A Decade of Blogging

No, not me! Although I am approaching the 1,000th post of this particular blog.

We are approaching a decade since the first blogger -- regarded by many to be Jorn Barger -- began his business of hunting and gathering links to items that tickled his fancy, to which he appended some of his own commentary. On Dec. 23, 1997, on his site, Robot Wisdom, Mr. Barger wrote: "I decided to start my own webpage logging the best stuff I find as I surf, on a daily basis," and the Oxford English Dictionary regards this as the primordial root of the word "weblog."

Source: Wall Street Journal

WSJ has an early celebration of a decade of blogging on their website,where they turn to twelve commentators for their take on the whole thing. Here are snippets of my favorite comments:

Broadly speaking, conservative bloggers have followed the Drudge model, acting as a check on the liberal tendencies of the mainstream media, or "MSM." Conservative bloggers' proudest moments have come when they have debunked false and biased MSM reporting, especially CBS's fraudulent exposé on President Bush's National Guard service in 2004 and Reuters' doctored photos from Lebanon in 2006.

The liberal blogosphere, meanwhile, is a hotbed of edgy activism -- some might say extremism. It pushed forward the Valerie Plame kerfuffle and gave support to candidates such as Ned Lamont, Jon Tester and Jim Webb. Just as conservative talk radio helped along the Republican victory in 1994, liberal blogs had their moment of triumph in the midterm elections 12 years later. --James Taranto Editor, Opinion Journal

We've already seen the effects on the Democratic Party. Web sites such as Daily Kos and MoveOn.org -- which I find fascinating as models of online activism -- have made it quite clear that their aim goes beyond stopping President Bush; they're also targeting leaders in their own party viewed as unresponsive to the grassroots. Sen. Joe Lieberman's primary loss is the most visible example. If Republicans remain out of step with their base for too long, expect a similar insurgency on the right.

Similarly in news, it used to be that the only way to respond to an article or editorial was to write a letter to the editor. Now anyone can be a publisher. Bloggers can critique, fact-check or applaud journalists on their own platform, as well as offer their own analysis of world events. The term MSM is a derogatory term in the blogosphere, signifying distrust of the news professional.
---Newt Gingrich, Winning The Future

Military blogs offer readers a front-row seat into the camaraderie, pride and challenges of those in uniform. No one can better represent the experiences of a soldier than soldiers themselves, and "milbloggers" deployed to the frontlines of the war on terror offer first-hand insights into their service and sacrifice.

Why does this matter? Because milbloggers uniquely reveal the human face of our forces, from a young trooper patrolling Baghdad neighborhoods to a doctor saving lives at a Combat Support Hospital. First-hand accounts are an important way to communicate the creativity, commitment, and the lighter moments of those who are placing their lives on the line.
---Brigadier General Kevin Berner, spokesman for MNF-Iraq

Commentary



My own personal experience of blogging has been a good one. I have met a lot of interesting people, and have had some fascinating email debates that have spanned 18 months.
I have joined a few organizations of bloggers and activists, hoping to make a difference., and have found a new hope for America. If someone like me can start a blog on an old beat up computer running Windows 98 with 30 Meg of RAM, a 1GB HD, and a 28k phoneline, then virtually anyone can.
I now have a more powerful computer (though still a couple gens behind), several portable HDs, a few cameras that shoot digital photos and video, and plans for much more!
So, here I stand...looking back, and looking forward; My vision in place and finally reaching the point where my promised "conservative revolution in west carolina" can finally begin. Perhaps it is fitting that it begin in the tenth year of the blogosphere. Stay Tuned, the Revolution Will Be Blogged!
My personal theme song: