I was fascinated to read Tory blogger Iain Dale's article in today's London Evening Standard. It follows his announcement that he has had enough of blogging and will now be working more in mainstream journalism.
Dale reminds that blogs can be a force for good, but he does believe there is a dark side. What he says certainly chimes with my experience:
But while the blogosphere has generally been a force for good, it can also be a very ugly place. It's certainly not for the faint-hearted. If you stick your head above the parapet you have to expect that people will want to shoot it off, but the abuse you can attract is way beyond what normal people would regard as acceptable.
Sadly this chimes with my own experience here on the Methodist mircro-blogsphere. I shadowed one of the few methodist blogs for a few months before having a go myself. I was quite appalled with what I read.
When I challenged what I read I was astonished at the sheer nastiness of what confronted me. How dare a new blogger upset the cosy consensus of the "official" bloggers.
Nevertheless over the years I've attracted a few "followers" and I know that the blog is read and appreciated within British Methodism and beyond. On a couple of occasions I believe the blog had a direct impact on the Methodist Church.
My only regret is that I don't have the time and resources to spend more time and effort working on it. Better researched articles, more reflective pieces and the time to respond in detail to comments could make all the differences. However I have to fit blogging around activities - I hope this helps keep my feet on the ground.
Today, as it happens, I had a demonstration of a new web tool which enables large organisations to track their profile day by day on social media - everything from the comment board of mumsnet to our obscure blogs. Big business understands the threats and opportunities of blogging and other social media.
I sympathise with Dale. I know that my good friend Bob Piper has had some difficult times, but I believe the world is a better place because we are now able to blog, network, share information and express our views. I still think those who have power, be they in government, large corporations or even our own Methodist church, don't really yet appreciate how fast social media is changing things.![]()
Dale reminds that blogs can be a force for good, but he does believe there is a dark side. What he says certainly chimes with my experience:
But while the blogosphere has generally been a force for good, it can also be a very ugly place. It's certainly not for the faint-hearted. If you stick your head above the parapet you have to expect that people will want to shoot it off, but the abuse you can attract is way beyond what normal people would regard as acceptable.
Sadly this chimes with my own experience here on the Methodist mircro-blogsphere. I shadowed one of the few methodist blogs for a few months before having a go myself. I was quite appalled with what I read.
When I challenged what I read I was astonished at the sheer nastiness of what confronted me. How dare a new blogger upset the cosy consensus of the "official" bloggers.
Nevertheless over the years I've attracted a few "followers" and I know that the blog is read and appreciated within British Methodism and beyond. On a couple of occasions I believe the blog had a direct impact on the Methodist Church.
My only regret is that I don't have the time and resources to spend more time and effort working on it. Better researched articles, more reflective pieces and the time to respond in detail to comments could make all the differences. However I have to fit blogging around activities - I hope this helps keep my feet on the ground.
Today, as it happens, I had a demonstration of a new web tool which enables large organisations to track their profile day by day on social media - everything from the comment board of mumsnet to our obscure blogs. Big business understands the threats and opportunities of blogging and other social media.
I sympathise with Dale. I know that my good friend Bob Piper has had some difficult times, but I believe the world is a better place because we are now able to blog, network, share information and express our views. I still think those who have power, be they in government, large corporations or even our own Methodist church, don't really yet appreciate how fast social media is changing things.
