Okay, let's get this out of the way: Yes, that's me. I'm the Journals Editor.
The look on my face, coupled with the forward-leaning posture, shows that I'm annoyed about something.
It's probably because I have a cut on my tongue, a headache, and my tendinitis is flaring up.
But it's also because of this:
Blogs are boring.
This goes for the biggest, baddest, most popular blogs out there -- the Boing Boings, Farks, Metafilters, Power Lines, Kottkes -- the whole lot of 'em.
In fact, the big blogs are probably the most boring of all the blogs out there.
It goes for this blog. And it goes for your blog.
And I'll tell you why. It's real simple, and it comes in two parts: one for the big fish, and one for the small fry bloggers:
1. The Big Fish Blogs: Everyone talks about the same things. And links to the same Web pages.
Don't believe me? Trust me: Read enough of the same big blog and blog-like pages, and you'll see it -- all the man bites dog stories, all the weird news, top headlines, internet myths, celebrity gossip, stupid flash movies and gadget porn -- everyone's talking about the same thing. At near enough the same time. (We're very predictable.) It's a gigantic echo chamber.
Things are a little different for the regular guy blogger, the small potatoes blogger who ain't never going to crack the Technorati Top 100 (or Top 10,000 for that matter).
2. Small Fry Bloggers: Regular people are by definition regular. Hence, boring.
For most regular folks (I include myself, when I'm not blogging for AOL), your blog is going to be boring -- by design -- to everyone except a small group of people who know you: Your family, your friends, and the people you interact with online.
It's the same group of people you might send a family update newsletter with your Christmas (sorry, Winter Holiday) card.
Have you ever read the Christmas (sorry, Winter Holiday) family newsletter of someone you don't know?
(And hey, if you're a celebrity? According to the San Francisco Chronicle, one of the most revealing things about blogging is that it shows us just how boring celebrities really are.)
So, let's recap: You have two kinds of boring blogs:
- Big Fish Bloggers, who are just endlessly talking about the same things, over and over.
- Small Fry Blogger, who are regular folks who are (let's face it) regular.
Plus, even the most boring blog is a great way to kill time, as evidenced by the Exciting Links for Boring Days in No Particular Order. (Taking into account Rule #1: Everyone is linking to the same things.)
Does this mean that people are going to stop blogging? Of course not. And it shouldn't. If we're lucky, maybe people will just stop talking about it so much and just do it.
Okay, so I'm a little cranky right now.
This blog entry is rated approximately 60-75% serious.
-- Joe
103 comments:
I would really hate to see you mad Joe. Whew!
*trying to spice up this boring comment* hmmm...Well, I guess I can't...sorry if I annoyed you more... :D
Jodi
Interesting.
Thanks for the photo so we have a face to put with the name!
Krissy
http://journals.aol.com/fisherkristina/SometimesIThink
wow all us blogggers now feel.... Boring lol.. The truth is out.. lol In retrospect, I dont think anyone's blog can be interesting ALL the time (mine rarely is) -but hey, most blogs are about ppl's life, and oh life can tend to be boring lol.. But cheer up!!!
Tammy
http://journals.aol.com/lilbithvnnhell/startingover
Cheer up....gosh.
Got this alert and came over...Saw your face and I felt like a 6 year old child who was in trouble..... eeesh. "Please don't get mad, I sorry" phrase popped onto my head from childhood. Once again YIKES!!!
Hey if we are boring then why is the Jouranl Community thriving?
It's a Holiday Weekend....be happy!
Hope all your ailments get better. Big smooches to all the boring Journaler's I love to read.
The most boring Journaler on AOL and proud of My Boring Journal.
Tina
Gee...that makes me feel better - I think! LOL At least if I'm feeling like mine is boring, I'll know I'm not alone - hehe. ~ Lori
PS hope you feel better
Don't mind me, folks. Just stirring things up on a holiday Friday.
And I'm fine, really. Just whining. And ranting.
(And randomly bolding words.) -- Joe
Sure blogs are boring but we all have our little moments of excitement from time to time. Have a great long holiday weekend!
I have a photo request :-) Can you get a shot of an actual server that handles AOL Jounrals? It would be boring, but I'd love to see one any ways!
ha .. creativity is hard work! .. bet you didn't spit this post out in 10 minutes .. (ok, ok, maybe you did, but i'm doubtin' it)
few people are creative or "interesting" 100% of the time .. same goes for the professionals.
carefully selected "small fries" are addictive and i collect them like semi-precious agates.
small anonymous blogs appeal to my base voyeurism .. legal no less!
every once in a while one of them produces a gem .. a gem that i KNOW that i and I ALONE (with a mere handful of other loyalists) posess.
