Blichés™ / New Online Journal Idea.

[statatjournal]

Recently, I've become very annoyed by many people's online journals. It seems that every post to a personal blog post I read falls into a specific type of well established blog cliché

Comments

[ex_cloak]

Technically, a blog, by definition, is a collection of links that you want to share with the rest of the world. Blogs are different from journals in that blogs are link machines whereas journals, um, talk about stuff. Most "blogs" that you see around today are really just mixes of blogs and journal (heretofore known as Blurnals™).

Anyway, I don't really know as if that category is something you should really call a cliche, since it's kinda the definition of what a blog SHOULD be.

Rebutal

[statatjournal]

So I read this comment at work and my initial response that I began to write was actually quite caustic and cruel. Thankfully, the busy nature of my job inhibited me from an immediate and -- doubtless -- personal attack.

So, having shepherded my wits from the hinterlands of sarcastic retribution, I shall enter into this debate on it's merits.

Let's start with the definition of "blog."

Gu-gaul, our redoubtable hive mind of the either, lists 27 separate opinions on the definition of blog. By my count, 18 of them (or 66%) use the word journal or diary in it's definition, while just 5 (or 19%) refer to links

Re: Rebutal

[statatjournal]

I meant "hive mind of the ether," not "either."

Nice to see that I keep up that 5th grade spelling level.

Re: Rebutal

[flutegrrlpsc]

*coughWATCH YOUR FORMS OF ITS...NO APOSTROPHEScough*
hey. if you're going to be a grammar nazi to yourself, it sort of gives me license to do the same. ;-)

[thatguy_um_yeah]

excluding creative writing, i'm not sure what kind of posting you can expect to see after those seven catagories. it seems to me that most people treat these journals as actual journals, something to process the day through whatever means possible, only in a space where everyone can see. the stream of conciousness, attempt at profundity, rehashing of one's day, and self loathing are the kinds of things i would have expected to see if i broke the lock on my sister's diary

[statatjournal]

I don't believe that blogs need to be necessarily entertaining, relevant or even well-written.

In writing this post I intended not to lash out at my fellow blogoshpere dwellers nor to tout my own blogging superiority.

Also, it was not my intent to insinuate that all or any of the blogs that fall into these categories are somehow lower or less worthy forms of bloggeristic expression.

What I'm trying to accomplish is to codify, recognize and embrace these standard Blichés™ so that I, personally, can get past the arbitrary structure of a blogger's post and appreciate the substance of what others choose to post about.

To put it another way... Blogs are like poetry. Just as there a number of poetic forms, there are a number of different blogging styles or Blichés™. A cinquain isn't better than a rondeau simply by its form, but rather by how that form is executed.

This is what I intend to explore.

[leeapeea]

you're supposed to want to read them 'cause it's what's going on in your friend's lives and heads. Not 'cause it's good writing- or reading. It's a happy accident if it's phrased in an amusing way, or if the grammar isn't horrid. Besides, if all blog/journal entries were genius, then genius would start to get pretty mundane.

[statatjournal]

I mostly agree with you. We read blogs to gain insight on someone else's way of thought. This post was my way of attempting to look with more forgiving eyes on my fellow bloggers and attempt to recognize my own inherent bias.

As for genius becoming stale, I think that genius is a sliding perception-based scale. Somewhat along the same level as rationale "If the average person is overweight, then I'm not overweight, I'm average."

[leeapeea]

.... Oh- and I'll put down $10 that you post again Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday's post will be put up on Thursday, and that will be the end of the Bliches. $20 on the simple not making the week. :-)

Just to be safe, $5 that you post all 7 days.

[statatjournal]

Dear Commenter:

Thank you for taking the time to post your reply. Here at DJ's Paranoid and Self-Centered Rantings About Useless Crap, we value your opinion and appreciate the notable contribution that you -- DJ's loyal readers -- make to DJ's Paranoid and Self-Centered Rantings About Useless Crap. Unfortunately, we noticed that in your most recent comment, that you incorrectly referred to “Blichés™ - The Choice of a New Generation.” While we are sure that this is just an oversight, we remind you of the user agreement that you signed upon registering for our service, and request that, in the future, you use the correct spelling of “Blichés™ - Less Filling, Tastes Great,” in all correspondence. Be advised that are willing to pursue legal action to defend our intellectual property. We look forward to more of your witty comments in the future.

See you on the Blog-o-sphere!

Regards,

The DJ's Paranoid and Self-Centered Rantings About Useless Crap Compliance Department

We've come a long way since the Pony Express

[lissaink]

Well, DJ. You seemed to have started a bit of a debate. What do you think of the previous comments? What is the motivation to a live journal? Is it narcissism? Is it the desire to connect with our friends who are far away -- the digital world does provide us with an inexpensive, quick and easy way of doing that. Does the neglect of proper grammar matter? Grammar and punctuation are there to help us have clearity in our communication with others. Does our disregard of it in this type of forum then cause us to be come lax and lackadaisical with it in other forums and venues? Does our disreguard cause misunderstandings within the blog or journal? Does that matter? In having this free digital forum to update eachother about our lives does that then keep us from picking up the phone and actually talking to someone? What is the purpose of a blog or journal if not to communicate things that are serious, fun, funny, sad, et al, with others?

Re: We've come a long way since the Pony Express

[statatjournal]

I think any of your proposed "reasons" for blogging are vaild.

I also think that it's completely proper for some people to engage in poor or quesitionable grammatic choices in certain Blichés™. I frequently make poor and sometime indechiperable spelling and grammatical decisions in my blog posts. But a blog should reflect the voice of its author, and while is doesn't neccesarlly need to be imformal, a blog should be, at the very least, conversational.

I believe that people are drawn to blogging in attempt to stamp thier voice on an unchecked medium. To communicate some small essence of how they think to the world, and thereby gain a modicum (or perhaps simply a veneer) of immorality.

Personally, if I die I want as many examples of how much ass I kicked as possible. So more posts = yay!

Re: We've come a long way since the Pony Express

[kmacjournal]

Dj, I highly doubt that livejournals will now become a part of people's legacies. So I don't think that any ass kicking you do in live journal form will really end up counting. :)

PS. I love you and I just needed to get some kind of comment in here. :) Sorry I didn't get to see you today! have fun at work.

Re: We've come a long way since the Pony Express

[kmacjournal]

Hey Lissa, this is Dj's sister, just thought I'd say hello. We really should get together either through email or in the city or something and chat about theatre. :) That's all for now.