Entering the Blogosphere: An Anti-blog Rant (of sorts)

Well, this is it. I am taking the plunge. The anti-blogger becomes a blogger. I never thought I would succumb to the pressure, but alas, here I am. Yes it is true, I was a blog skeptic. Here is my "anti-blog rant":

What's the point of this new fangled medium? Is it the culmination of the "Me" generation philosophy that has been pounded into our heads for the last 30 years (or more)? "I have something important to say. It's important because I am important and important people always have something important to say." Now through the blogosphere everyone who has something to say (whether they are actually important or not) is able to say it for all to read and take note.

Or maybe this is the peoples revolt against the myriad of talk radio, TV talk show, 24 hour news show "pundits" and "experts" who can spin straw into gold better than Rumplestiltskin himself. So now everyone is a "pundit" and everyone is an "expert" and everyone is "important". And when everyone is important, then no one really is. It's the exaltation of mediocrity. Sounds like a cross between the National Education Association agenda and Syndrome's rant in "The Incredibles"(great flick btw).

And then there is the 'exhibitionist' factor. People used to keep diaries and journals under lock and key; now they are published for the entire world to see. I did a lot of blog hopping the last week while I was trying to make the final decision and I was amazed at how bland (dare I say mediocre) many blogs are. I used to do some journaling when I was younger (it was not cool for guys to have diaries but it was o.k. to have a journal) and several years after I stopped, I read some of what I wrote and thought "Man, my life was pretty boring - couldn't I find anything else more interesting to write about". And yet there are many blogs out there where the blogger is just showing the world how boring their lives are. (I hope I don't become one of them - yikes!). Though I guess it is easier to let the impersonal world know exactly how you feel than it is to have a meaningful conversation with your neighbor.

Finally there is the time factor. Who has the time to blog? And worse yet, who has the time to read blogs? Don't these bloggers have jobs? Don't they ever sleep? Maybe they sleep at their jobs so they can blog all night? Whatever happened to the 'work ethic'? [end of anti-blog rant]

So these are my criticisms of the phenomenon known as the blogosphere. Maybe they are valid, maybe they aren't. But alas here I am writing this all out ......... on a Blog! So what gives? (or rather) What gave in? Especially since I am already busy enough, I am not very good with self exposure and I don't feel as though I have anything all that important to say that someone else can't say better. Well, I sought some input from friends about blogs, clogs, bogs, frogs and hogs etc. (sorry inside joke, but if any friends read this they will understand). The summarized response was "Try it, you'll like it." And guess what "Hey Mikey, he likes it!" (Of course this is my very first blog post - so maybe it's too early to get excited.) Maybe I won't have the time to keep it up and maybe I won't have anything important to say (or anything interesting); but who knows, I just might.

My desire is to use this blog for the glory of God - first and foremost. Posts will range from family, church, theology, bible study and devotion, politics, and culture - in other words- Life. Also, if you haven't figured it out yet, I am by no means always serious - my take is, if God laughs (Psalm 2:4) then why shouldn't the rest of us. We are, after all, created in His Image.

Steve