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As best I can tell, there are primarily three types of bloggers:
- Innovators. These are the really smart and creative folks who have ideas sprouting like dandelions and just pluck one up and give it a puff of digital wind each day.
- Harvesters. These are the bloggers who drive their combine over the blogosphere every day (or hour) and pass on whatever crops they find to be tasty. Their primary task is pointing to other people’s posts.
- Personalizers. These are the people who share their lives for anyone who is interested.
I have two observations about these categories:
- The appeal for each of these types of bloggers is that they save their readers time. The innovator saves the reader from having to think of something creative himself and lets him expend his mental energy critiquing what he reads. The harvester saves the reader search time by giving her a central location to access relevant information. If the harvester is good, the reader may not feel the need to go elsewhere. The personalizer saves the reader from having to call or e-mail to find out what is happening in the blogger’s life. If the reader does not know the blogger personally, he can enjoy following from a distance and commenting when he pleases.
- Ideally, a blogger should be all three types. This is not a universal necessity, but in general, a blog devoted to innovation should include a dash of harvesting and a dash of personalizing. The same goes for the other two types. Having all three components keeps a blogger interesting (because he doesn’t just repeat what he hears), humble (because he recognizes other people have good ideas), and real (because he doesn’t just sit in front of a computer all day…at least he shouldn’t).
According to Wikipedia, the term “blogosphere” was coined in 1999 by a man named Brad L. Graham. I take this with a grain of salt — dictionary.com lists its beginning in 1997 — but here is the full report for what it’s worth:
The term was coined on September 10, 1999 by Brad L. Graham, as a joke. It was re-coined in 2002 by William Quick, and was quickly adopted and propagated by the warblog community. The term resembles the older word logosphere (from Greek logos meaning word, and sphere, interpreted as world), the “the world of words”, the universe of discourse.
Despite the term’s humorous intent, CNN, the BBC, and National Public Radio’s programs Morning Edition, Day To Day, and All Things Considered have used it several times to discuss public opinion. A number of media outlets in recent years have started treating the blogosphere as a gauge of public opinion, and it has been cited in both academic and non-academic work as evidence of rising or falling resistance to globalization, voter fatigue, and many other phenomena, and also in reference to identifying influential bloggers and “familiar strangers” in the blogosphere.
What are some other words we could use to refer to refer to the amoeba of blogdom? The blog pound? The blogocylinder? The blog jam? I’m all ears.
I just added a page in the bar above called “About the Gold.” It’s my effort to explain the purpose of The Fool’s Gold, summed up in the phrase “sifting and gifting.” I hope it’s helpful.
A post like this is dangerous for two reasons (which, incidentally, are not the two reasons I’m going to give you to subscribe):
- It may betray a bent toward number-mongering. It’s very easy, after all, to locate your identity as a blogger in how many people subscribe to your posts.
- It may suggest that the issue is of small significance. A case defended by two points typically smacks of a puny defense.
My response to the two dangers is:
- Simply because an action may be poorly motivated does not require that it must be. There are plenty of right reasons (well, at least two) to appeal for subscriptions, which I’ll get to in a jiffy.
- A case defended by two points may in fact be sizable, provided that the two points are significant. My hope is that the latter is the situation here.
With that said, here are my two reasons why I think you should subscribe to The Fool’s Gold. I give two because it will be easier to remember and because the number two embodies the healthy symbiosis I hope to commend:
- Subscribing to The Fool’s Gold will be a help to you. Instead of visiting the blog to see if there have been any new posts, you can receive automatic updates either through e-mail or through an RSS reader like the one Google offers (Abraham Piper offers a helpful explanation to guide you through the process). This will save you time and almost certain frustration. Furthermore, subscribing to The Fool’s Gold is absolutely free and you can unsubscribe at any time you want. It’s a win-win situation.
- Subscribing to The Fool’s Gold will be a help to others. By seeing how many regularly read this blog, potential subscribers will be encouraged to trust the content they find and join our happy crew. Furthermore, your subscription is an encouragement to me. It really helps me to know how many of you are out there and spurs me on to keep my hand to the plow.
So, if you’re persuaded by my two-pronged case, click on the link on the left-hand side of the blog that says “Subscribe to the Fool’s Gold.” You’ll be directed to a page that will give you a list of subscription options to choose from. After that, you’re on your way to digital bliss. Enjoy!
Things will be kicking off tonight at 7:00 with Sinclair Ferguson speaking on James 3:1-12. Tyler Kenney and I will be blogging the conference together for the DG Blog. I’m really looking forward to it.
Mike Anderson from the Resurgence blog will also be live-blogging the event. Here’s what he wrote:
I’ll be at the Desiring God Conference this Friday-Sunday, and will be live-blogging the whole thing. You can expect photos, video, updates, and my perspective on the event. You will be able to ask questions and I will be able to respond. This will all be on the front page of theResurgence.com. Keep coming back in the following days after the event—I’ll be posting interviews with the speakers.
I think this is going to be a great conference. Maybe I’ll see you there!
The Fool’s Gold made #18 on WordPress.com’s list of growing blogs for today. Thank you to everyone for stopping by!
