Writer’s Block?
I’m alluding to less frequency of posts here lately. In fact been plenty busy in my business,business blogging, flickr, and my old mainstay web presence. Not to mention a photoblog, and some other odds and ends. Many who maintain blogs claim that Twitter has depleted them or significantly diluted there blogging. I can see some of that. I have been tweeting less. I look at Twitter primarily as dropping by a party or a cocktail lounge. So, fun and refreshing sometimes if I’m in the mood. Yes, I occasionally learn something really significant.
Having just written that I’m reminded of an event during the early days of the Internet. Many people were excited at this new “connection” or connectivity channel. Here in Taichung some expats(a former Vietnam War pilot and one of the first ISP guys here) decide to channel some of their exuberance and get a group going. I forget the name of the group but they knew I was an early adopter of the Internet, having my own website since 1995, e-mail(s), etc. Wow, those were the good old days indeed. Since there were so few doing websites here then I often received inquiries from US based buyer’s but I digress.
The shiny Internet group met at cool restaurant here in town. The owner of the restaurant would find nice houses renovate and furnish them and give them names like “Bird Vs. Man”… So I showed up for the first meeting and the principals: Bruce and David would begin the navel gazing session. It was almost surreal and exaggerated to the point of something inane like,”OK let us begin chanting-M>O>D>E>M,MO>DE>M, MODEMMMMMM.” OK I am getting a little exaggerated but for a reason. They like so many geeks are far more obsessed with the tool than their ability to wield it. I have always been very utilitarian in my approach to tools. That is why I don’t have a collection of various brushes with hairs of different origin-I couldn’t paint if my life depended upon it, much to my chagrin and disappointment.
So here I am in this bleeding edge group and being asked to add my insights to this exciting earth shaking phenomenon called the Internet. I just looked around the room, smiled and said,
“To me the Internet is a window. Like any window I don’t care if it is a branded one like Pella or just the generic variety. Actually, all I really care is that it is clean so it can clearly transmit the light and views from outside that I wish to see. There is a reason that windows use clear glass, they are just a vehicle or channel for allowing glimpses into something significant; namely life outside the space you are inside of and looking out from.”
Hey wanna hear about some cool new app that you can invite all of your friends to join and get paid not to blog while you help Darfur and Tibetan causes? Anyhow, here’s to focusing on life and doing small things within our ability to affect it and the lives of those around us.
Update: I was pointed to an excellent post by Karoli on significant action vs. the inanity of the blogosphere.