LOL .. and somehow THAT makes me feel "special" .. groan ..
i don't chase the "big fish" anymore .. i can get their pap straight out of the headlines ..
nice post joe .. easy to respond to .. and btw .. i enjoy following YOUR blog .. :P
h
Thanks Joe.. pop my little bubble.. my blog is boring.. *deep heavy sigh* but on a brigher note.. thanks for sharing your Pic with us all. The burning question is... how did you cut your tounge?
Much Love,
Mary
Too Funny! Too True! Similar to the stupid sensationalistic news coverage, and the boring arse format "Best Sellers" of this age. I am very new to this journal/blog thing and can already see the repetitive nature. I do have to admit, however, that I really enjoy the collective need to be connected. There are some interesting people, and funny stories out there. Oh, and the tongue thing? Could it be from your razor edged observation? ;) Oh, and one more completely flirtatious and shallow thing...you are SOO not ugly! C.
http://journals.aol.com/gdirenoe/thedailies
Um what did you say now I went to sleep....................
h
laughing at 78novas comment. heh
Hi Joe, nice to "see" you!
Lahoma
http://journals.aol.com/kristlebleu/KRISTLEBLEUANGELS/
Hey mine's not boring..LOL...At least if you like birds..it's not. Annoying that my little pics vanish from time to time..Thank you AOHELL..hahahaa.....Life is great..when you live with BIG MOUTH TALKING PARROTS...love ya....kristlebleu and Angels.
I would leave a comment, but comments are boring...
Hey Joe...You're cute!
~~ jennifer
Hey Joe, you ARE cute.
Blogs are boring. It sucks, but you're right. I've got some funny exceptions, but they're not TOS friendly so I won't risk it.
Fear not, the crankiness will subside.
=) kris
Huh? Sorry, didn't even read what you wrote about, I was too busy smiling at your picture. You are just ADORABLE!!!!!!!! :)
Hugs,
Lisa
You are really cute! Now see this is what makes our journals not boring all the time. We get to see cutie pies!
You are a cutie...said in my most maternal way. I know I'm boring, now get over it.
Hey, Joe. Nice to finally see you! I always enjoy being able to put a face with a name.
You're right: there is a lot of repetition when it comes to subject matter and a good many people who lead "ordinary" lives. But I think that in itself is the reason a lot of us read blogs:
We like the "Big Fish" blogs because it gives us a chance to "eavesdrop" on rants about common topics to measure how our opinions rank among those of others.
We like the "Small Fry" blogs because they remind us that we're not necessarily as boring as we think we are!
Just my two cents. But I made this post the subject of one of the questions in my "Saturday Six:" http://journals.aol.com/pattboy92/PatricksPlace/entries/1202
Patrick
Hey, this gives you a job right?
I like some of the blogs. Nothing dramatized like the movies. It's real. I didn't start my journals, the other day, to make every person who happened apon it, a little more exciting. I really don't care if anyone likes what I write. Or if anyone ever reads it. I did just cuz.
Hey and obviously you just like to have someting to complain about and blogs do that for ya too! Take care man.....
Hello....Joe I need to talk to you. Blogs are not boring. There are some good blogs are out there...View From A Farm House Window, One-Way Passage and Jeannette's Jottings just to name a few. You need to do more research before you say something like blogs are boring. You don't know all the blogs that are written. I write a little blog of my own that you probably wouldn't care about. You need to check out Jeannette's Jottings and you will see that you are wrong in assuming blogs are boring. You should look around at other blogs and get your facts straight and then make your thoughts known. Don't be so cranky !! Lighten up and enjoy life...check out a few blogs
Wow.. you are so not what I had you pictured. (You're CUTE!!) I got an email from you once.. in an annoyed kind of tone... so I I had you looking like Richard Nixon.
You don't look like Richard Nixon.
~Jaime
JaimeChase.com
Hey Joe,
I couldn't agree more. I was kind of dissapointed when I decided to write a journal and then went to compare what I had done with the others. I thought people would be discussing things that mattered, like plots of shows, or ideologies, or opinions about anything at all. Instead I found a man who swears he will never cheat on Felicia, a woman who likes Bounce better than the store brand, and various millions of men and women who think whoever they've listed is "cute".
