Jason Kotte, who has been blogging almost since the day the term was created, ended the year by declaring that the blog died in 2013. I can’t argue with his reasoning.
Instead of blogging, people are posting to Tumblr, tweeting, pinning things to their board, posting to Reddit, Snapchatting, updating Facebook statuses, Instagramming, and publishing on Medium. In 1997, wired teens created online diaries, and in 2004 the blog was king. Today, teens are about as likely to start a blog (over Instagramming or Snapchatting) as they are to buy a music CD. Blogs are for 40-somethings with kids.
I’m not sure the tools that large numbers of teens are using on the web should necessarily be the determining factor of what’s important. But Kotte is right that the functionality of what has been thought of as blogging, “is increasingly being handled by a growing number of disparate media forms that are blog-like but also decidedly not blogs”.
He also admits to being somewhat provocative in his thesis, written as part of a collection of predictions for journalism in 2014. Blogs are not going away (Kotte plans to quit in 2073 when he turns 100). Personal publishing has simply evolved to offer a wide variety of options for sharing images, audio, video, and yes, even text.
However, in the end I have closer agreement with the thoughts of Om Malik: “Blogging was and still is, an act of sharing; it is about having a point of view and most importantly, having a connection”.
For better or worse, my connections beyond this blog can be found on my AssortedStuff | Tech site (soon-to-be-rennovated), on Twitter, and on Flickr. With more channels coming soon.
The blog is dead…long live the blog! Seems like there is a pundit every year who claims blogging is dead. I’m not sure why they keep trotting out that particular chestnut.
Like you, I think blogging is just one channel for sharing. Who cares if teens prefer another format? That’s the beauty of the web—there is something for everyone in terms of both how to share and how to connect. I don’t use Facebook…does that mean it’s dead, too?
Congrats on making it 10 years. (Mine was 9 in December, although I’ve been remiss in posting there this year and didn’t mark the date this time around.) Here’s to many more—and as long as you post, I’ll read!
That is a relief! I am starting up blogging about 10 years past it’s prime. I’ve had plans, ideas, and many failed attempts over the years and finally got it going in 2013. As John Dewey said “We do not learn from experience…we learn from reflecting on experience.” Blogging is another form of reflection that provides deeper reflection and though. It a much easier way to provide true thoughts and processes that micro-micro-memories like Instagram or snap chat cannot provide. Thanks Tim!