This is a good discussion of the phenomena of weblogs/PWPs, care of Rob1 (via right).
[I’ll have to think about this given the stats and relative adoption rates compared to ham radio.]
Later: I congratulate Rob1.
This is the best statement of where weblogs are today that I have read. It does not backaway from either the overriding hobby aspect as well as its placement on a continuum that reaches at least into the early 90’s as opposed to a new phenomena created by current players.
I am interested in the co-mingling of weblogs and open source and how idea sharing – especially outside of the realms of technology and science – can facilitate the expansion of the uncommoditized world. I remain unsure of the point of aggregation other than that we now can as I see them as a buffer to meaning and community rather than a tool for these. The noise is too great, the opportunity to receive too limited to go beyond superficiality.
I am suspicious of anything calling itself a “tipping point” as I have gone though too many “paradigm shifts” which were little more than a consultant creating a new word. Also, it is not structurally democratic external to itself, given the digital divide(s), however much participants believe themselves a new democractic thing – too much great man theory for that.
I am looking for the unified tool of RSS – not my interests but all interests indexed, an eBay of ideas where I can find any interest discussed in increatingly detailed sub-groups of further detail – a usenet without active participation drawing on content from feeds from open source platform blogs made available to everyone. Is that there yet? It is too much to ask for?
Later Later: The author, Andrew2, is now linked right.