he just hates these discussions and wishes i'd stop
The quote of the day:
Irony is only hypocrisy with style.
Running news:
3.5 miles. It's so cool that I think that's a minor run.
- Why did I say x, which is insulting/unclear?
Often, when I've gotten mail like this, I say, Hmmm. I go back, reread, and decide that the reader has a point or doesn't. Usually I am led to clarify something, if not rewrite it altogether. If a reader doesn't get the point of something, either the reader is a bad reader or I have written something badly. I will always opt for the second, because I don't have time to explain the essay individually. - Why don't I give examples of good journals--or more importantly, bad journals?
Because I'm not insane. Also, journals start and stop all the time, and keeping au courant--she speaks French, too!--would be more hassle than it's worth.
The mail I got yesterday takes the cake.
...I couldn't help feeling that your discouraging words for those who might publish without a careful plan are motivated to some extent by self-interest. Fewer journals on the Web means less competition for you. It's interesting that the same motivation that drives many people to publish -- the craving for an audience and attention -- might also drive them to discourage others from publishing.
I have the feeling that this is not an uncommon sentiment, which is why I put it out here. However, this criticism is wrong, and it's wrong on so many levels that I don't even know where to begin, even though that won't stop me and I'll begin anyhow.
- I can't stop anyone from publishing. Welcome to the World Wide Web, folks: anyone can put anything up. That's the strength of the Web...and the main weakness. (I will now avoid going down the "purpose of the Web" debate path.) I guess I could stop someone with a combination of a carefully planned personal attack and small firearms. Frankly, my chair is simply too comfy and my life too short.
- Journal readership is not a zero-sum game. (If you don't know what a zero-sum game is, put some effort into it and find out--without asking me.) My having readers does not preclude anyone else from having them. In fact, if someone really gets into another online journal--say, Ceej's, for example--he or she may decide that online journals are the coolest thing since Virtual Pets and seek out other journals to read. Thereby increasing overall readership.
- Corollary: Nobody's going to read my journal simply because he or she didn't like someone else's.
- I am a big enough egomaniac to believe that I will win or lose readers on my own merits.
I have learned some amazing stuff from keeping a journal on the web and from being a fan of other journals. I've seen what a lot of us have gone through. I wanted to share those lessons with others who perhaps are just getting into the online journal thing and are not aware of some of the drawbacks, pitfalls, and blind alleys online journals have been down time and time again.
I've put time and effort into that essay, and bummer if that didn't come through, man.
(I first heard of the zero-sum theory in psychology. Darin told me it could be mathematics or economics. Someone else wrote and said it was game theory. Knock yourselves out looking for it.)
Then Gabby wrote me to say, "i just reread your revised WWJS essay and when i got to the phrase, Online Journalling Junta, I laughed my ass off." Which made me happy and reminded me that someone out there has a sense of humor.
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My Dad was 16 in 1944. He had thought about running off to join the army, lying about his age, and joining in on World War II.
After I saw Saving Private Ryan, I thanked him for not doing so.
Don't know why I added this--mostly so that I won't forget I did it.
Copyright 1998 Diane Patterson
Send comments and questions to diane@spies.com