One of my neighbors saw me on Monday and exclaimed
You blogger you!
Guess I’m out of the closet now :-)…
On Saturday the Bainbridge Island Review published the letter I wrote as a response to the paper’s recent coverage of a blog business on the island. (neither my letter nor the article are on-line).
I don’t object to a business based on blogs, but the way the paper portrayed blogging, printing the word “blogosphere” over the name of the company, seemed to imply that one must become a client and pay money in order to have a blog. So I felt I should try to correct this impression and to highlight other aspects of blogging that were neglected in the article. Certainly blogging can be used for P.R. and marketing, but I think there are plenty of other reasons to blog. I don’t blame the business owner: I blame the Review for failing to research and present a precise picture of what blogs are and which specific services are exclusively offered by the local company.
This was the first time that I had seen the island paper mention bloggers, and I was concerned about the impression it was painting, concerned enough to write. However, due to the time that had elapsed, I figured that they weren’t printing it. When I came home from our weekend trip, I discovered email in my yahoo box responding to my letter in Saturday’s paper…and I met another Bainbridge blogger too! It was an exercise for me to fit within the limitations of 300 words, and I am grateful that they printed my letter in its entirety under the header:
Don’t need to pay to start a ‘blog’.
Dear Editor,
I appreciate Kevin O’Keefe’s business and I’m glad that he is promoting weblogs. However, as a blogger, I am concerned about the way weblogs were portrayed in yesterday’s piece describing lexBlog.
First I want to emphasize that anyone can get a blog for free (such as one from Blogger http://www.blogger.com/start). The placement of the word “blogosphere”, a term which refers to the entire community, over contact information for lexBlogs seemed to imply that those who desire a blog must contact Kevin O’Keefe. Neither money nor professional services are necessary for blogging.
I also feel that the piece about lexBlog does not mention the conversations and community that occur, both on-line and in person. For example, last Saturday bloggers from the Seattle area and Bainbridge gathered together at the island Farmer’s Market. I can dialogue with people from Bainbridge Island, Boston, Britain, Hong Kong and Zambia through blogs.
Blogging provides connection and correction. I often receive feedback that challenges what I wrote or allows me to see it differently. Sometimes I change my mind. Blogs help me see both sides. I can read blogs from soldiers fighting in Iraq and I can read blogs written by Iraqis.
Yesterday’s article offered one aspect of blogging. I hope that the Bainbridge Review will publish more perspectives. The piece mentioned seeking a “Better Listing on Google”. I hope that an article about blogs on Bainbridge Island would involve researching “Bainbridge Island blog” on Google…;-)
I’d enjoy talking to someone from the Review or anyone about blogging. My husband also has a weblog, and we are connected to the community.
Thank you for the attention yesterday’s article gave to blogging. I hope more people begin to blog, whether through lexBlog or any other way….
Sincerely,
Julie Leung
