Twitter is Weeding, Not Killing, the Blogosphere
This morning I engaged in an awesome mini-conversation with @sonnygill about the affect Twitter is having on the act of blogging. The conversation was spurred by a brilliant little post from Joseph Jaffe over at the Marketing Profs Daily Fix blog.
In his post Jaffe claims that Twitter has reduced our thought processes and subsequent thought articulations to “marginalized and trivialized” bits and pieces; in turn, we’ve become increasingly scattered, impatient, and curt in our dealings with each other and are generally less than motivated to invest time and thought into long-tail communications like our blogs. Meaning, blogs are dying.
Sonny counter-commented on Jaffe’s post, saying that while many of these “micro-blogging”/social media tools are going to fade, blogs won’t; blogs are sustainable, controlled platforms that we as bloggers choose to keep up or toss out. Unlike Facebook or Twitter, we have a say in the presence and lasting effects of our blogs. Those of us who want to continue the conversation and maintain our community will do so in more than 140 characters for longer than the lifespan of many of the online communication tools that pass through our communications toolbloxes.
At first I was apt to agree with Jaffe [see the name of my blog]. I replied to Sonny that we live in a world of sound bites and we’ve become impatient because of it — few of us want to think things through to such a degree that we actually write at length about them. Why take the time to do that when we can just spit out “everything” we’re thinking in 65 characters: “Communications rocks! I want to be a communicator when I grow up.”
As we continued our conversation, though, I saw the flaw in my logic. And maybe calling it a flaw is the wrong way to put it — I still believe that many of the bloggers out there will fall off the bandwagon because they’ve been sucked into shortchanging their thoughts for the benefit of…I’m not sure what. Laziness and impatience?
But, as Sonny said, those who are committed and truly believe in what they’re saying and believe in the strength of their community will continue to write, engage in meaningful conversation and debate, and move us forward.
I agree with that. All this talk about applications fading and social media progressing quicker than we can keep up is overshadowed by the bigger picture: This is about building and maintaining community, not about the tools we use to accomplish those goals.
As long as we confidently stand behind our methods, does it matter how we get from Point A to Point B? Obviously there are more and less effective and “moral” ways of working toward Point B, but the way we choose to work is our own.
Some will follow the path of least resistance, the path that gets them followers and fans the quickest. Others will put on their thinking caps and commit to the long haul, to earning trust and building long-lasting relationships that help them learn, teach, and add to the people and businesses they are.
Who will stay? Who will make it? Who will be alive and kicking after the real Twitpocalypse?
So, no, I don’t think Twitter is taking out blogging. I think it’s weeding out those who are infatuated with the means more than the end. And, in the process, its inciting conversations that the real communicators are taking to their blogs, to a larger forum where the only limitations are those imposed by the members of the community, not the community’s platform.
Note: If you take the time to read Jaffe’s post from beginning to end you’ll see that his true beef is with the comparison of Twitter to blogging: “Whereas Twitter is all about living in ‘the now,’ blogging rides the wave of the long tail. Whereas Twitter is about concentrated real time conversation, blogging is about dialogue that is both distributed and extended. Perhaps the biggest problem is that Twitter has almost become an alternative to blogging and in doing so, sets up a confrontational ‘versus’ zero sum choice, when in reality is simply has to be an ‘AND’.” Amen, sir. A-friggin’-men!
Very well stated, Teresa. You make some great additional points to our conversation.
I whole-heartedly agree that Twitter can build a great community around us, as it has for myself and many others. I’m thankful for whom Twitter has connected me with and the information exchanged, but to take that further into a blogging platform that puts your thoughts into larger, valuable takeaways for your community of loyal readers, is something that I don’t think can be replaced.
As much as we like to tell companies to ‘let go of control’, I think we as content creators and community managers need to be sure that we still have control on our own platforms and have that ‘home-base’ where our content and community reside.
Thanks again for the great chat!
“…to take that further into a blogging platform that puts your thoughts into larger, valuable takeaways for your community of loyal readers, is something that I don’t think can be replaced.” — Exactly!
I agree that there has to be a certain amount of community management but that’s so contingent on the vibe and make-up of each individual community that I guess all you can do is have that home base, like you said. As long as the conversation and relationships are meaningful and not destructive, have at it.
Thank YOU! I appreciate the inspiration.
Great post to expand on you and Sonny’s chat (and Sonny is someone I read quite a bit and chat with on Twitter – good, smart guy).
I always smile wryly when I hear about Twitter (or any social tool) being the “death of blogging”. As Sonny mentions, and yourself in your post, they’re two vastly different mediums. They can’t be compared – if they absolutely must be, then it’s the fact that both share information with a wider community. But that’s about where the comparisons end.
Twitter is the fast-food of social writing. Yes, there are great messages and yes, it is a fantastic sharing and learning tool. But it’s still fast food. Blogging is the steak restaurant. It’s for people who enjoy savouring their food, as opposed to eating and going.
Yes, many blogs fail, but that’s down to the writer not having the time or commitment more than opposing platforms. Yet with the likes of Posterous and Tumblr and the option to email blog posts in, the time/commitment argument holds less sway.
Blogging is also a love affair. If you don’t love your blog, the relationship will suffer and you will go your separate ways. That’s a simple fact of life, much like real relationships.
I always liken Twitter to the “Coming up at six” news teaser during your early evening programming, with the blog being the main news broadcast. The two can live together and benefit each other – it just takes the willingness to keep up.
Glad you enjoyed the post, Danny! And yes, Sonny is an awesome guy, very engaging (he inspired this post, didn’t he?).
Your likening Twitter to fast food and blogging to steak is a fantastic analogy — some of us like to savor our food, and I’d say the ones who do are the ones who are dedicated bloggers.
And you’re so right, blogging is definitely a love affair. I’ve had multiple blogs that I’ve deleted (I used to call myself the Serial Blog Killer) because at the end of the day I just didn’t love them. This one, I’ve become attached to and am thus willing to dedicate time and attention to. And if you keep up with both Twitter and blogging, like you said, they can benefit each other.
Thanks so much for the comment!
A “serial blog killer”? Lordy, don’t let people hear you say that…
I think it can often take people a few attempts to find their rhythm and voice. I know I let about three blogs dwindle away before settling into the place I’m at. It’s a good education, though, learning what works and where your conversation starter is going to be.
Look forward to reading more, from you!
LOL, my blog killing days are over! And don’t worry, I only killed my own.
At least now I know I’m not the only one who had to let a few blogs go before settling in!
For me, it was definitely about finding the right balance between personal and professional.
Glad you hopped on by! Excited to have someone of your caliber reading my li’l ole blog.
I found Twitter fairly recently, and I am an evangelist for it. I think Twitter is incredibly powerful.
But I also have to have my blog available, because although I can argue and discuss by epigram, I don’t find it very satisfying. Twitter helps me figure out what people are interested in, and by extension what I am interested in. Then it gives me the access to a true conversation with whoever it is on their blog. I like talking with people on Twitter. What I like even better is that it shows me whom I want to have deeper conversations with – and that’s blogging.
It was said here before, but it bears repeating: it’s Twitter PLUS blogs that is the true path to enlightenment. Where do we get the idea that whatever comes along in SM is supposed to kill off what came before?
Chris, you make a fantastic point. New developments in social media aren’t supposed to trump what’s already out there, but that seems to be the trend, doesn’t it? Look what Facebook did to MySpace.
To me, Twitter opens up the invitation to people to join your community. Twitter, or any other “micro-blogging” site for that matter, will never replace the community and conversation we create on our blogs. But it’s a great tool to get people on board with you!
Thanks for your comment!