Power Music Electric Revival

Every six months for the past two years, I post something about how blogging is dying. Back in the xanga days, I'd try to resurrect some kind of xanga revival amongst me and my friends, but that didn't really amount to much. Yes, it was a ploy to get more comments and eprops, but that was kind of the whole point. Blogging was dying because nobody would comment on my freaking xanga, which would give me less and less incentive to post. But at the same time, I guess my blogging about comments gives my readers less incentive to comment. But. oh well.

Comments as incentive to post more often isn't as simple as inflating my ego. Yes it feels good when someone reads what I wrote, and is compelled (for better or for worse) to comment on it. But really, it's more the tenuous connection between writer and reader, the shout in the dark and the distant response, that makes posting worthwhile. Sure, blogging on its own can be therapeutic or whatever, but the most compelling aspect of blogging is the anonymity behind the posters and commenters. People can hide themselves all day to their friends and family, but they're their most honest when more than a few eyes are watching. When they blog, the illusion is such that they're throwing their two cents into a giant fountain that everyone and anyone can observe. They speak in the dark to nobody in particular, so they can say whatever they want.

Of course that's not really how it works. People who read my blog know who I am. But when I'm writing it, I don't see you and so a big part of me doesn't particularly care that this entry is really boring and stupid. If you were here right now, over my shoulder as I type this, I'd probably switch windows or command-A delete this. But I won't, because I still have more to say. So bear with me.

The flipside of this freedom of posting to nobody is commenting as nobody. And that's where blogging dies, I think. Of course people have to write thought-provoking or funny or compelling entries, but if there's nobody to push back or support or contribute anything more, then there's no ethereal connection, no call and response, no fun at all. And I don't mean to say anything about whoever is reading this. All the comments on my previous post were awesome. I think I just speak generally when I say that blogging is dead to make a point, like when Nas said that hip hop was dead. Maybe blogging's just changed. bloglboglboglbogloblgoblog.

I'm going to try to blog more. I'm going to start a blog revival. It's kind of like this. When something's at it's peak, that means it's going downhill from thereon. It's kind of like the revival of new wave in music.... it came and it's going, and the synth as the new guitar is already on its way out. sigh. Everyone and their mom has a blog. That means blogging is dying. and I'm kind of like Jack Shepherd. i want to fix everything. and i'm kind of excited for january 31. and i am hungry. ok bye.