Meet Jane Blog
June 21, 2004
To the editors of Time Magazine: Meet Jane Blog. In response to your article last week, "Meet Joe Blog: Why are more and more people getting their news from amateur websites called blogs?" I would like to say this: Maybe the blogs you wrote about were amateur (but I dont' think so, I visited them...) but the blogs you find at the links on Lip-sticking are thoughtful, informative, full of great business advice and stories, and written by professionals who know whereof they speak!
Plus, a whole LOT of them are women...so, please do not refer to us as "Joe." Thank you.
The Time Mag. article goes on to call blogs, "fast, funny and totally biased." Excuse me? Blogs are unique and individual, but biased implies "self-centered," as in, this is about me and my thoughts only. The blogs I read, and link to, are about business. Specifically, business on the Internet. They reflect each writer's experiences and research on their particular topic, using the information posted in their blogs to help the reader achieve goals, whether personal goals or business goals. What's biased about that?
Let's get to the good stuff. In the "Meet Jane Blog" article (oops...it was Joe Blog, wasn't it? Well, shoulda been Jane...and there I go, proving their point!) Anyway, in the article, blogs are given their due as "genuine alternative(s) to mainstream news outlets, a shadow media empire that is rivaling networks and newspapers in power and influence." The article also says, "In a way, blogs represent everything the Web was always supposed to be: a mass medium controlled by the masses, in which getting heard depends solely on having something to say and the moxie to say it."
Go bloggers!
Two women bloggers who have been out there in the blog trenches for years, now, are highlighted in a nice sidebar. These are great ladies who aren't afraid to say what they think, in posts the whole world can read. As kids today would say, Kewl!
Ana Marie Cox is the author of Wonkette which Time calls "the plugged-in must-read Washinton gossip blog," says, in the article, that she is "proud to get hate mail from both liberals and conservatives." I say, way to go. It takes a strong woman to stand up to the world and tell it things it doesn't really want to hear. Go, Ana!
Also featured is Rebecca Blood, who writes Rebecca's Pocket which receives "about 30,000 visitors a month." Rebecca tells it like it is, not according to Garth or the Bible or anything her mother might be trying to get her to say; she covers as many bases as possible, with comments on journalism, politics, books, movies, culture and whatever else pops into her head when her fingers are poised on the keyboard. Good stuff. The Time article mentions that an essay on the history of blogs, which Rebecca posted on her blog, turned into The Weblog Handbook, which has been translated into four languages and is in its second printing.
Bookslut is also mentioned, and before anyone gets his or her knickers in a knot, click on over to Jessa's site and judge its value for yourself. Well-designed, well-thought out, and worth a daily look-see. This blog is all about books, my favorite things in the whole world. The title reflects that desire superbly. Go, Jessa.
Ok, so blogs are making the bigtime, in Time magazine. The editors recognize the value of blogging, post URLs for a number of popular blogs, and even include two women. Nice of them to do that. However, the article missed the boat, IMHO. (in my humble opinion.) Ladies and Gents of the blog business world-- giving proper credit where credit is due, check out Wayne's Carnival of the Capitalists-- that point being that blogs offer business advice, free for the asking, from professionals who aren't out to get famous as much as they are out to benefit the greater good.
I say we get Newsweek to write about us. Any suggestions on how to do that?
Meanwhile, work piles up. Emails call. My next book is crying from neglect. It's time to get to the work stuff and leave the fun stuff alone. Because, in the end, blogging really is fun.
What's not to like about that?
Discovered your blog last night and am thoroughly enjoying your posts, your book recommendations and insights. As a journalist that writes about business culture I have a particular interest in writing about issues, trends and events that are female-focused. Your blog is going to become one of my key resources for information, inspiration,and smiles.
Posted by: elana | June 25, 2004 at 10:47 AM
It seems we are witnessing a blip on the blog horizon - it has become the "topic du jour" in the media these last few weeks, and in a way I can't wait for it to be over. Part of the blog phenomenon has been it's rise as a force through word-of-mouth. Power to the people, so to speak... and power to the business people. It will be interesting to see who has the staying power in maintaining a blog, whether it's personal or professional-based.
So go, Jane. Blog, Jane, Blog!!!
Posted by: Michele Miller | June 21, 2004 at 11:07 PM