The Lonely, The Proud, the Bloggers

Got a blog? Then you're probably lonely. This according to new research out of the University of Calgary.

Professor Michael Keren, author of Blogosphere: The New Political Arena, says we're a lonely bunch. "Bloggers think of themselves as rebels against mainstream society, but that rebellion is mostly confined to cyberspace, which makes blogging as melancholic and illusionary as Don Quixote tilting at windmills," he told Canoe.

Personally, I don't buy it. The bloggers I read go to a lot of conferences and they sure send a lot of email. What's your view? Are you lonesome tonight?

Comments

[Anol]

Steve - I think they are talking about those 'cat' blogs, means where someone whine about there failed relationships or describe what their cats did whole day!

Contextual blogging is different, and most of the outgoing personalities I know - all are serious contextual bloggers.

*for some reason my previous comment was posted in a wrong place - sorry about that, please delete that*

[Ryan Anderson]

I haven't read his book, but his thesis is painfully stupid. To say that all bloggers are lonely and ineffectual ignores the entire effect of blogs - the social change arising from the democratization of publishing is not about individuals, but of collective voices.

If he wants to tote out stereotypes about certain types of people being lonely and irrelevant outside their own small circles, I can think of a few about academics that might be fitting.

[Edwin]

I think the good man's quite narrow-minded.
55 milion blogs registrated at Technorati.

A huge lonely crowd that is.

Does he know all of those people? Is it about rebellion all the time anyway?

Most of the bloggers I know are behind their screens often indeed..but they have very active analog lives as well.

Eye of the beholder?

[Paul Fabretti]

Fair point Ryan, but think what blogs started out as...online personal diaries.

The principle remains the same though...we write as a form of catharsis and as blogging has become more popular (and commercial) we write hoping that we will receive recognition form our peers.

[Michael.NET]

Personally, I blog because I'm /not/ lonely and it's the best way to communicate with my friends and colleagues. Methinks they were reading too much MySpace and LiveJournal....

[James Clark]

My experience has been that my personal "in-person" network has grown considerably since I started blogging. Going to local blogger meetings, conferences, etc. It's always easy meeting people with similar interests, plus there's no social anxiety as we all know what each other are writing about and can easily spark conversations. Blogging been a real network igniter.

[Ron C]

A Huge community of lonely people? That talk to, read, reference, and email each other? Hmmm maybe we are ALL lonely at heart...nah!

[Mark Harrison]

I think you're right. Bloggers are trying to be a part of - and sometimes even create - a larger community. A lone blogger is more of a diarist, I believe.

[The Aesthetic Elevator]

Does he cite any research? Where do you come up with that?

Here's another vote, based on my own experience, that the guy's just wrong.

[Miriam]

I actually find blogging to be a very social activity. I feel like I'm talking to my readers, I enjoy their feedback, and I've made great new connections that would not have been made were I not blogging.

Outside of the virtual world, I certainly am not lonely. My family is reminiscent of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" in terms of size, I have five kids, I live in a close-knit neighborhood where neighbors are friends, and my network of friends and business acquaintances is very enjoyable. Am I a blogging anomaly? I don't think so, Mr. Professor, but I don't have the academic studies and statistics to prove it!

[Jeremy David]

I certainly hope you wouldn't consider yourself a lonely blogger - being in the top 100 blogs of the world and all. But for us non popular bloggers... I feel a bit lonely sometimes, hahahaah. On the internet, that is.

Then I go outside!

[Hamish M]

Nah, I'm not lonely.

However... I think as a starting blogger I'm lonely in a 'blogosphere' sense, not a lot of people know about me. Of course my goal is to network and make friends, so this hopefully won't be a problem as time passes.

[Elle]

I blog as a social thing. If I'm lonely, I'll probably just be tweaking Mac OS X or watching a movie.

[Neil]

I sure hope that "going to a lot of conferences and sending a lot of email" isn't what classifies as social these days. That said, calling the collective blogging community "lonely" is probably a stretch.

[rzklkng]

The guy's linkbaiting - he's unknown today, but tomorrow he'll be a rockstar because of this "research". He's actually selling a book. (Sidenote, didn't Technorati used to track book mentions?)