Is There a Blog Conundrum?

When my parents were ill, I started up a blog so that we could all keep track of symptoms, medicines, day-to-day developments. But no one else in my family got used to calling up a url for this info--much less posting on it. They stuck to e-mail.

Even if you have one person in a group pushing for a new technology, it will only work if others climb on board. So, as you say, it has to become accessible and useful not to the most tech savvy members of a group, but to the most resistent among them. This was hard in my case, because since they didn't see the value of doing the blog thing, they contributed nothing to it--which made it nearly worthless. They could say, Look, we were right...

I think the only answer is for people to see how well it works for other groups of people. Then maybe they'll get excited.

Heather:

Your post is on our front page (www.topix.net) as well as the Waycross, Ga news page (http://www.topix.net/city/waycross-ga)
and it's relevant to some of what we've been thinking lately.

Specifically, it's clear to us that your suspicion that the technology matters here -- and simplicity is the key -- is spot on.

Just check out the number of people from Georgia in and around Waycross posting in our forums:

http://www.topix.net/forum/city/waycross-ga

This isn't *quite* blogging, as much as talking back to the news -- but it fulfills a lot of the same urges, and to your point, is dead simple to do. We've seen the more active people in the forums posting independent stories and stand alone articles which are, for all intents and purposes, blog posts.

Remember, that in 1998, AOL bought Netscape, not the other way around (says the former netscape employee).

Simple wins.

Chris Tolles
Topix.net

A few comments ...

First, blogging is hard work, and most people simply don't want to make the effort.

Second, obviously a lot of people really struggle with writing. So the idea of spending time writing is more than just a chore to them; it's painful. You might as well tell them how much fun it is to stick needles in your eye.

Finally, I know a lot of very educated, very well-informed people who see the computer as a tool, not an entertainment center. So they spend as little time as possible on it. It's not that they aren't tech savvy as much as it is they prefer to live life in the "real world." To them, blogging is a gigantic waste of time.

Don't feel bad. I've been blogging on business topics important to our firm on our web site for over 3.5 years, and my partner, wife, fellow journalists never reads a word I write. And she never contributes.

I also post on our message board and several others. She could care less even though she'd learn some things about my thoughts that we don't discuss a whole lot. She thinks blogging and posting on message boards is a waste of time and weirdly anti-social.

So even great writers and voracious news junkies see no need for blogs, blogging or message boards.

For me, blogging and message boards are great fun, places to write what I think and think as I write.

Which brings up these questions:

1. What kind of person loves to write opinions that may or may not be read by more than a few hundred people, if that many?
2. What kind of person cares what others think and reads blogs and message boards to find out?
3. What kind of people sit in front of computers and blog and debate on message boards instead of getting out in the world and meeting and greeting?
4. Are bloggers like people who wave through the windows of the Today Show, eager for a minute of fame and the fun of seeing themselves in print?
5. Are bloggers the letter and journal writers of the good old days?
6. What percent of bloggers are activists and advocates and what percent are just trying to sell themselves and their companies to the world?
7. How many books on blogging have been sold over the last two or three years? That would indicate how many serious bloggers there are.

Bottom line seems to be that those of us who blog enjoy it, and those who don't are oblivious.

:fyi:
Problem: Coments (3) shows on this post. But when I click on coments, all I see is the form for making a comment. This happened on another post a few days ago.

Maybe if you coaxed them into posting a comment at a blog that was on a topic they care about, or a personal blog of someone their age, and they saw their comment and name added to the site, they'd be excited.

I can still recall my first experience posting comments on a blog. I got addicted fast. It was amazing to see my word published on a blog. Then to see others react to my comment, and to engage in debate...very much fun.

Get them to interact with a blog.

Maybe if you actually created a blog for them, as they observed, then helped them to write a first post, and upload images to it, they'd be more interested.

A Blogger blog is easy and simple. Publishing a post is like sending an email. I think it was Doc Searls who said a blog post is an email to the world.

If you then asked some of your friends to visit the blog and post some comments, the fun of it all might sink in.

Even better, introduce them to video blogging. Why just share static photos via email? When you can share home made movies via YouTube, Revver, etc.?

I work with many tech-challenged people and what John says is true - many see the computer as a tool, like the microwave, and don't see the point of sitting in front of it for entertainment - including reading blogs.

However, Chris brings up an excellent example of just how people can involved in blogging without having a blog of their own - commenting on other people's blogs. I've found that once I introduce people to one or two blogs in a subject that interests them, they take off on their own.

I have a blog focused on business and marketing. For me it serves two purposes: to note things I find interesting or ideas I have, and to have a conversation about these interesting things with others.

