I know many people believe that blogs are simply wastes of space, where people rant about meaningless rubbish no one could care less about. Though that can be said for many blogs, it is generalising a little too much for my liking. Not all blogs are as good as this blog however. Many have the most ugly layouts and the worst posts (namely MSN Spaces).
The most recent high-profile case of this is Jean-Remy von Matt, head of the Jung von Matt ad agency. A recent Jung von Matt campaign was Du bist Deutschland (you are Germany), which is one of the most popular Technorati search terms. As you may have guessed, Herr von Matt, doesn’t like blogs. He recently made a post, which nearest translation reads:
Weblogs, the bathroom walls of the internet. What gives every PC user the right to excrete* their opinions? Most bloggers simply excrete. This new low point in the building of opinions is clear when one searches for ‘Du bist Deutschland’ at www.technorati.com.
(thanks to PapaScott for translation)
It’s not just ad agents who oppose blogs though, many geeks do too. Not to name any, Dan.
Dare I say blogging has an image problem? No - it doesn’t. In my view, the people with the problem who aren’t open to change and a new format of media. If the first blog someone reads is a rubbish one though, it’s understandable to see how such a view would develop. Luckily for me, the first blog I read was Neil’s World, and I still read & like it to this very day.
Why are you blogging ?
I must say I LOVE the bathroom wall comparison. I think blogging is great because it is something everyone can do for any reason. There are blogs that appear worthless - I so don’t want to spend hours reading about Mrs. Smith’s cat and dog having a fight, but maybe to Mrs. Smith is lonely and the blogging is therapeutic because she feels like she is talking to a real person. Some bloggers just want to rant, some want to promote their business, some want to promote their amateur adult videos - the reasons are unending. The beauty of the bathroom wall comparison is that anyone can blog, but unless there is some effort at promotion and linking to and from other sites it really is like writing on a bathroom wall - your captive audience may stumble upon it and like or dislike it, but as soon as he finishes his business he is not going to come back to see what is written next week.
By the way - I blog because it is there