Not just boring, depressing. Are we floating in a sea of stupid people with no paddle?
Make me guest editor and I'll introduce you to some very NOT boring blogs.
Well I certainly do not think you would find that about my blog, I call it a miscellany because that is what it is, I post on a variety of different topics. If bogs are so boring, then there is a simple answer, aol can stop them.
http://journals.aol.co.uk/jeanno43/Family
Boring? BORING???? Pfffffffffth. You want cheese with that whine?
You need to change your venue, young man. Stop taking this blog blah so 60-75%seriously. Crawl outta that low-pile carpeted halogen hallway on all fours and join us savvy sexagenarians over at http://journals.aol.com/gullspirit/PerishTheThought/ where the lights are bright and burn all night! (Better hurry 'fore one of us croaks at the keyboard!)
Un-bore your life and gulp (albeit, small fish) tidbits of tenacity to gird yourself for the darkest day! We think it? We say it. We don't know it? We make it up or dazzle you with dribble -- I mean, drivel! <w>
http://journals.aol.com/gullspirit/PerishTheThought/
Who care what you think about our blogs? Im not writing mine to impress anyone. Its here for my own benefit.
Tammy
Some writers can make boring things seem interesting. It's all about how it is written to me. I write about every day life and I don't think anyone who reads my journal would consider it boring.
Boring blogs to me are the ones that cannot say what they need to say in a succinct manner but rather drone on for paragraphs so that they are sure to show off their extensive vocabulary. These blogs also take on a superior tone which is totally unnecessary and a complete turnoff.
I do agree that many of the BIG blogs aren't interesting in the least.
http://journals.aol.com/karensull12/Therantingsofasecretwildwoman
I'm not going to sit here and say my blog is not boring... other people's blogs are not boring.. no words need to be spoken as I think you have enough comments here to pretty much say what I would have said.. You need to get your highlights touched up.. oh yeah.. I was only about 60% serious.. lmao* :)
http://journals.aol.com/myheartsaysso2/WhereTheHeartIs
I probably do bore my friends stupid, but at leat I try to add a pinch of humour and a shake of sunshine into my journal. It's the place where I can dream a little and share my photo's (they're naff as well!). If you are bored enough and have time to waste - drop by. There's always a welcome on the mat and a smile around the door.
Sylvia
http://journals.co.uk/sylviam4000/JottingsfromtheSticks/
Well Hello Joe :)
Nice to meet you! I am Carly :)
Since I began my journal almost 2 years ago, I have been called a number of things, but boring hasn't been one of them. Goofy, illiterate, obtuse, cute, bizarre, innovative, dense, adoreable, kind, sweet, horrible, vivacious, wiggy, odd, quirky, creative, nice, wrong, oh-so-wrong, accurate, sexy, and kind, but never boring! So, I offer you dear Joe this challenge. Pay me a visit, and either choose ten of my entries at random or simply read the last ten I have written and then tell me I am boring. If you truly do find me boring, I will write an entry about it! This is an actual challenge offered to you in good natured fun with serious underlying tones. LOL. 'Hmmm...will Joe, take the challenge she wondered.' (Insert wicked laugh here.) Have a wonderful 4th of July! :)
All my best, Carly :)
http://journals.aol.com/ondinemonet/Ellipsis
I don't think that my journal is at all boring, but that might be because I'm not a fish. Now, if you want boring, let's talk about fishing!!
Maybe you need a break from reading blogs :o)
http://journals.aol.co.uk/irisclyde/LaDolceVita
h
So you think blogs are boring? Give mine a try. And come back often!
http://journals.aol.com/iscribble4u/TheBigBlogger/
Comments are appreciated.
hey bro, your right, all these blogs are boring. they are boring because every time someone gets funny or crazy you cats toss them off. only the knitters and baby sitters are safe. look at who is judgeing us, you??? you look like you would not know funny if it sat on your face and wiggled. let's be serious, boring is aol, aol is boring. that is the way you want it so don't complain. i am sure you cats will be tossing me off for this but that is the ways it goes.....dave...
http://journals.aol.com/otto9613944/SillyCerebralMe
Hello again....I have asked other bloggers to respond to your comment about blogs being boring. You yourself said you were cranky when you wrote the entry when you posted the comment. I wrote to my favorite blogger Jeannette of Jeannette's Jottings and she also wrote some of her own comments about your comment. A lot of people put their very hearts and souls into their blogs even when they are going through serious health problems. You should take the time to read some other blogs which are heartfelt and remarkable I have to say. You have not read a lot of the blogs I have. I appreciate people like Jeannette who put forth her heart into her writing. You might want to take a further look at other blogs. Heartfelt blogs are waiting to be read.....thanks
Hi Joe,
I think we can take your analogy and replace it with the act of eating. It's something we do everyday, and usually with the same types of food: veggies, meats & poultry, dairy, and breads.
