog, do you feel pressure to blog? (Why?) If you don’t belong to social networking sites, why or why not? Do you feel that you should join? Do you wish the proliferation of social networking sites WOULD JUST STOP so you wouldn’t have to worry about it?
If you weren’t an author, would you have a presence on Facebook or MySpace or Twitter? If you weren’t an author, would you have a blog?
It’s tough to come up with enough content to blog, but I like the ease of commenting and I think it’s a great way to connect with people. (Didn’t you already say that? lol) I can’t stand that I have to register with the social networking sites–I’ve received emails asking me to check out somebody’s page but oops–I can’t do it unless I sign up. Then the person thinks I’m ignoring him/her just because I’m busy and do not need to sign up for another site. If they had a blog, I could have just stopped in and said hello.
Hi Avery,
I totally agree. Also, once you’re on the social networking sites, you get a lot more junk email, because some “friends” send a mass invitation to all their FB friends, for example, when they have a book release. If I’ve joined a “Group,” I don’t mind getting these announcements. If I don’t want to get them, I can leave the group. I’ve created my own group on Facebook, Muse Interrupted Guest Bloggers, and the ONLY thing I do with it is send announcements about my guest bloggers to people who have voluntarily signed up for the group. If they don’t want the announcements, they don’t sign up. The group specifically says that’s what it’s for.
Lately, I keep getting something called FunSpace emails from Facebook (I think it’s Facebook), asking me to check out some friend’s poster. I have no clue what this is, because I never check them out.
I agree it’s tough sometimes to come up with content to blog, but I also like the ease of blogs that you’ve described. In a way, the social networking sites are more “private” (if you can have privacy on the ‘Net!), because you DO have to log in and you DO have to friend people to see their pages (in the cases of MySpace and Facebook, anyway). If you have a blog, anyone can see your page, maybe even people you wish really couldn’t see it. It’s a trade off.
I blog- a lot- mostly because my lovely aunt will e-mail me and ask why I haven’t blogged today- what ever am I doing? 🙂
I perfer facebook- am on myspace (but like you find it slow) and also twitter, but tweets are so confusing…
When I’m on deadline, I skip reading blogs, and go for the short and fast-facebook, etc. hmmm. Do you think people think blogs are too time consuming to read?
Hi Nancy,
I haven’t tried Twitter yet. I might try it when I finish writing the WIP, but I’m going to be very conservative about who I follow. When I check out Twitter pages now, without being a member, I agree with you – they look very confusing. I can’t follow the conversations. I guess they make sense if you’re INVOLVED in the conversation and not just a bystander. 🙂
Your point about blogs being too time-consuming to read are valid. There are a couple, and by a couple I mean 2, agent blogs I try to read every day. And there are a handful of author blogs I read every day as well (even if I don’t comment, I’m visiting). But with Facebook, it’s very easy to check in with all your “friends,” esp. if you filter those friends into bunches. I now have my Facebook newsfeed set up so I see “Writing Friends”‘s feeds first. Then, if I want to check in with the other filters, it’s just a matter of a click.
So, yes, in these days of ever faster and faster information, places like Facebook can see to take less time to catch up with people. Probably the same with Twitter.
I just think they serve different functions. Blogging’s like a letter. “Here’s what’s up with me!” Facebook and Twitter are more interactive and might help bring people closer together (while simultaneously making us all feel like we “know” people we don’t really know) but they purposely keep the exchanges short. They’re a quick pass in the hall. 🙂
So I see a place for everything, IF a person deems it worthwhile. Twitter’s too dangerous, I’m still not on it. But I do check two Twitter pages: Misha Collins, because he’s freakin’ hilarious, and my agent’s, to see what she’s doing instead of reading my manuscript. 🙂
Natalie, LOL on checking up on your agent through Twitter.
I like your analysis! A quick pass in the hall. “Hi, how are you?” “Great!” (Big lie).
I don’t do anything on MySpace. Like everyone else, I think Facebook is friendlier. But even that I don’t use often. I don’t have the time. Same with Twitter. I prefer blogs that I choose to go to. For the most part, blogs have more substance.
You’re right about that, Edie. Like Nancy says, though, Facebook is a quick, easy “catch up” when you don’t have time to check out the blogs.
I’ve only had my blog for a year, so I’ll continue blogging. I enjoy it, and I like the feeling of community.
I love blogging and blog-hopping, but they can be extremely detrimental to my writing if I let them. I don’t like the whole “have to log in” sites. And to be honest, I don’t want to get on Twitter or Facebook because I know I’d spend way too much time on them. I don’t think I’d keep a blog if I weren’t a writer pursuing publication.
Hi Lexi. I don’t think I’d keep a blog if I weren’t an author, either. Most of my exposure to computers and the Internet are a result of my being a writer. OTOH, I guess it’s hard to say. If I weren’t writing and say, had gotten into quilting instead (something I used to love to do, you know, when I had time), maybe I’d be hanging out on quilter’s loops and boards and blogs instead of those of writers and readers.
That’s something I really appreciate about being a writer. It does tend to make one more Internet proficient.
Also, I highly doubt I would have begun designing websites if I weren’t a writer, and I do love designing them, although I don’t do it often, again because of time constraints. I’m a slow writer, so I need to focus the majority of my time on that pursuit.
I love blogs. I have learned so much about writing and querying and agents just through reading blogs. I use Bloglines to collect all my blogs in one spot, so it’s easy to stay on top of stuff. I try to post twice a week on my blog, but will admit the past couple of weeks have been spotty. Facebook is OK, but the thrill of it wore off over time.
I recently joined Twitter and I love it. True, if I were not a writer I don’t think I would see the point in it. But I follow folks in the writing community and only tweet about writing (mostly!). What I love about Twitter is that it allows me to connect with people who I don’t know in real life. In Facebook, the chances of getting a friend request from a stranger are slim. But on Twitter, I’ve found it’s much easier to follow and be followed by folks who you likely wouldn’t meet otherwise, but who you share an interest wtih.
Hi Lisa, thank you for your thoughts!
I enjoy Facebook. I find it very easy to keep up-to-date with people on Facebook. I have just joined Twitter but am finding it confusing. Right now I’m not finding much reason to go over there. We’ll see how I feel about it in time. 🙂