This is directly from Josiah's blog, so I take absolutely no credit at all for bringing up the discussion. (Sorry for the piracy, Josiah) I just wanted to post it here because I have a few readers that may not read his blog regularly, and I thought it was a notable quote from Doug Wilson.
"Web loggers, or bloggers as they are called, set up nifty websites, with cool graphics and interactive gee-whizzery, all of it calculated to... let us read their diaries. This is occasionally interesting when an interesting or challenging person does it - but in many cases the only people who want to read the diaries are those who want to have their own diaries read. This is the same reason why Hollywood actors or Nashville recording artists, when talking about one another, always use the word "genius". What goes around comes around. Asinus asinum fricat. So chalk up another one to technological capacity driving what we do before we understand it."
- Douglas Wilson
This bothers me, and I'll tell you why. For one, it comes from a man that has had many good things to say in the past, yet I find myself consistently turned off from him lately. I don't know him, don't know the details of life up there in Idaho, but it seems that there is a lack of charity in his words. I don't know what this quote was in response to, I'd like to hear the entire discussion. But, even if he's right, (and I don't think he is in this case) it still seems a little unnecessarily insulting.
I don't blog for the celebrity status. So far, nobody's requested my autograph or a head shot. I blog because I enjoy the interraction, the connection, with other people. I like keeping up with friends and family. I like meeting new people. I like discussing things that I would not otherwise discuss during my day as a stay-at-home mom. I like a break from the kids, from the responsibilities of home, I like the creative expression that I have here. And sure, I like to be entertaining and draw readers, too. Is that vanity?
It just seems to me that there are plenty of other issues to be talking about than this. I don't like the assumption that was made, and the way it was said.
Thoughts?
Posted by Shannon at September 15, 2003 04:36 PM | TrackBackA man far smarter than I once said that solipsism isn't inherent to the medium of blogging, its a natural product of the sinful nature of man, regardless of where or what medium it finds it's voice.
What's sad about the Doug Wilson quote is a couple things:
First, its indicative to me of what I've always felt is an immature, and un-Christlike approach to culture, namely one of antagonism and spitballs, like a little kid in the class-room who thinks himself smarter than the teacher.
Secondly, it's pretty much par for the course for Doug Wilson. With a guy that has so, so much edifying stuff to say, the malaise of the snide, the snotty, and the snooty that pervades his work alienates him to all but a sadly un-aware few (but growing).
Posted by: JosiahQ at September 15, 2003 05:38 PMAs a former student and congregation member of Mr.
Wilson's I have a longstan