We can go out to the "big fish" and eat there, and/or we can stay home and dine with friends & family for the "small fries." I think what's important here is
1. the atmosphere,
2. how the spices and garnishes are used, and
3. the company we keep during the feast.
This is what makes boring food great!
The same can be said about blogs and their authors. No two are the same even if they are using the same ingredients for their entries. Each blogger asserts their own flavor (spices & garnishes) with their personal views, they create their own atmosphere (links, colors, images) and enjoy sharing it with the online company they keep (ie., comments left for the author) ...
This is what makes blogs so great!
And hey, if you're a little cranky now, that just might mean you haven't enjoyed a great glass of wine while feasting on all those entries you've been reading. ;)
~Dee
journals.aol.com/crochetwithdee/CrochetWithDee
I didn't think burnout would happen so quickly.
This definately the day for fireworks...... And I beleive that freedom of speech is one of the things we are celebrating today. Its what the men and women around the world have died for.
Joe,
Personally, I am not trying to entertain anyone with my journal.
I am just trying to get through a difficult period in my life and writing my feelings as I go.
Watching My Sister, Disappear is the most difficult thing that I have ever had to deal with, writing is my therapy and my strength.
What I do hope that my journal will do is help others who are in a stuck place in life. Life is not always interesting or fair....It just is.
The comments from readers have helped me get through some sad day's as I watch Peggy disappear from my life..
Sometimes, when a person gets too critical...life can be boring. Open your heart and mind.
Mary Louise of Watching My Sister...Disappear
http://journals.aol.com/mlrhjeh/WatchingMySisterDisappear/
Well, if you were looking for a way to pick things up around here, that was it! Word on the street isn't too favorable at this time, I'm hoping for your sake your position as Journal's editor isn't an elected office. Boring is really an opinion. So what you might find boring, others may not. You are certainly entitled to your opinion, as everyone else is. I was just surprised that in your position you would share it here, on your official AOL Journal Editor's Journal.
Having said that, I agree, there are many blogs out there that I find boring according to my own personal interests, however I don't make a point of telling the blogger 'Hey, your blog is boring'. I just don't read it.
Okay, so you've stirred up the hornet's nest. Now what?
h
Hummm..Joe don't know if i agree with you here...i did read this entry about 4 times hoping to fully understand what you are trying to say here!
I don't find my journal "A Look At A Soldier's Life" one bit boring!
I don't know wether to take you saying all blogs are boring as an insult or what?
Maybe i'm just uneducated and i'm not fully understanding why a AOL Journals Editor would put down everyones Blog!
Ummm... Joe... I believe you're in the wrong line of work! You're an AOL employee who programs the AOL Journals main page, you're the journal editor, and you perform various other AOL tasks. Invalidating people's blogs isn't cool, same goes for insulting people. You should know better than anyone that there's a lot of great blogs out there, and if you truly don't believe there are any great blogs, then we've all got problems (I'm approximately 95% serious). So, what's with the disrespect and contemptuous remarks? You've left a bad taste in my mouth that has me questioning why you're even with the AOL organization. Perhaps you should freshen up your résumé. This sure doesn't makes me want to go out and sing AOL praises to my friends and family.
Judith
http://journals.aol.com/jtuwliens/MirrorMirrorontheWall
So again in reference to statement that journals are boring I give you this:
This guy is being paid to stir up drama, to keep journalers from slacking and to spice things up. If in fact he really believed that as an AOL employee he would probably be reprimanded or other wise. It was a psychological stunt to get us to be more active that’s all. He did quite well.
He either
a. is currently in a hell of a lot of trouble!
b. was paid quite well for his statement
c. wanted some excuse to put his pic online in order to justify his own insecurities.
Either way we read, listened, and responded! That my friend is the whole point of journaling! HA!
