Passive communication

Just about everyone I know has a blog now, at the same time as it becomes more popular in culture in general.

I posit that this is the logical extension of electronic communication, along the vector of immersiveness. E-mail, as the grandfather of electronic text communication, has extended logically into instant messaging, and text communication became more of an interactive experience. The problem is that inherent in this experience is the conversational nature of that communication. Namely, you type what you can think of in the short time between messages, and there's a limited time - and space - to collect and organize your thoughts. On the other hand, e-mail lacks the formality that used to be present in the fine art of letter-writing. Can you imagine publishing some politician's personal e-mails in decades hence, they same way that Lord Byron's correspondence had been published? Hardly New York Times bestseller material.

Blogging is the next step in the opposite direction. As a publishing medium, blogging fills in the gap (canyon?) between the grassroots and mainstream media - this is the phenomenon that gets all the airtime. However, what I find interesting is how it can serve as passive communication between geographically distant or infrequently contacted friends and acquaintances. Rather than interacting with a specific person, you are broadcasting to an anonymous, passive audience. This saves one from the pressure to respond to e-mails and IM's - simply post what you wish to be read, and interactivity will come back in the form of comments. The inclusion of hyperlinks enables yet another connotation of this new medium: blog communities. With passive communication, it's possible to keep in touch with an extended network of "friends," which really enables the whole "six degrees" thing. Check out www.xanga.com for a good example of this.

I think ultimately, this is a good thing. With reasons ranging from long-distance networking to saving airtime on your cellphone, isn't it about time that you got one?

PS: no, I didn't get paid for my public service announcement. :)