Blogs are boring

It's ages since the year of the blog. Since then, Facebook has gained ground as a social network; YouTube has the appeal of moving images; and Twitter has all the buzz and is making headlines.

So why am I so happy that blogs are boring?

• Just having one no longer counts; it's what you do with it that matters (like turning one into a newspaper or a magazine, or provoking an angry reaction from Ryanair)

• Blogs are ideal for learning, and some obscurity is helpful for this process - though it's also encouraging when a novice blogger receives a comment from Seth Godin

• Information overload is a problem, so fewer and more substantial posts are welcome

• Blogs are containers for words, but you can also put photos, videos, podcasts, news feeds, Twitter and Facebook updates into the container

Comments

[Dan Thornton]

Seth Godin is definitely good at monitoring the blogosphere and responding to namechecks - he's responded on mine a couple of times after I've mentioned him or his books.

[Tom Craik]

Like you say richard I think it's important to combine the different platforms to make use of it all, and your blog is the perfect hub for everything to come together.

Microblogging is the next big thing, but the more successful (non celebrity) twitterers combine it with a blog to link to when they want to say something substantial.

[penny]

The great thing for me has been to realise that I have a space to sort my own thoughts out on everything from the important to the mundane. Not sure I need it to be significant to anyone else (and I couldn't restrict myself to 140 characters if my life depended on it)

[Philip]

Expect a few visits from Sunderland students tomorrow, Richard - this post will be the starting point for my 1-3 social media lesson. I know what I think - let's see what they say!