Have a great day!
http://journals.aol.com/erinnae1977/SporadicEndeavors/entries/470
h
I am a rodent. Rodents eat dead fish, both big and small. Yes, it may be true, as a rodent, that my greatest contribution to the world is my inability to committ myself to blogging in the traditional long -winded, daily or well-written sense. But when you are homeless - and I am homeless - you do the best you can. If we're lucky, we will absorb the wealth of reading and writing that is going on amongst us and know, we have all arrived in our own unique and maybe even boring and in your case good-looking and cranky way.
Some blogs are boring....and some are very, very entertaining. But part of the fun, for me, is just blog-hopping along and "discovering" the ones that entertain me.
Ha ha... I'm still laughing over William Shatner's search in Italy for spaghetti... I was expecting something a little more dramatic.. Gee he IS a boring fellow. Julie :)
Wow, Joe. You've got people talking! Good for you.
And you're mostly right -- the typical subject matter of the typical small-fry blog might be boring, depending upon how the term "boring" is defined. However, if it's well written, an entry about paint drying can be fascinating, hilarious and/or emotionally wrenching. So "boring" is subjective.
I could write an funny entry about the antics of the wonderpup, and people might scream BRAVO for the wonderpup, and I might get 12 glowing comments. Then I could turn around and write a dissertation on the selection of the next Supreme Court justice and the same 12 people would be bored, wanting more of the antics of the wonderpup, because they don't give a rat's patootie about the Supreme Court.
Ah boredom. It's got its advantages.
~~ jennifer
Hi Joe! These are my very 1st words of blogging..as you call it. I just discovered this new world and I must say, I found your blogs, interesting enough to take the time to read, (I hope that doesn't infer that my life is REALLY that boring). I see this, perhaps as a way for people to connect with others who share their own interests and bring some light into an everyday ordinary or lonely life. Keep up the good work Joe! You gave me a smile today, and that IS definately worth something!!!!!
ok..well..here's what I think ;-)
I wrote an entry based actually on John S. entry, after you wrote this and after I read his.
You might find it boring but it's worth a shot! ;-)
-->> http://journals.aol.com/libragem007/JournallyYours/entries/724
So, Joe, nice meeting you through your entry #387!
Gem ;-)
http://journals.aol.com/libragem007/JournallyYours/entries/724
Who cares what you think?
Here is a cure for your ennui, Reading Lolita in Tehran
h
Honesty is the highest religion. (LOL)
Sometimes all the words to a story are recycled over and over again. Time and time again its rephrased in a new perspective or candy coated from anothers point of view with an ending we all know what will happen. That is why I reasoned to publish my art since pictures can say a thousand words. Not bad Joe.
http://journals.aol.com/acyrlicstains/publish/
*Renee' and family*
Go get em Joe. Life gets boring as we sit in our complacent homes and live our regualr lives. It can be dang tough writing inspiring and entertaining entries time after time. And WHAT is an entry that is NOT boring? The responses to this entry of mine:
http://journals.aol.com/madmanadhd/ConfessionsofaMadmanInsightsinto/entries/1256
seems to incline me to think folks were not bored but rather engaged, entertained, and emotionally touched (well we sure can take THAT in a number of ways).
In any case thatnks for shaking up the monkey cage a bit and stomping on the ant hill. Now let's see what comes of it.