Feel free to click on the link in the side bar that says “Subscribe in RSS Reader” if you would like to subscribe (for free) to The Fool’s Gold. This would allow you to read new posts through a feed reader like Google Reader.
Abraham Piper from 22 Words gives 22 reasons why subscribing to blogs is a good idea. He even links to a how-to article he posted on getting started with Google Reader.
I had the opportunity to sit in on an ordination council this morning at church. It was very profitable, to cop a term from Monday’s post. One of the topics that surfaced during a discussion on the doctrine of the Church was the possibility that a person could be gifted in a particular area (administration, teaching, etc.) and yet be spiritually immature.
I think we could apply this to the blogosphere.
It is tempting to judge a post’s worth by its rhetorical flair and linguistic acumen. These are great attributes, but they can easily become a substitute for the Spirit’s power if we are not careful.
In light of this, here are nine questions to ask when crafting a post. They are patterned after Galatians 5:22-23. I’m sure others have taken this approach before me. I would like to join their tribe.
Nine Questions to Ask When Blogging
- Is my writing governed by a deep love for my readers and for those I may mention in my posts, or am I simply using my readers to get what I really want (recognition, links, more hits)?
- Is the tone of my blog one of deep (not cheesy) joy in Jesus, or am I biting and negative?
- Is there a settledness to my writing, or am I frantic and using a lot of exclamation points and words in all-caps?
- When I disagree with someone on my blog, do I rant about their bad ideas, or do I bear with that person in the hope that God will grant him repentance?
- When people leave hurtful comments, do I respond with piercing vitriol, or do I extend kindness and give them the benefit of the doubt?
- Do I tend to blog about subjects that are edifying, or do I dwell on material that will corrupt the minds of my readers?
- Do I labor to produce content that is well-done and thoughtful, or am I content with sloppy shortcuts?
- Is my writing style heavy-handed, or am I gentle in the way I express myself (even when I have to say very hard things)?
- Am I disciplined in what I allow myself to post about, or do I have itchy typing fingers that gravitate toward the sensational?
What others would you add?
Joe Carter has an insightful post today called “Six Thoughts about Jesus.” He wrote it in response to those who would ask why he doesn’t mention Jesus more often, since he runs an evangelical blog. Here is his answer:
“Over the years people have asked me why, since this is an evangelical blog, I don’t mention Jesus more often. My usual glib answer is that I prefer not to name-drop just because I’m on a first name basis with the Creator of the Universe. I also take offense at the implication [that] my sole mission as an evangelical blogger is to end every post with an altar call.
While it’s true that I don’t casually use the name of Jesus, I believe that, like Flannery O’Connor’s South, this blog is ‘Christ-haunted.’ Still, there is a time to talk about Jesus more directly. Since I think about him constantly, I often have questions, concerns, surprises, opinions, and–on rarer occasions–insights, about Christ. Here, for instance, are a few thoughts I’ve had.”
If you have time, I’d encourage you to stop over and check out his few thoughts. They are refreshingly perceptive.
BBC News carries this report today:
“Since 2003, 64 people have been arrested for publishing their views on a blog, says the University of Washington annual report.
In 2007 three times as many people were arrested for blogging about political issues than in 2006, it revealed.
More than half of all the arrests since 2003 have been made in China, Egypt and Iran, said the report.”
The specific offenses? “Arrested bloggers exposed corruption in government, abuse of human rights or suppression of protests. They criticised [sic] public policies and took political figures to task.”
The article ends by saying, “The report predicted that the number of blogger arrests in 2008 would exceed the 36 seen in 2007 thanks to greater popularity of blogging as a medium, greater enforcement of net restrictions, and elections in China, Pakistan, Iran and the US.”
I find it amazing that twenty years ago, this article would have been virtually unintelligible. Blogging is certainly unique in that it has distributed the power of the press into the hands of the individual (at least with more accessibility than would have been possible before). However, the age-old principle is just wearing new clothes: information is an explosive commodity.
I thought it would be good today to explain why I chose the title “The Fool’s Gold” for this blog. I began the blog on April Fool’s Day, which explains part of it. Here is a fuller unfolding of the title, taken from my very first post:
“The main purpose of the Fool’s Gold blog is to promote thoughtful, winsome engagement with various facets of culture in the name of Jesus. This goal may expand or contract like a pair of lungs, but I hope the process will always be life-giving.
Why the name Fool’s Gold? I’ll give three reasons, and none of them have to do with geology or deception:
1. I’m bad with dates.
My memory is a bit like a month-old razor: sharp in some spots, but painfully dull in others. I once read an article in National Geographic about a woman with an encyclopedic memory. On any given day, while blow-drying her hair in the morning, she would rehearse what she had done on that particular day in years past.
I’m not like that.
To supplement this deficit, I figured it would be helpful to coin a title that would serve as a memory cue should anyone ever ask me the precise date I started this blog. You never know when the question might come up on Final Jeopardy. I’d hate to let Alex Trebek down. Being that today is April Fool’s day, it seemed fitting to include a portion of the phrase in the title. Fool’s Gold sounded like a better option than April Showers, so it stuck.
