Blogging

I’ve done terribly with posting these last few weeks and a big part of that was that the comments on my last post surprised me in a few ways.  First, I was surprised that anyone commented at all because I didn’t send a facebook update telling people to take a look at the post.  Second, however (and more importantly), I was surprised that my impression about the purpose of blogging is (or at least was) very different that most people’s. 

 

I think that what surprised me most about the comments on my last post was that many people apparently assume an underlying hierarchy when they read something online.  In other words, the author or blogger’s post takes precedence and no one else’s voice can be as authoritative or as dominant.  Obviously this is true with online news or literature or whatever.  However, I was surprised to see that it is also true for blogging as well.  Of course, other people can comment, but those comments are entirely secondary in some people’s opinions.  (Obviously not everyone who commented felt this way, and my impressions are based as much on conversations I had outside of the blog as they are by the comments.)

 

As I’ve thought about this idea I think everyone who indicated that a hierarchy exists in blogging is right, though unfortunately so.  Because the Internet is (theoretically) universally accessible, and because most blog hosting companies (google, wordpress, etc.) allow for comments, I initially felt that the medium could be like one big classroom.  Significantly, however, my impression was that it would be more like a classroom without a teacher; everyone’s voice would be different but equal and the author of the posts would merely be a kind of moderator who brought up topics. 

 

What I’ve learned is that though blogging may be like a classroom, but there is definitely a “teacher” present who controls that space.  A reader may not like the teacher, or respect him or her, but there is still a person who dominates.  This happens symbolically as people choose to enter someone else’s site, but it also happens literally as comments are placed beneath the original post and visible only someone clicks on the actual entry. 

 

I have no conclusions for this post.  What I hoped to have happen can not, because as much as I want it to, people (you perhaps, if you’re reading this) usually interpret blogs differently than I imagined.  I am now left to wonder if there can be an online venue for discussion that is more democratic.