http://journals.aol.com/madmanadhd/ConfessionsofaMadmanInsightsinto/entries/1256
blogs are not boring
We are boring...................lots of folks including myself like to fanasize that we are endlessly interesting, smart, funny and talented. When I look back at my blog entries I realize how truly insipid they are :((((( I desperately want them to be better and more entertaining so I wait.............and wait..........and wait..........for worth while inspiration that would appeal to the masses but guess what Joe.......it never comes I have been blogging for a few months now and I have to admit of all the entries there is only one that I still like..... sigh....how pathetic. "Well, if I truly feel this way"... you maybe asking yourself "then why do I keep blogging?" The answer is simple its my delusional ego that keeps me going. I refuse to give up the fantasy that I am endlessly interesting, smart, funny and talented. One day the rest of the world will see it too lol
:)Cristy
Joe,
I had read your rather irritated rant on Blogging, Whist I agree, that blogging can indeed be rather pointless and a waste of time, I myself am a blogger, I personaly use my blog as a means to express my feelings, much as one might use a journal, but I record my frustrations and vent my general emotional state, The reason I do not manualy write down such things is simply due to the fact that I have atrocious handwritting, at times I cannot read what I just wrote, so I type it out on the Aol Journals, because it is convinient, I do not expect people to actualy read it, because I don't think I have any thing interesting to say. I merely wanted to tell you why some of us out here in Cyberspace, choose to Blog and I will now bid you a Good Evening and I hope this has changed your opinion and I will now say Good Bye
Hey, Joe.... thought I'd give ya a link to my response to your entry. Thanks for a thought provoking read. Tina http://journals.aol.com/onemoretina/Ridealongwithme/entries/1604
Joe, I cannot find any evidence you have ever visited my journal (I refuse to refer to it as a "blog", the very word sounds boring), so I do not know if I fall into your catagorization as "boring". I don't much care; I write, now and always, to suit myself. Since I am a pretty harsh critic, fairly well educated (practically as well as academically), I find what I write to be interesting, on the main. The "blogs" you mention as "big fish", I mostly ignore, as I do much of the web slathered with advertising; they do it not from any love of the craft, but from a desire to generate "hits" (read: "income"). As P T Barnum so aptly put it, "No one EVER went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public." Truer words have never been uttered, then or now. I do not mind being a "small fish" kind of "blog" (the idiot who came up with that word and thought it so cute should be condemned to a life of Firing Line reruns--24/7/365 of the opinions and self-rationalizations of Wm F Buckley is due and proper punishment for such an abomination). I do it for my own amusement, as well as for those canny enough to find and appreciate it. I like others whose approach is similar, far more than I could ever tolerate the "biggies" you mention. Is anything worse than spouting off when you have nothing to say? The adage, "Brevity is the soul of wit", seems to have zipped right over the heads of those you mention, leaving only a part in their hair as a mark of its passing. Undoubtedly this is why we have a president and administration whose utterances have all the lasting value of the latest Bud Lite ad. That A Lincoln could not get elected today is a telling commentary on how misguided are the self-styled intelligentsia. Boring...only if you settle for what in reality is the moral of the story "The Emporer's New Clothes". Look around, with a clearer vision, you might find more than
h
Ya know..the whole parody thing took over, so I played along! Hehe
http://journals.aol.com/awen1122/Confessionsofme/entries/1085
hey joe :)
So, is this your resignation letter?
haha.
"at times, life is boring.
hence, at times, so will journal be."
~sharky ;p
Dang Joe, 67 (68 counting this one) comments and still counting!
{{Joe}} Congratulations - Enjoy your spotlight! :) _rRose
http://journals.aol.com/rrveh1/WAIT-NOTYET-/
You do have a issue with your expression and judging, I am sure you will feel long time heat from this. Your eyes can read other places. touchy subject, yeaa
One last thought, its sad I read to know abouta employee such such raise or get fired fireeeeeee, You should be careful on judging, Hopefully you can escape the heat, Making friends like that striingg judgements. eww that not journal thing. You need self improvement
My comment became a little longer than expected, you can find it here -->
http://journals.aol.com/coy1234787/Dancingintherain/entries/1340
*** Coy ***
Rawlings, the 2-Faced Baseball respectfully replies to Joe...
http://journals.aol.com/upseted/Adventuresofthe2-FacedBaseball/entries/214
Wow....
I would leave a link to my little sarcastic take, but then I would be falling in line....lol...and thats well tiring(I am beginning to dislike the word boring now!)
At least your entry livened it up a bit! LOL
Too funny....
Jodi
LOL guess you livened things up a bit.
I've been thinking my life must be exceptionally boring. When I write about my most interesting days -- for instance: http://journals.aol.com/oceanmrc/MidlifeMatters/entries/1693 -- almost no one comments.
I started my blog to work on my writing and that's been really enjoyable for me. And I've found a few bloggers who are terrific writers with interesting perspectives. And some exquisite photograhpy. I couldn't care less about celebrity gossip (although I did ask someone the other day who Paris Hilton is) and I don't read about or comment all that often on the news. I just enjoy the day-to-day stuff when it's given a quirky and well-crafted spin. I love the diversity of perspectives in the blog-world -- although I do notice that most people seem to like to hang out with others pretty much on their own wavelength. Just like real life, I guess.
Whatever. Thanks for some diverting entertainment!
(Excerpt from the message you (Joe) post at the journal message board:)
.."As I've noted to a few folks in e-mail, I deliberately posted my rant to stir things up a bit..."
