Blogology 101
Ode Magazine, Jan/Feb, 2006, pg 41
Today individual “blogs” are popular methods of recording what
one desires of ones life or world. While diaries have existed for thousands of years (or perhaps longer, as some such as this author contends), blogs take on a new dimension in the age of technology. Today’s computer diaries, in the form of blogs, are meant to be read by whomever chooses to out there in cyberspace. In essence, blogs are not your Grandmothers private diary, but actually written intentionally for the public to access. Numbers of readers are generally recorded as “hits” counted by the computer site.
This article traces blogs through
history, argued to begin with cave paintings. The author goes on to claim that other early forms include the Sumerian clay tablets and the tomb walls of the ancient Pharaohs. The author claims that the Bible could be thought of as the first multi authored Blog. Moving forward in history, the author cites Caesar’s record of the conquest of Gaul as the earliest political Blog. Samual Heys is included as the first individual to Blog in a form of crypto security for personal privacy. Finally, Henry Thoreau is mentioned for producing the first nature blog better known as Walden.
While this article is based on an interesting premise, tracing the history of blogging to identify the chain of progression leading to today’s version, the author primarily cites
examples that are dissimilar in purpose to the format. Sumerian clay tablets and the tombs of the Egyptian Pharaohs were not accessed for thousands of years, the first piled up and secured in closed rooms, the latter sealed shut after entombment. Heys diary was purposely encrypted so no one could read it and it wasn’t successfully decoded for almost 300 years. All three of these examples were clearly not produced with the intention of making them available to as many people as possible. He goes on to site the Bible as conclusively authored by multiple individuals while millions of people would argue that it is exclusively the word of God and a guide for living. Thus, defined in this manner, while intended to be read by many people it is not a personal account or opinion but divine instruction, something unable to be compared to anything else, certainly a blog. Finally, Caesar’s record of the conquest of Gaul and Thoreau’s reflections on Walden Pond perhaps were intended to be left for historical or inspirational reasons but it is unlikely either was expressly created in such a way to ensure as many people as possible would read it. Most importantly, none of these examples were ongoing or running commentary, produced over a period of time, with “installments” made accessible continuously as events unfolded or ideas and opinions were developed. Though a creative exercise, the author needs to better develop his definition of “blog” to identify appropriate examples predating the most recent version.