2. I need to be reminded to flee folly.
The Bible is stuffed with descriptions of the fool: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Proverbs 14:1 ESV). “Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered” (Proverbs 28:26 ESV). Particularly relevant for blogging is Proverbs 18:2 (ESV): “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.” I need the constant warning that, apart from God’s grace, I will reject God and prefer self-sufficient grandstanding. I hope the name Fool’s Gold will sober me to this danger.
3. I need to be reminded to pursue folly.
The message of Jesus Christ crucified is foolishness to many. “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:20-25). The message of a murdered Savior is folly to the world, but it is this fool’s Gold.”
Tomorrow marks the 1 month birthday of The Fool’s Gold blog. To celebrate, I’m moving it to a new home:
The blog will be through Word Press. I’m excited about the new digs for three reasons:
1. A simplified domain name.
For $15, you can purchase an available domain name through Word Press. The domain is good for a year, at which time you can renew it if you wish.
2. Aesthetics.
I find it mildly painful to look at the blog as it is now. This is owing to my consummate nincompoopness when it comes to site design. The folks over at Word Press provide a number of options for blog appearance. This makes me very happy.
3. Ease of commenting.
To leave a comment with Blogger, you are required to have a Blogger or Google username and password. Not so with Word Press. All you need to do is enter your name and e-mail address (which does not appear publicly when you post a comment). I find this to be a very attractive feature.
My deep desire is to see God use The Fool’s Gold to spread the fragrance of Christ as far as he sees fit. I’m still figuring out things as I go along, but I know God will give grace. I’m eager to learn with you.
We’ll be having a housewarming party tomorrow at the new homestead. Feel free to stop by and say hi.
I just started reading “Why We’re Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be)” written by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck. In his chapter on the postmodern infatuation with uncertainty and mystery, DeYoung comments insightfully on blogging:
“We live in a blogging culture, which suggests that just because we have an opinion on something it must be worthwhile and just because we are in touch with our spiritual journey it must be worth sharing” (pg.34).
In my opinion (which may or may not be worthwhile!), this is perceptively accurate. Spot on, as the Brits would say.
Well, I was hoping to post something last night after getting back to the hotel room, but I couldn’t get the internet to work. On the positive side, I was able to offer a cold piece of pizza to Tim Challies in the elevator. He rejected my offer, but I haven’t lost heart.
Around lunchtime yesterday, a group called the Band of Bloggers met to discuss various issues related to blogging. The main feature of the gathering was a panel featuring Abraham Piper, Thabiti Anabwile, Phil Johnson, and Tim Challies. I felt like the discussion was profitable, and we all received some free books. Not a bad deal.
Here is the mini-ballad I wrote for the event. Actually, it’s just one stanza. It feels better to call it a mini-ballad, though:
The Band of Bloggers met for lunch and chatted ’bout the craft,
A moderated panel quipped about the perfect draft;
Four men (Thabiti, Challies, Phil, and DG’s Abraham)
Arrested our attention for a sixty-minute span.
A moderated panel quipped about the perfect draft;
Four men (Thabiti, Challies, Phil, and DG’s Abraham)
Arrested our attention for a sixty-minute span.
If anyone is feeling adventuresome and would like to put this verse to music, I would love to hear it.
Off to the conference.
My wife made me do it.
Well, maybe not. But her gentle prodding and Abraham Piper’s recent post tipped the scales in favor of entering the blogosphere.
The main purpose of the Fool’s Gold blog is to promote thoughtful, winsome engagement with various facets of culture in the name of Jesus. This goal may expand or contract like a pair of lungs, but I hope the process will always be life-giving.
Why the name Fool’s Gold? I’ll give three reasons, and none of them have to do with geology or deception:
1. I’m bad with dates.
My memory is a bit like a month-old razor: sharp in some spots, but painfully dull in others. I once read an article in National Geographic about a woman with an encyclopedic memory. On any given day, while blow-drying her hair in the morning, she would rehearse what she had done on that particular day in years past.
I’m not like that.
To supplement this deficit, I figured it would be helpful to coin a title that would serve as a memory cue should anyone ever ask me the precise date I started this blog. You never know when the question might come up on Final Jeopardy. I’d hate to let Alex Trebek down. Being that today is April Fool’s day, it seemed fitting to include a portion of the phrase in the title. Fool’s Gold sounded like a better option than April Showers, so it stuck.
2. I need to be reminded to flee folly.
The Bible is stuffed with descriptions of the fool: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Proverbs 14:1 ESV). “Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered” (Proverbs 28:26 ESV). Particularly relevant for blogging is Proverbs 18:2 (ESV): “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.” I need the constant warning that, apart from God’s grace, I will reject God and prefer self-sufficient grandstanding. I hope the name Fool’s Gold will sober me to this danger.
3. I need to be reminded to pursue folly.
The message of Jesus Christ crucified is foolishness to many. “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:20-25). The message of a murdered Savior is folly to the world, but it is this fool’s Gold.
With this explanation I smash the dedicatory wine bottle on the stern of the H.M.S. Fool’s Gold. May she sail through the waters of culture with humble, biblical care.
