Editors' Picks

The blogosphere: Are blogs worth the hype?

Editors' picks

No longer confined to the technology subculture in which it grew up, Web logging is going mainstream. So much so that bloggers even received invitations to attend the Democratic National Convention in Boston last month. But their performance wilted under the glare of the spotlight. That kindled a debate about the real prospects for blogging's future. Will blogs truly revolutionize the way people consume media?
August 10, 2004

The DNC debut

Blogging came into the spotlight when a few dozen bloggers were awarded press credentials at the Democratic National Convention in Boston. With the nation's focus on them, it was truly the credentialed bloggers' moment to shine. Some say the DNC blogs did just that; some say they were a miserable failure; others excuse the lack of earth-shattering coverage to first-date jitters and stage fright.

CNET News.com Cybertourists in Boston
CNET News.com Blogging breakthrough in Boston
Bricklin.com What we learn from Convention blogging
Hyperorg.com David Weinberg video blogs a response to Coop's column
Conventionbloggers.com Convention bloggers uber-site
John Robb Bloggers too busy being the news to report the news
The New York Times Blogged in Boston
Camworld.com Thinking Outside the Box: Participatory Politics and the Democratic Convention
Aaron Swartz Aaron Swartz: Why is Big Media losing viewers? Because it sucks
Online Journalism Review Online Journalism Review on convention blogging
Mother Jones The revolution will not be blogged

Critics' corner

For better or for worse, blogging has carved out its spot in the mainstream media. In doing so, it gained the attention of journalists around the world and has certainly incurred the wrath of many. Likened to the "lunchtime chatter in a high-school cafeteria," blogs are taking a beating in the ongoing commentary on their worth. While their overall journalistic contribution can be debated endlessly, some of the medium's drawbacks cannot be ignored. Studies show that their voluntary nature is a huge detriment, with 25 percent of blogs being abandoned within a year of their inception. And Fark.com's recent declaration that its contributors don't hold themselves "to the same standards as (The New York Times)" probably didn't do the genre any favors.

The Atlantic Monthly Former NYT executive editor on the "unsourced ranting of Internet bloggers"
Fresh Air Blogging in the global lunchroom
Wired News Fark sells out. France surrenders
Wired News Bloggers suffer burnout
PC Magazine Co-opting the future
Wired News Thousands of blogs fall silent

Support system

Critics like to use words like vapid, boring, uninformed and lazy to describe why they don't waste their time with blogs. But many others believe that blogs represent a true democratization of the First Amendment, warts and all. Instant interaction with readers, a diversity of viewpoints and the ability to focus on a favorite subject are among the strongest selling points.