More about my blogroll
Category: Navel Gazing...
Posted Wednesday, May 07, 2003 at 07:50 AM [GMT-6]

Bryan over at Arguing With Signposts notes my blogroll "reorganization," referring to it as an exercise in "navel-gazing." This surprises me, for two reasons. One, I was cloned in a lab and thus I have no navel. And, (b) I didn't know anyone actually read my blog.

OK, only one of those statements is accurate. But that's beside the point. Since Bryan's post had only two lines, I resorted to reading between the words, and, finally, reading between the letters to get to the crux of the matter. I have apparently caused a shift in the space-time-twinkies continuum of the blogosphere with my cruelly-logical organization and categorization of my links. So I guess I — like the intrepid adventurers in the epic and zany film, "The Core" — will have to resort to heroic and self-sacrificing measures to restore order. In other words, it's spin time.

A few weeks back, I presented a short program about blogging to our local Mac users group. Being a mere blogging novice myself, I did extensive research to prepare. That is, I clicked on the "I'm feeling lucky" button on a search for "history of blogs." The result was a goldmine of useful information, courtesy of Rebecca's Pocket. There I learned that blogging probably began sometime in '97, and really took off in '99. But here's the relevant quote (the bolded emphasis is mine):

The original weblogs were link-driven sites. Each was a mixture in unique proportions of links, commentary, and personal thoughts and essays.

Even waaaay back in '97, the www was a big and complicated thing, and people needed help in getting around in it. Bloggers served as little tourist information centers on the information superhighway. They found and described interesting little corners of the net that the family in the mini-van wouldn't likely stumble across on its own. Yes, these bloggers also added commentary and opinion, but they were first and foremost linkers. They were the Founding Fathers of the blogosphere, and they were Linkers.

What follows is my own opinion, based on my version of reality. Linkers came first, and Writers followed, in the blogosphere, at least. The first Linkers were hardcore coders; there was no Blogger, no Blog*Spot, no Movable Type, etc. You had to roll your own. Most Writers didn't have the expertise, the inclination or the time to do this. They were too busy Writing. But when all the cool free (FREE!) blogging tools came on the scene, Writers, being lazy cheapskates, immediately recognized the potential of Personal Publishing and embraced the new medium, likely as an adjunct to their more traditional outlets.

Over time...lo, these many years...the distinctions between Linkers and Writers has blurred, but only somewhat. They both play important, but different roles. Some move easily between worlds, like Glenn Reynolds (Writer by MSNBC, Linker by InstaPundit); some play in both yards, but with a big wall between (like Dave Barry, whose blog is 100% Linker, and whose columns are 100% treeware but accessible online. Umm, in the interest of full disclosure, I must note that his latest column deals with fire ants.).

So, we see that Linkers and Writers each play important roles in the blogging ecology. One tells us where to go; the other tells us what to do when we get there. And if I were as smart as I think I am, I'd stop here. Ha!

Here's the real difference between Linkers and Writers:

<gross generalization>

Linkers blog for the benefit of others. Writers blog for the benefit of themselves.

</gross generalization>

Oh, come on...quit being such a crybaby; you know it's true. Writers are driven by their egos. Granted, they want to create reactions in their readers; they want to make a difference somehow in their readers' lives. But, in the end, they really just want to be read. Linkers, on the other hand, know that they must be read to make a difference, but the real test is whether people follow their links or not. A Linker's blog is just a delivery system — like a cigarette delivers nicotine. The cigarette as an object is unimportant.

Having said that, here's another real difference between Writers and Linkers:

<gross generalization>

Writers who blog engage in primary creativity; Linkers who blog engage in secondary creativity.

</gross generalization>

By "primary" creativity, I mean the creation of something from nothing. By "secondary" creativity, I mean the building upon something created by someone else. Linkers are tradesman; Writers are artists. Oh, come on...quit being such a crybaby; you know it's true. A good Linker loves nothing better than to bring to the attention of the world a previously-little-known website or article, even though he or she didn't create that item.

The interesting thing is that all Linkers secretly want to be Writers...and some come perilously close to succeeding. Is it possible to be good at both? Absolutely. Should this be your goal? Absolutely not. The world — nay, humanity! — needs pure Linkers, just as it needs competent auto mechanics and brick layers and plumbers. When your toilet is backed-up, the last thing you need is Norman Mailer telling you how an effective sewer system is just a symbol for raging white male supremacy, regardless of the two dollar vocabulary he might employ.

OK. I think I've dug this hole just about deep enough. I think I'll climb in for a little nap. Anyone care to tuck me in? ;-)