This Thing of Ours

Mr. Tom Tomorrow wrote a post a day or so ago on the blogging phenomenon. I've found Mr. Tomorrow's position on blogging interesting because he is both a blogger and a strong critic of blogging. I think it boils down to he's in favor of himself and a few other select bloggers blogging, and lukewarm (at best) towards most other bloggers.

I think it has to do with the devaluing of opinion. Anybody can start a blog (as I'm sure you've noticed). There's little peer review and even less editorial control. It has the effect of making every bloggist's opinion pretty cheap. It's a real problem.

Still I thought part of his comments went a bit too far.

I guess you have to have a fairly high opinion of yourself to keep one of these little weblogs, but you also need to keep things in perspective. A little bit of attention and a few small victories do not change the fact that you are still, for the most part, a novelty act, like a horse that can count by stomping its hooves. People may be amused and interested by the horse, but they aren't going to give him tenure in the math department at a prestigious university.

The difference between a blogger, however, and a horse who can stamp his feet, is that bloggers trade in ideas. And good ideas, well expressed, can move far beyond their initial humble venue.