A spontaneous expression of instant thoughts
In an effort to reflect the zeigeist several years too late, The Sunday Times has decided to provide us with a guide to 100 best blogs.The intro by Bryan Appleyard describes the joys and thrills of blogging at some length, summing up the phenomenon like this:
Blogging, says the supreme blogger and Sunday Times contributor Andrew Sullivan, “is the spontaneous expression of instant thought”… The true value of blogs is the combination of that initial, unconsidered improvisation, done on the spur of the mood and the moment, and its ensuing broadcast to the largest audience ever created — about 1.5 billion internet users.
I’m not sure about this. Putting aside the disingenous inference that blogs are read by billions of people, this blog at least is not a ’spontaneous expression of instant thought’. Believe me, if it was you wouldn’t be reading it (unless you were looking for a quick route to either sleep or feeling offended).
Having said that, I’ve decided to embrance ‘unconsidered improvisation’ and share with you some unedited instant thoughts:
- When did Twitter suddenly go mainstream? Last month?
- The neighbours cat doesn’t like Bob Dylan. It came round on Friday night and watched Festival, the film about the Newport Folk Festival and every time Dylan came on it she lept up and ran out of the room.
- My Dad doesn’t like Bob Dylan either, but he does like Shirley Bassey. He saw her sing live in the 60s and reports that she kept wondering off the stage all the time and had to be escorted back by security. He puts this down to shyness.
- Why do news reporters stand outside all of the time? This illusion of being ‘there’ and ‘on the scene’ doesn’t make me believe them any more or any less.
- Why is it that the only time I ever see scallops and samphire is on Masterchef? Samphire always reminds me of the book When Marnie was There (and fellow blogger I Should Be Working).
- I’m hungry. Are there any crisps in the house?
I think that’s enough. I’m bored already. So heaven knows, you must be. Spontaneity over.
February 16th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
That establishment paper finds blogging a threat, because if done well, it’s now the nu underground press with much better, maverick writers than most of the people they employ.
February 16th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
I would have thought that statement applied to Twitter (which seems like boiled down blogging, and I can’t be bothered with) I’d be surprised if many bloggers slapped things up spontaneously based around instant thoughts- some of the ideas may be spontaneous, but I very rarely post anything spur of the moment, and even I miss a few typos, try to make sure the essence is captured..
Also tried Spotify yesterday and really couldn’t see what all the fuss is about – surely Listen FM and Imeem have been doing the same thing for years
February 16th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
For a second there I thought I was reading my own blog.
February 16th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
RE, I would agree with you but most of the blogs so far recommended by the Times are written by the status quo and/or usual suspects e.g. Jeffery Archer, James Woolcott from Vanity Fair, Moby, John Prescott etc. etc. But that is probably just proving your point! If there is anything really radical for the Times about blogs it’s that so many of them are written by current/ex/wannabe journalists, lobbyists and rent-an-opinions who are relishing not having to go through the editorial process.
Hooray, someone else agrees with me on Twitter PM! I can’t really see the appeal myself in ‘micro-blogging’. Haven’t tried Spotify yet. I’ve been put off having to download the software and I’ve spent way too much money on records over the years not to play my own.
Doesn’t your cat like Bob Dylan either F-C?!
February 16th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
Re point number 4, my spontaneous and unconsidered reply would be something along the lines of yes, they are outside all the time and am I the only person wondered what in God’s name Jeremy Vine is doing at the beginning of Panorama every week? He seems to be standing in a noisy car park shouting into the camera like a lunatic. I mean how are we to consider Panorama in any way a balanced analysis of current affairs when it’s introduced by this psychotic?
Sorry, was that the question you were asking?
February 16th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
I agree entirely. Why does Panorama need an intro, particularly from Jeremy Vine. And even if it does, can’t they find him a spare desk to shout from inside Television Centre?
February 16th, 2009 at 11:01 pm
So where the fuck is my blog in that list? Does six months as Janet Street Porter’s sex slave count for nothing? Anyway, the best blogs in the world currently reside in the sidebars of a handful of elite, painfully hip blogs that I won’t mention here for fear of swelling heads and expanding ego’s…… ;)
As for the term ’spontaneous’. It all depends on what Andrew Sullivan means. I do use a kind of ‘off the top of my head’ approach, but it’s then edited and re-hashed to make it readable. I sometimes set out with a series of bullet points to cover and tie into a cohesive whole, other times it’s something out of the blue and random.
Twitter – Well, I’ve just taken up my account that I started about a hundred years ago. My intention is to use it to punt my fiction and photos, so I suppose it serves a purpose. At the moment I’m just trying to get people looking in, as it seems rather popular. I care not for the form, but will cynically exploit it to my own ends (with a bit of luck)
Point 5 – No crisps, but I have some Lidl Choc Chip Cookies………..
February 17th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Don’t worry, Ill Man, feel free to name drop. I already know that this a painfully hip and cool site read by millions…
Your blog does feel relatively spontaneous you know, but then again sometimes it takes a lot of work to get that spontaneous feel (I’m thinking of you grappling with Blogger and your photos)!
February 17th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
That’s what I mean, I wouldn’t pay any mind to the middle of the road blogs they’ve selected. They’re just an extension of their broadsheet or tabloid arm. Luckily I’m too busy reading great stuff online, like Broken TV, Out on Blue Six, Cheeseford, TV Cream Towers etc to bother with online papers.
February 18th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Ah, TV Cream….
Many an hour at work has been whiled away exploring it’s delights.