Ooh-ho-ho....Joe! You're good! You're good!!
LOL!!!
Gem ;-D
("Before I say "Sayonara" ...an entry regarding journaling!) http://journals.aol.com/libragem007/JournallyYours/entries/724
geez... I pictured an old geezer. The lesbian approves:):):) judi
"This blog entry is rated approximately 60-75% serious"
I find your "rant" both idiotic and brilliant.
Idiotic because Who the hell cares!? We "bloggers" write because WE want too...not because we want readers. Perhapes I speak for myself but obviously you write to have readers...
Hence the "brilliant".
I, for one am not stupid and the only reason you wrote such a thing was to cause trouble...to get people talking...to cause everyone around the blogging community to come to you and READ your boring journal.
So really, your as bad as everyone else.
Making everyone link you. (Do I hear an echo? Or is it just me?)
See, Your brilliant tho, doing it in such a sly-dog kinda way.
Getting everyones panties in a bunch.
Congrats on that.
But since your the almighty "Journals Editor" shouldnt you be a little less annoyed and a little more proactive?
Instead of putting down blogs...make yours better...and maybe if your lucky, all the interesting writers out there will find you...
And you wont be so bored.
Normally, I wouldnt comment on this at all...but because I have actually read and liked your blog...thought I'd add my boring opinion and knock some sense into your cute self.
But I will say one nice thing (because I really am a groovy nice chick) I agree with the "more doing" less talking.
And again I speak for myself but who wants to be a "big fish blogger" anyway!? Being regular is much more interesting and no matter what...there is always a bigger fish waiting to eat you for dinner. Naw, I like the water down here...where my blog is my space to let the world go...and anyone who doesnt like it...is totally fine with me.
~Shells
h
succulent boring wisdom here too btw...
http://journals.aol.com/floralilia/SucculentWisdom-juicynessfromj-l/entries/1010
hey joe - just thinking - does your re-linking through this entry to the most boring things and blogs on the web to prove that blogs are boring make this entry the most boring entry ever? Or does all of us relinking back through scalzi's entry to this entry about boring entries still make us the most boring blogs ever? and what of all the new relinking back to this and your new entry about apologizing to the boring masses en bloggeurs at large make the newest entries the most boring entries to date?
this is making my brain hurt.
please. make it stop.
http://journals.aol.com/floralilia/ahemtaptaptapisthisthingon/
I'd venture to say reading your comments hasn't been boring for you. : )
I have to disagree with you though. I think one of the most interesting things about journals is discovering that despite our differences in age, location, upbringing, culture.... we are so much alike. We all suffer from the same insecurities (well the majority of us). It's interesting to see how each of us confronts them ..or not.
Even you and I have alot in common. My journal can be boring, I have cranky days AND an annoyed look.
Nice to see ya Joe. : )
Candace
Wow. You don't look like who I thought you'd looked like at all (I was kind of picturing Joe Pesci).
But yeah, I agree with you 95% that yes, blogs are generally boring. I'm a snob, though, because if the blog writing is rife with all kinds of punctuation and grammar errors, I can't seem to get past the errors.
And then there's the little thing about how reading type on a computer screen strains your eyeballs. Gives you a headache, you know? So when I check out new blogs (and I do this on a regular basis), it's rare that I find a stranger worth reading. I know that for each of us, the criteria that merits a return click differs. My criteria just happens to be someone who knows how to write well and with humor. (Oh. There's also the issue of TIME. So many blogs, so little time.)
As for me as a blogger? I'm your average small bean girl. But I recently moved from Indiana to L.A. and I'm going through real trials and tribulations, Mr. Journals Editor Man. Scintillating stuff, I tell ya.
Please risdegard all grammaticals.
Yeah...Mine is boring.LOL..At least under this screen name. Others not too bad.. my love cinderella
Yeah mine is kinda boring too....lol
http://journals.aol.com/fairyk4u/runningthoughts
if you don't like em.. don't read em.. l don't.. too boring
Thank you to Bimmy13's comment!
I don't read them either, BECAUSE they ARE freekin' B O R I N G! When I did happen upon someone's big blog, I wondered, my God, don't they have anything else to do with their time??!!
Viggycat O U T!
h
What I get out of all of this is this...
This has become a great place to comment (getting everyone who reads the comments made) and an excellent place to get your blogs possibly looked at!
You do Great things with annoyances Joe!