Earlier in my career I had colleagues with whom I would discuss articles that caught my eye, in the Journal, Times, Harvard Business Review (even Business Week). To some extent, the blog serves this purpose now, especially since I work in a home office and don't have colleagues to walk over and visit.

A side effect of my blogging has been the development of a very minor "brand" and small readership. As I get better at it, these may grow and that's a good thing. But they weren't the reason to start the blog.

I can't see the comments (7 of them) on my iMac at work either. OS X.

The conundrum is why a tech-savvy magazine like yours has a blog but no "email the editor" option anywhere on your site. It appears that news media seem to want to be seen as hip (the blog is the new black), without actually opening up to the power of the web. Let readers set the agenda to some extent, or at least comment on the topics they feel important...as opposed to the topics you think are important. Why not have a forum that lets readers comment freely on the magazine's and the website's content?

Lori,

Here's the link where you can submit emails to the editors.

http://www.businessweek.com/custserv/contactserv.htm

We also have a comment section on most stories and forums for different sections including BSchools.

Heather,

A long-time friend had a book party for me a few days ago to celebrate the publication of my new book, "The Corporate Blogging Book." Those who attended were a typical "inside-the-beltway" Washington DC crowd (yes all friends!). I tried to explain "corporate blogging" to this highly-educated group, many of them corporate lawyers or executives with non-profits. They were fascinated, seemed to have a glimmer of understanding after I spoke... but admitted they'd never understood *anything* about blogs. Even though you (and others reading this) live and breathe blogs, I think we're still in *very early days* in terms of widespread acceptance of blogs as a new channel for business communication, or an alternative to mainstream media. I invite readers to click on my name and download Chapter 1 of my book!

I've just started blogging very recently, and am so far using it as a place to think out loud more than anything else. I have a morning time with coffee most days for reading and finding new blogs I want to subscribe to.

Hearing me use the word blog, my 81 year old mother asked what it was. My answer was 'short for weblog', and then I described it as a public diary where I could tell about whatever I wanted.

A few days later, we dealt with the most recent installment of a long phone company saga. I told a delightful young man at the phone company that I'd written some uncomplimentary things about Bell in my blog, and in all fairness would now add a post about finding a wonderful human who cared and gave me great customer service. He laughed delightedly.

This incident caused my mom to 'get it'. Now, every time something happens to me which (if it happened to her) she'd tell her friends or neighbors about, she says "Go put that in your blog!".

Maybe we should talk about blogging in specifics rather than generalities more, and instead of separating online communication from RL communication?

Vera

My husband and I have business blogs for each of our companies (small but mighty) and personal blogs.

After hearing his mother rant excessively about how she doesn't see her grandkids (my nieces and nephew), I decided to create a blog a few months ago for the extended family; I'd also like to hear from them.

The start is rocky. While the younger generations are tech savvy and the grandparents do know how to use email, they're just getting the hang of Blogger's window panes (creating vs posting a comment). The evolution will be a bit slow, but I hope this instrument will keep the communication lines open between all 3 families.

Now, it's time to teach them online etiquette. ;)

Lisa

Your post is on the dot. Blogging software is still very primitive and needs to get far, far better before "lay" folks will take to blogging in a big way. For a few thoughts on what areas blogging software needs to improve upon, you may want to have a look at an entry I wrote on my blog last year,
http://webquarters.blogspot.com/2005/08/bloggings-future-up-up-and-away-beyond.html. By the way, things haven't improved a great deal since then.

There are a combined number of problems with bloggin acceptance, all of which have been identified above.

1. It has to be easy (personally I think it already is)

2. They have to have access (forget dial-up). Since my father doesn't see the benefit of broadband, he won't pay more for it. It is unfortunate because his connection makes it difficult to see all of our family pictures on Flickr. Which to me would be reason enough.

3. Some people don't like commenting where their opinion is now "out in the open". It is one thing to state an opinion in a private discussion, but posting it out in public is diffent (for some at least).

4. Community or group blogs are great but it only works if everyone wants to make it work as well. I tried to set up a family site back in 1998 on MyFamily.com. Everyone said they wanted to participate, post photo's, etc., but it was a failure since only our family were making the posts. We have accepted the lack of participation of others and aquired our own domain to post pictures, put on updates etc. Since blogging has become more prevalent, easier to post, and more cost effective we just recently opted to create a blog. There is no pressure for them to comment, or participate in any manner, it is just a family diary and our personnal thoughts for everyone to read. It it more efficient than sending out a mass email to everyone.

I hate to say it, but I can't be bothered trying to convince someone the benefits of the blog. They either see it or they don't. My father would be hard to convince whereas my mother would love to see all the pictures of her grandchildren and see the regular updates on the blog as to what we are doing. I personally try to embrace technology as best I can.