I’ve been contemplating some changes to the site. My curiosity about having/running/using a blog has been satisfied for quite some time now. So its usefulness, at this point, is next to nothing for me.
I’ve still got plenty to say, but really have no reason to put it out there. I’ve never been one to open my mouth without provocation or invitation, so spouting my opinion on my own blog is really against my nature. The only thing that’s really stimulated me to write anything is the opportunity to learn more about the blogging world/experience in that ‘throw a rock in the pond and watch the ripples’ kind of way.
I’m not suggesting I’ve seen it all at this point, but my thirst for knowledge in this area has been quenched. If I’m going to write something, I’d rather it be in the pursuit of something more rewarding or stimulating for myself at this point. Honestly, even an online forum is a little more to my liking because there is a constant conversation, a back and forth discussion that creates a dynamic that is largely unrealized in the blogging world.
The article-comments-riposte agenda that blogs follow in lockstep is one of the toughest forms of communication. It’s already tough to communicate in writing since a large part of our indicators in live communication are non-verbal (inflection, tone, expression, volume, etc.). The thoroughness of the blog post or “article” attempts to push past those boundaries by being well developed, illustrating and explaining the point, and showing the readers the story instead of just telling them. But then the comments come… and communication, more often than not, breaks down for one reason or another. The responses are often paraphrased, summarized, or at worst knee-jerk reactions. The commenter dismisses an article that took a day to write with a sentence that took them all of 12 seconds to fully develop. The sarcasm is mistaken. The point is missed. Whether they are wrong or not doesn’t matter.
This is fast turning into an indictment of blogging, which it is not supposed to be, so I’ll stop there. Certainly, some people enjoy it, some love it, some have a different angle that genuinely helps people, some give bad advice, some write for SEO, and most are better at it than me. More power to them. I say keep doing what you’re doing as long as you’re getting what you want out of it.
As for the changes to happen here, I’m considering a number of different directions. Maybe I’ll just open up the site for anyone to author their version of common sense. Maybe setting up something new, like a forum of some kind (I haven’t learned too much about those yet). Maybe I’ll just go back to a personal site that wasn’t of interest to anyone outside of my immediate circle, y’know, like a myspace page. 
Anyway, who knows. Change is brewing. I’ll play around with some ideas, consider the challenges. It’s my site, I can do what I please. That’s the beauty of it.
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