I just spent a little while surfing through various blogs. Man, I am behind the curve. They're everywhere, and they are multiplying faster than rabbits on enzymes. Some of the blogs I saw are sharp and witty, and had me chuckling, thinking, gee, when I grow up I want to blog like that. The links are helpful ways to get you from blog to blog, but they can also blow you away, when you begin to see what looks like a vast blog-wing conspiracy seemingly seeking to take over the universe. There are blogs for everything. Naturally, I especially liked the one I ran into debating the virtues of Ann Coulter (she's my girlfriend, according to my dear wife, who seems to be all right with this).
What I find somehow stupifying is that there seems to be a lot of time and effort going into these blogs, some of which are updated daily. This is a veritable Phoenix which has arisen from the ashes of ruined newspaper empires. There must be millions who are writing and reading blogs. Reading too, because of the comments that get attached to the posts. Hey, is anyone reading this one? Ah well, I have been known to talk to myself on occasion.
So anyway, I'm wondering just how much time people are spending at this stuff, and I'm thinking maybe it's way too much. Or is it? The jury is out, I guess. On the one hand, it's so much fun to sit in front of the screen and type away, and not have to deal with life's real issues. It's a great escape, and in a certain respect one can easily live a double life in the blogosphere. I guess everyone knows there's cybersex too for those who want it, and nobody has to know. What a convenient place is the blogosphere for vices of all kinds, from the x-rated kinds to the garden variety, which, while tame by contrast, can be plenty harmful. Sloth is one the deadly sins, after all.
On the other hand, I suppose blogging can be a very good thing, as it's a means to reach people's minds and engage them in conversation. The blogosphere is very large. Anyone from Australia reading this? Or Siberia? Or the planet Pluto? As is usually the case with vices, the vice of overblogging is the abuse of a good thing.
And wouldn't you know it, here I go, spending too much time at this already. See how easily one can get carried away?
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7 comments:
One reader checking in....
Ah, the beauty of aggregating!
I read 137 or so blogs through my bloglines aggregator. This way all the posts come to one place, rather than me having to manually check each blog. Very convenient!
Fr. Eckhardt, I noticed that you have at least 14 other subscribers to your blog (and that's just one aggregating service). Keep up the blogging! It's not for naught!
Fr. Eckhardt,
I use the handy bloglines (hat tip to former vicar) to read my blogs - and I subscribe to yours, so anytime you post something new, I read it.
All told, when it comes to my own blogging, I don't think I spend anything like a huge amount of time on it. I usually post more than once a day, but I don't try to polish a darned thing. So the writing is actually at a minimal. Maybe 45 minutes on the thing on a very slow day. Most days, my blogging is under 15 minutes a day.
Why do it? Because it's fun! And you meet all kinds of fascinating folk (latest example: Chris Jones hooked up Dr. William Tighe to my blog and he's commented several times, we've exchanged numerous emails, AND he's sent me several very helpful books and articles - like "Bishops: But What Kind?" I'd never met him if I were not blogging!). And because it provides a forum to discuss and celebrate theology, liturgy, and other things that are of interest.
So, keep it up!!!
I've got 246 feeds in my Bloglines. On the road I have a lot of downtime and like reading things minutes from when they've been written. When I'm at the house and fulfilling responsibilities outside of "work", I can log on in the evening and see 2400+ new articles. Whoops. :)
I do take the time to read the confessional Lutherans though, and I enjoy reading your stuff. Keep up the good work.
See how easily one can get carried away?
Yup.
I like Dan@necessaryroughness' comment to you Fr. Eckhardt: "I do take the time to read the confessional Lutherans though, and I enjoy reading your stuff." On the one hand, there are the confessional Lutherans. On the other hand, there's you. Both of whom Dan@NR enjoys reading. That's rich. I wonder what category you DO fall into.
ROFL.
I suppose there was an errant "though" in there. The "though" was confessional Lutherans vs. all the other feeds I subscribe to, not confessional Lutherans vs. Father Eckhardt! Heh.
I am a poor, miserable sinner. :)
One of your frequent readers checking in from Oklahoma, which despite a common misconception is not Pluto.
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