Weblogging is conversation (snapshots vs complete bio)

I was thinking on the way home tonight about how weblogging is to Web site building as informal conversation about our lives with friends is to writing a bio book. The latter takes some skill and technical expertise (like gifted wrting and publishing contacts,  disciplined writing habits,  etc.) while the former comes more naturally.

Web site building isn't quite as hard as writing and publishing a book,  but effective Web design and content is indeed much harder to do than met the eye when Web publishing was in its early "phenom years".   But neither is causal conversation with friends about any old thing as hard as doing a Weblog,  since the latter does take some basic Internet savy (not much, but some) and some amount of dedication to producing a little output.  But the analogy works pretty well,  I think,  because there is a great deal of freedom experienced from the perspective of someone (like me) who has been doing Website production stuff for 6 years,  when an outlet such as this comes along which encourages off the cuff comments, opinions,  and moments of wearing one's heart on their sleeve.  The writing is not graded or evaluated,  which in some strange way frees me to "journal" and to let loose the feelings.   In many cases,  this frees some amount of anxiety about the finished product,  or about the audience who is reading,  because one of the ideas behind the value of weblogs is that they are written for an audience of  people who would be interested in the same sort of things that I do,  that I think,  or that I feel,  becuase they are in the same line of work, share some common interest,  or feel some comradery in reading the little tidbits of learning I experience in my line of work (Web development, Internet publishing in a religious environment).

In Church,  many must feel a sense of intimidation up against the prospect of sounding not quite as articulate or insightful as the people who have spoken up,  whether that be true or not.  They also worry about failing to communicate a proper sense of gravity or importance about the subject about which they wish to offer some insight,  and so their thoughts remain unshared and unspoken,  which is not always a horrible thing if they can get some real sense that this is shared amongst their peers.  But many times this assurance remains uncertain enough that people feel a sense of isolation.  Weblogs seems to be one way (not the solution,  but a way,  for some) to offer a flavor as to what concerns them and how strongly they feel about something,  and in a church setting,  these things can be many, varied,  and very very strong,  reaching to the depths of one's sense of belonging at the table of communion. 

Yes,  most know that however one feels ,  belonging is there.  The Church proclaims it so,  and at our church,  it is proclaimed consistently and fervently: "EVERYONE has a place at THIS table".  But experience at the emotional and spirtual level , a nd at the level of personal connection and the sense of "being known" is all too often missed,  or blocked.  I see a possible role in enabling a few more rays of personhood to shine through into the light in the format of weblogging.  I hope to be able to communicate this vision effectively as we meet next Monday night to talk about Website strategies and "mission".

© Copyright 2003 Dale Lature. Last update: 9/23/2003; 3:35:09 PM.