Ian Graham | (Deep (Thoughts))

Blogs  are  fun,  but can they be important?  Many blogs certainly are not, but are instead collections of random thoughts, illogical ramblings, and ill-considered musings that would rate failing grades  in critical thinking from any institution of higher ed.  such pieces may often  be fun or entertaining, but they don’t solicit interesting debate, or  help advance  knowledge.  On the long time of future history, they individually aren’t  important.

But others are important. Some blogs are excellent, combining the best of essay writing with careful, considerate thought and generous references to source material and other perspectives. Such blogs provide perspective and ask questions, providing a forum for others to think and comment, building a community of ideas and provocative thought.

A university in a blog? Why not!

By this measure quality is a necessary but not sufficient measure of a blog’s importance.  To be important,  a blog must also be  broadly read, and have a real impact.  Indeed, quality is meaningless  if no one reads what you write!

Popularity  is easy to measure – by site traffic, by number of pingbacks, by the depth of comments in follow-up discussions — or by how often it is slashdotted.

But impact is harder. How much does a blog impact and steer a discussion or debate? How much does a blog inform a person’s opinion, or help a group discussion grow to see different perspectives? My own experience suggests that most blogs merely reinforce preconceived ideas, and rarely lead to intellectual breadth or growth, or to real debate.

But some do. I want to know why that is, and how you can measure and nurture this. And with luck and hard work my blog may fit into this category.