The Demise of the Blog

So, the Tribune thinks that the Blog is already a thing of the past? With 25 million blogs out in cyberspace, it appears to me that perhaps the Trib is engaging in wishful thinking. It is evident (by the lack of comments at this site) that while most blogs may not be widely read there are a significant number that are. Most major newspapers now have columnists that contribute regularly to blog sites. Eric Zorn has a nice rebuttal to his paper's editorial in his blog "Change of Subject."

There are a number of sites that draw higher numbers of readers, then there are those of us who rejoice when someone actually leaves a comment. That is the about the only way we know that any of our writings are being read. I realize that many people do not even know what a blog is, yet. Then there are those that feel that it is something written only by computer geeks or people with an agenda. I have found interesting reading in sports blogs from the Winter Olympics, from friends who keep us informed from far away places, news blogs, and in many cases humorous (though often sad, but true) political tales.

I don't think that the "Blog" is going anywhere soon. There will most likely come a time when freedom fighters from third world countries or those in communist countries will let people know of their plights via blogs or internet communications. I know that it is already happening in some instances and with the ever-expanding web presence in China there is no way that that many people can be "kept in check" by the government forever. The letters that were snuck out of communist countries in the days of "gulags" or the books that were brought to America or England and translated telling the stories of those who were imprisoned or politically persecuted will one day be the stories that come across the internet or via chips with information about similar atrocities. This is where blogs will be useful in disseminating the information.

For now many blogs are basically online diaries, online personal commentary pages, or a way of informing readers of what's happening in the world with a ready source of links to traditional news sites. Hey, that's a pretty good start!