Church of the Customer Blog
« Blogging keeps us from bowling alone | Main | Self-expression today vs. 175 years ago »
May 12, 2006
Blogging keeps us from bowling alone
The trends say we are "Bowling Alone." But blogging keeps us connected.
In the best of times, as with the birth of Gary Stein's new baby...
And in the worst of times, such as Robert Scoble with his dying mom.
Other blogs that reference Blogging keeps us from bowling alone:
While blogging can certainly create a sort of virtual community, I don't think that's the point of putnam's book. It would seem that blogging just reinforces the point that computers are contribting to the major point of his thesis. Do we really want a blogging community to substitute for a real social network?
We can pretend all we wnat that blogging creates a community but it's no more a community than is created by people that support a candidate for office. I can still be anyone I want to be behind a computer screen. While bloggers can share a much about their lives as they want I don't know them any better than I do, say, George Bush or the latest actor that shows up on the cover of People magazine. I can pretend I know them and they can pretend to know me. But nothing will replace personal interaction. Let's not try to use blogging as some sort of substitute for that.
Dave,
Thanks for your comment.
I wasn't suggesting that blogging alone should substitute for your social network. The point I was making is that blogs can help keep us connected to our social network.
Funny thing is that I "met" both Robert and Gary by reading their blogs first. Then I met them in person. And now I can keep up to date with them via their blogs.
Actually you didn't "meet" them by reading their blogs any more than you "meet" a radio personality you may listen to frequently. Blogging is simply another version of someone hosting a talk radio show (provided that blogger allows comments). People that listen to a popular radio talk show host have the illusion they are part of a social community when in fact there is very little socializing involved as Putnam defines it.
And I submit it is generally only the people that live in the blogging echo chamber that get to personally meet other bloggers. The other people the regularly read a particular blog are no different than those that listen to a radio show regularly. Again, hardly the community that Putnam is suggesting has disappeared from American society.
With all due respect you didn't meet Robert or Gary by reading their blogs first any more than I "met" on of my favorite radio personalites by listen to their show. And while you then may have "met" them in person, that was likely akin to one meeting their favorite radio personality at a remote. Blogging seems to be text version of a radio talk show. I can get a lot of "listeners" and "callers" (commenters), but that's hardly anything close to a social network, even if I listen and call in regularly. Sure, the host knows my voice and what I think and my have met me numerous times at a remote, but we are hardly part of each other's
social network". Same with blogging. (Unless you live in the blogging echo chamber and include other bloggers in your real social network as a way to maintain your blogging status). while I haven't read Putnam's book, based on what I have read about it, I would venture to guess Putman would be opposed to using blogging as a way to maintain a social network, being the he submits computers are one of the causes of the social network breakdown. Blogging would seem anathema to his thesis.
Dave,
I am reading Putnam's book, which is what inspired me to write the post.
So after you read his book, come back and revisit this discussion : )
Jackie,
I have read Bowling Alone and I agree with your premise that blogging keeps us from bowling alone...I have written a liitle about it on my blog and always mean to write more about it...I think blogging and on line social networks demonstrate another shift in the way people interact with each other. Instead of bowling with the person who lives next door, the neightborhood has expanded beyond geographic limitations...we may meet on blogs but eventually we meet in person.
http://www.resonancepartnership.com/resonance_partnership/2005/12/t.html
"Instead of bowling with the person who lives next door, the neightborhood has expanded beyond geographic limitations..."
Since we're in church...AMEN! To tell you the truth, I feel more affinity with the people I "bowl" with online than the couple that lives right next door to me here in Massachusetts.
Does that mean I don't have bowling buddies locally? No. Not at all. But my neighborhood has definitely expanded.
From a business perspective, I think that's partially because the immediacy and intimacy of blogging encourages individuals to share more of their personal selves than they might in a traditional business setting. It offers a platform, in other words, that didn't previously exist. I, for one, think that's a great thing.
