I think your clarification on your comments about Marylaine's "guru" essay is more in the spirit of the points she was trying to make than your original comments which did strike me as a bit offputting for reasons already explained. I'm all for anyone who comes up with something worth saying - or who does have an original, worthwhile idea that we can all benefit from - especially if it helps us improve our personal professional development regimen that I've discussed in the past. Blogs are also a great way for budding writers to develop their professional skills - writing is hard to do and a blog can provide a daily outlet for putting ideas into a concrete format that can be shared. I would hope that librarians would start a blog for the right reason - to share their ideas with colleagues (but not waste our time with idle patter). If someone starts a blog to get noticed, to engage in shameless self-promotion, to become the "guru" about anything - that strikes me as the wrong reason - and I think we'd agree on that. It's like we've always told the kids - if you're good at something, people will know it.

I guess I also feel a bit cynical about some of the blogs I've been following lately because there seems to be a lot more cross-congratulatory commenting (e.g., "wow, did you see what X said yesterday - how great is that" or "did you read Y's new blog - pure genius") and almost a complete void of critical commentary on what's being said. I know it's a community that wants to be encouraging and supportive, but I look at some of these things and I can't quite figure out what people see in it. You and others can certainly take me to task on that comment. I guess where'd we disagree is on one of your last comments. Everyone might have something to say, but not everyone who is saying something should be doing it in a publicly available forum. Yes, a very few might achieve fame, but I think the market will decide that the majority will be subject to well-deserved anonymity.

Fascinating stuff (before Mr. BPL jumps in!), and I find myself agreeing with both of you--no great surprise there.

I'd say the majority of the librarian weblogs I've sampled have fallen into SB's final-sentence category. I do believe there's a problem of having so many weblogs out there that they all become a grey mass, and that the two directories I know of (Peter Scott's and the Open Directory) become useless through sheer mass.

But weblogs can be a way to hone your writing skills and, maybe, develop a specialized audience. Not the only way, and for some of us not the best way--where reflection matters more than speed, I still question whether a weblog is the preferred medium. Which is, of course, one reason that I'm still unlikely to start one.

Glad to see that WC has added to the conversation. Good point about there being so many blogs it's hard to distinguish them - and quite a few tend to be providing the same information as the bloggers attempt to add new content every day. From my perspective that's what makes the blog a weaker communication outlet. I can see it being a great way to get one's thoughts out in the form of a personal journal. But with respect to helping your colleagues keep up and think more deeply about the topics of the day, I think it is the very rare person who can keep coming up with worthy thoughts and observations on a daily basis - or even good original news stories. LISNews could be daily but LISNEWS only works because it's almost like a team of editors from around the world helping to put it together (of course, BC helps it all come together). WC comes close but even he might fear to tread where bloggers go - prefering instead to save up his good stuff for us to read once a month. And give Mr. BPL his due - remember that we all have something worth saying.

Steven,

It's not so much that I "save up his good stuff," as that I wanly hope that there will be a little more reflection and synthesis in C&I than there would be in a weblog. My style. Others have their own styles.

Now, if there was an easy way to print out this interesting discussion...

I think the main downfall of most blogs is the perceived need to have something posted every day. I don't care if a great blog skips a day or two, because I know that when new stuff is posted, it'll be worthwhile.

I agree that there's too many blogs. I wouldn't be surprised if some start to disappear soon, as the motivation to update wanes.

I managed to sustain a weekly radio program on libraries for two years and then it just got boring. I guess it was almost like an audio blog, but there was lots of commentary as well. After a while, you need to let go of the blog mentality and step back and look at the big picture, not the daily developments.

Very interesting post