Lee Ellen
yep...~! wow... ~! I am bored! LOL
http://journals.aol.com/meanbeansuzay/thoughtsonapage
"For most regular folks (I include myself, when I'm not blogging for AOL), your blog is going to be boring "............
Don't kid yourself pal - include yourself when you ARE blogging for aol too. What a dull up-your-own-arse blogger you are! Fingers crossed that once you're through adolescence you'll learn not to be such an egocentric little nerd.
http://journals.aol.co.uk/fairynuffok/FairyTales/
The only reason I read part of, (highlighted hair ..charity braceletted, designer specs yerk...an artist sees ALL pal) your pathetically non deserved of ego trip words..the link was passed to me. No you do not get 'favved' you get flushed
BLOGS are BOGS.....(L of a difference? NO!)
Bogs release the mind waste of thinkers. You are a constipated mind
I read only two. Was three I seem sacked from one.
The reason is to give support to the ones I read.
I have more to do with my time than to BOG hunt the interernet
You are BOG Troll...and I have just fed you....I am generous occassionally.
Blogs are not boring. They are merely words. If you are easily bored, then these words will bore you. You define your own existence. The words are not boring, the reader is.
I think letting others know it's Ok to have a boring blog is encouraging. Personally I'm not really concerned with having the best blog online. I just want my blog to feel exciting to me, but sometimes writing doesn't always seem like exciting process probably because I'm trying to hard to express my feelings. Basic point! Letting others know it's Ok to write for the sake of writing is not a bad idea. Just writing for the sake of it may help others develop their writing skills and create original work of endless possibilities.
Avid and seldom bored reader here.
Why do you select the same bloggers (or nearly the same) over and over as "highlights" and "examples" to illustrate your points?
Are the rest THAT boring?
Therefore, by your logic, many people had clicked on the next link before they got to your point about blogs being "boring." However, blogs have increased exponentially, especially since the last 'election", and many of them enjoy huge readerships. The Daily Kos, for example, is read by more people than the top four conservative blogs combined.
True, the large ones tend to post the same major articles but this is necessary. One may be aware of Daily Kos but unaware of Democratic Underground. Spreading the word is important over as broad a spectrum as possible. Plus, as anyone can tell you, at least half the worth of a blog is in reading the comments, which are often detailed and in themselves contain interesting links.
Then, of course, there are the blogs, often smaller blogs, that provide the reader with offbeat news stories that had somehow fallen through the cracks of the MSM. These blogs tend to be written by savagely funny satirists (like The Rude Pundit, for instance, or yours truly). So I cannot agree with your assertion that blogs are boring, therefore useless. Bloggers on both sides are changing history.
JP http://jurassicpork.blogspot.com
Hi Joe,
I am just a small fry in a large city. Nobody ever comes to my journal and I get no support here. Well, I was for a little while and then I got a little busy and I guess they got tired of me. Now, I will be honest and say that my journal is boring, but ask me if I care. I am also on my space and Yahoo and I am alright with my life whether others like it or not.
Anita
Where have you been all my life? Okay, just the AOL journaling part of it...
I'm loving these comments.
Thanks for stirring things up a bit.
~Vernae
http://journals.aol.com/billandnae/VernaeOriginals
The only thing that annoys me about blogs is the lack of help from AOL about them :P
Not to insult anyone's jobs, but if you have one simple question about anything that's not making one, then there are no help topics. It really sucks.
And, of course, people that never update theirs. Small fry or big fish, doesn't matter, just update the silly thing already! Mine is small and rather boring, but I like it and so does my friends {when they remember to check it} ;)
Hi...we're working on improving the help resources. That's one of the purposes of this blog, so if you have a question, please ask.
Thanks -- Joe, Journals Editor
h
Joe,
I agree with you... to an extent. We all get boring from time to time. Some blogs are heartfelt and brilliant, simply based on the virtue that the author took the time to share, to open a part of their lives with the readership. Other times, when we resort to silly quizzes and games to fill space or feel current, it can be dull as dishwater. I am certainly guilty of that. I liken the whole blogging experience (in particular the intelligent and well written ones) to the new season of Family Guy: Sometimes, there is a flash of brilliance, but oftentimes, it's just coasting on it's own laurels.
Michael
it is not that important to risk any emtional stress over blogs comments etc.May be you should try bowling.good luck.
Percy you used the word boing. I did not. Therefore according to your analasys you ae boring
Post a Comment