Dave Bakke wrote an article a few days ago ... called 18,000 SPRINGfailD Fans Can't Be Wrong. I can't lie ... after reading the first line, I was slightly pissed off.
The article begins, "In the Springfield blogosphere’s infancy (remember The Eleventh Hour? Just Two Guys?), I wrote a column that asked whether any of them would eventually become outlets for actual journalism. We have seen that happen."
Um ... hello? Hi, Dave. Nice to meet you. I've been part of the Springfield blogosphere since it's infancy. Ten years this year? Started in 2004?
I knew John from Just Two Guys ... I used to write back and forth with Eleventh Hour all the time as well. Yes, most of the original Springfield blogs are long gone. Guess who isn't?
Actually, Dave Bakke and I have talked before. He did a piece years ago about blogs and whether they were real journalism. He sent out e-mails to local bloggers asking us to answer various questions ... what we would or wouldn't do with our blogs. I don't remember the details ... but I do remember he wouldn't use my answers unless I agreed to use my real name. He said I couldn't expect to be taken seriously if I blogged anonymously.
Which is as fine today as it was ten years ago. I'm not a journalist. I didn't study journalism ... nor do I aspire to become one. In 2006, I wrote a blog post about a man standing in the rain holding a sign. Dave Bakke told me that post was a prime example of why he was a journalist and I wasn't.
He explained that as a journalist, he would've gotten out in the pouring rain and gotten the story of why the man was holding the sign. My response was ... and still is ... journalist or not, as a woman, I would not get out in the pouring rain and approach a man who, quite frankly, showed every sign of being unbalanced.
If I were being paid enough? Maybe. But I'm not a journalist ... and blogging hasn't ever paid the bills. Hell, blogging has never bought me a ninety-nine cent Coke at McDonalds let alone paid a bill.
And so ... I just want to point out that I'm still here.
I started this blog in November, 2004. This blog has seen the loss of a parent ... three amazing girls who grew into three amazing women ... holidays ... a divorce ... friends lost and re-found ... new love and happiness and contentment. With any luck, I'll be here ten years from now ... and we'll still be having one hell of a ride.
Better than I ever did
Looking like a true survivor
Feeling like a little kid
Elton John - I'm Still Standing
I saw that. I was shocked to see my old blog mentioned that way. It kind of made me feel old! But it's only been 4 years since I stopped blogging. I moved on to Facebook because I was just tired of the political stuff and was more interested in social content. Glad to see you’re still hanging in there. I still check in with your blog regularly. – Dave Ewing (The Eleventh Hour).
ReplyDeleteHey, Dave! It's so weird that you responded ... because I visited your blog and thought about e-mailing you and asking if you if you'd ever thought about blogging again. Maybe blogging just isn't in vogue anymore? You're right ... FB seems to be where everyone is spending time these days. But still ... Eleventh Hour is out there ... I miss your posts! Apparently Dave Bakke does too! haha :)
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