MSNBC Reports on Poll That Blogging Still Infrequent, Well, Duh!

Blogging still infrequent, study finds

Despite the potential of turning every Internet user into a publisher, relatively few have created Web journals called blogs and even fewer do so with regularly, a new study finds.

Some bloggers indeed update their journals often, in some cases several times a day. But it's clearly a minority who are taking advantage of the blog and its potential to steer the online discourse with personal musings about news events and daily life.

What? You mean people with jobs other than publishing or writing aren't publishing and writing more than fulltime publishers and writers with their cadre of support employees who do editing, fact checking and layout?

Inconceivable!

I really just don't see how that's possible.

But seriously, how many people started home newspapers or newsletters when they had all the tools they needed: Intel 386 home computers, text editors, MS paintbrush and color dotmatrix printers? A few, to be sure. But why not 100%? Well, it's like any undertaking, costs (time, money) were too high or interest in the effort is too low or the concept doesn't fit into their world view. Today when I talk to most people about weblogs I usually get that puzzled, head cocked to the side look You know the one. It's the "You have a what? A blawg? That like some sort of blue dawg?" look. With blogs you get it or you don't. Maybe more accurately, you get it, immediately, you won't get it, ever or you will get it, eventually.

I fell into the you WILL get it, later bucket.

At first I just read my friend Shane's blog and then shortly after that another friend Steve's blog. Then I branched out from there and read a few other blogs that they had linked to on their blog rolls and then a few further out from there. Some I liked that continued to draw me back and of course many I never returned to. But I found myself in awe of the potential of this mode of communication. I wanted to join this community to have my voice heard, my words read, but I needed a little push.

Shane started to talk to me about starting my own blog. He finally talked me into it when his head shaking reaction about my choice of blog names told me it was odd enough to merit my efforts. And then this freak show began. Luckily, I've had a good bit of technical support from Shane, most it seems have to go it alone. I don't get the traffic some do, but then, I recognize I am an acquired taste. I have to grow on people just like the idea of keeping an online journal had to grow on me.

But the communication is happening, Now that I have started doing this I don't know that I could stop. I am compelled to try to improve every aspect of my little enterprise here and also to try to reach a wider and maybe even weirder readership.

It takes time, it's a growth thing. Give us all some time, we're going it relatively alone. It brings to mind a quote, what's that quote about how long it took to build Rome? Yeah, that's the one.