Blogging vs. Social Networking

What is a blog and why do it? Rather than retread any of the thousands of posts answering the "what is a blog?" question, I thought I would list out some of the underlying principles that make it an effective tool for communication and how they stack up against the wave of social networking websites that are popping up everywhere.

The problem with social networking

As exampled by MySpace.com, Digg.com, del.icio.us, and Google Base

Anyone can sign on to the social networking sites and use them for their own ends. When they're in their infant stages, social networking sites tend to attract the trend-setters - people who know a good tool when they see one and who generally have something worthwhile to say. The trend-setters make them what they are and can have an exponential effect on their popularity. As the sites grow, however, so does their membership and more does not always mean better on the internet.

Unfortunately, just like Members Only jackets in the 80's, pretty soon everyone is getting in on the act. Since there's no adequate way to regulate the quality of the users signing on or monitor their motivations on such a large scale, social networking sites quickly become fodder for self-promoters, the hateful ignorant, and the blissfully unaware. Their popularity and success becomes their undoing, and their output becomes that of regurgitated Associated Press headlines, funny videos, and sales pitches.

Enter the blogger

A blog is a place where an individual or small collective of co-bloggers can express themselves. The most successful blogs are run by individuals who have more than above average knowledge of a particular topic (or several topics) and are able to express themselves well in a written format.

Blogs are counter to some of the new Web 2.0 social networking sites because they rely on a single un-edited voice rather than a mass group decisions regulating the collective output. By giving a single individual - especially one proven to be an expert in their field - an undiluted outlet for their experience, you can count on them to produce quality and valuable information for readers to consume.

A person - an individual - is smart. People are dumb. As in virtually all aspects of life, individuals are motivated by their higher functions. They have a sense of social conscientiousness and a motivation to do right by their fellow man. Put two or three or a hundred individuals together making decisions as a group and these traits give way to the base instincts of humanity. When two or three thousand individuals get together, it's inevitable that their output will steer away from thoughts on self acceptance and personal growth and will begin to lean toward how to watch 700 TV show episodes online.

Bloggers and individual website owners have a platform from which to make themselves heard as individuals and express their opinions, mainstream or not. The success of their sites is determined by free market forces based on the content they have to offer, and their ability to market their product.

Coexistence

Fortunately for us all, there's a place for both forms of communication on the internet. Each is stable in its niche because they allow their readers to view the world from entirely different viewpoints. It's the same reason you can tune into either Oprah or When Animals Attack at your discretion - most readers just want access to both.