Competing For Attention
Graham Wegner, Teaching Generation Z, April 9, 2007.

Graham Wegner ponders the dynamics of blog readership, as he notes that it becomes harder and harder for new bloggers to become recognized (funny that he harkens all the way back to 2005 as the beginning). This is why I argue we should not be reading people, we should be reading topics. Reading people perpetuates this celebrity culture, giving an undue advantage to the first people in (or those with the loudest self-promotion). Reading topics allows anyone with something to say an equal chance for attention on any given day. But of course, what blog celebrity is going to recommend a reading technique that diminishes his or her importance? (Hits Today: 1 Total: 508) [Direct Link] [Tags: Web Logs]

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Re: Competing For Attention

terry, April 9, 2007

What you say makes sense, but the bit about celebrity bloggers only applies to bloggers who are both "celebrities" and intellectually dishonest I should think. I think my login failed so in case this comes out as anonymous, this is Terry Freedman. [Comment] [Permalink] [Previous][Next]

Re: Competing For Attention

Christy Tucker, April 9, 2007

It seems to me that reading people lets me find other interesting information, at least in my limited experience. (Full disclosure: I've been blogging for a whole 3 months now, and reading blogs for maybe 18 months. I may change my mind after I've been doing this longer.)

I'm still trying to understand connectivism and what it means for how I design learning experiences. One of the ideas that has been rattling around in my brain lately has been that it isn't just that our network provides sources of information--the network helps us make sense of the information (data, knowledge, content, whichever). When we recognize (or create) a pattern, the person or source of the information is part of the pattern. The person is part of the context of our learning.

Does that make sense, or am I way off here? Am I trying to draw a connection where there really isn't a pattern to be found? [Comment] [Permalink] [Previous][Next]

Re: Competing For Attention

, April 9, 2007

Hi, Stephen, when I harken back to 2005, I'm only reflecting on my journey. I know that yourself and many others have been using blogs for a lot longer. The only response that I'd add to your take is that by reading people I am frequently exposed to ideas and topics that I wouldn't have discovered on my own. Now that might say more about me than anything else but an educator like Alex Hayes or Leigh Blackall or Artichoke (to name a few close to home) constantly broach topics of interest to me that would escape a keyword based Technorati RSS feed. Maybe, the balance is somewhere in between. What topic brought you to my post? [Comment] [Permalink] [Previous][Next]

Re: Competing For Attention

, April 9, 2007

Hi, Stephen, when I harken back to 2005, I'm only reflecting on my journey. I know that yourself and many others have been using blogs for a lot longer. The only response that I'd add to your take is that by reading people I am frequently exposed to ideas and topics that I wouldn't have discovered on my own. Now that might say more about me than anything else but an educator like Alex Hayes or Leigh Blackall or Artichoke (to name a few close to home) constantly broach topics of interest to me that would escape a keyword based Technorati RSS feed. Maybe, the balance is somewhere in between. What topic brought you to my post?

Graham Wegner [Comment] [Permalink] [Previous][Next]

Re: Competing For Attention

, April 9, 2007

Hi, Stephen, when I harken back to 2005, I'm only reflecting on my journey. I know that yourself and many others have been using blogs for a lot longer. The only response that I'd add to your take is that by reading people I am frequently exposed to ideas and topics that I wouldn't have discovered on my own. Now that might say more about me than anything else but an educator like Alex Hayes or Leigh Blackall or Artichoke (to name a few close to home) constantly broach topics of interest to me that would escape a keyword based Technorati RSS feed. Maybe, the balance is somewhere in between. What topic brought you to my post?
Graham Wegner [Comment] [Permalink] [Previous][Next]

Re: Competing For Attention

Anymouse, April 10, 2007

Interesting...and this is one of the reasons why Topic Maps is a powerful standard in terms of facilitating information, communication etc. [Comment] [Permalink] [Previous][Next]

Re: Competing For Attention

Lanny Arvan, April 10, 2007

Hmmm. As a tactic to promote your own blog, perhaps comments on other people's blogs where they take notice (and hence have some reason to follow the link to the author) is the appropriate approach. I'm not arguing to be Machiavellian about it, but if blogging is writing then so is commenting and one probably needs to play in both ponds just to make it a community activity.

Also, since I do believe people go down the learning curve in developing their writing style to the blog form, perhaps it makes sense first to invite (inflict) friends with early posts so you can have an audience that will stick with you even if it isn't for your brilliant posting. [Comment] [Permalink] [Previous][Next]

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