The word “blog” has become a thorn in the side of many of us who write online, and it boils down to one big reason:
Devaluation.
The term “blog” devalues the craft of writing – at least it does now. That’s because content farms hire “bloggers” to write stuff for them at a pittance of what they’d get paid elsewhere, so the quality of those writing for them varies as well. I know we all have to make a buck, but when I can make more money delivering papers than I can writing for one, there’s a problem – especially if my goal is to be writing something more in my wheelhouse down the road.
You see, the devaluation isn’t just monetary. It’s that it devalues the work to the point where those who love writing start to not love it as much. If they “blog” for too long, then they may not even like it anymore. And that’s a shame, because now they have been devalued in a sense.
I also know that those who call themselves “bloggers” aren’t treated as seriously as they should be (based on what they can do, that is). The online writer can do a hell of a lot more these days than some mainstream print media folks because they are swimming with the current and not against it. And when you treat an online writer well, they will treat you well in kind (in that they will write about you or your thing) because they appreciate the fact that you…value them.
I do use the term when needed, though. It’s part of the lingo that people understand when it comes to writing online work – that’s why you’ll see the word in the navigation menu at my website. It’s keeping up appearances, really.
I know I’m not the only one that isn’t fond of the term. I just wish more people were so that we could put it out to pasture.
I like how Chris Bowler calls his old site The Log. I believe he still autoposts to it, much as i do with my old Tumblr site, but the fact that he use the term “log” is stellar. I think it is the correct short form of “weblog” that he’s using here. Not the bastardized one so commonly used today.
Think about it: Web log vs. We blog.
The former says to me there’s a sense of craft being put into the work by a single writer. The latter says to me that everyone can – and should – do it.
They can’t. And they shouldn’t.
