The American Mind

One milestone for the Wisconsin blogosphere is the one Charlie Sykes noticed:

A press release from a candidate for governor focusing solely on the reaction of the blogosphere.

Another way to know a weblog community has “arrived” is when individuals are knee-deep in navel gazing. The Badger blogosphere has reached that point. It started with Owen Robinson and I whining offering forceful critiques of the upcoming WisPolitics “Blog Summit.” Kevin Binversie felt “jaded.” Patrick at Badger Blogger notes that what was missing from the summit were the “real grass roots Bloggers, the citizen journalist that has made blogging what it is today.” There’s been plenty of discussion at the Badger Blog Alliance [here, here, and here]. Summit panelists Professor McAdams and Brian Fraley (who I think was smart enough to buy some TAM advertising space sometime back) weigh in.

If I didn’t make myself clear in my previous post I am not insulting or putting down any webloggers on the summit panels. I read most of them and love their contributions. More smart people writing good stuff is always better than less.

Telling a little of TAM’s history will let you know why the initial summit line up set me off.

I’ve toiled on my little part of the internet for over six years. I’ve written short posts, long posts, important posts, not-so-important posts. TAM started out as a simple text file of HTML that I uploaded to a server once or twice a day. TAM version 1.0 was ugly and a far cry from the slicker, more reader-friendly weblogs running now. I started TAM because I am a writer, and publishing on the web allows me to get my thoughts in front of an audience without having to know a newspaper editor, book publisher, television producer, or talk radio call screener.

Since I’m a writer I want two things: 1) I want a place to be published; 2) I want readers. Lots of readers. For me weblogging isn’t just about the intellectual challenge to write something insightful, intelligent, or (occasionally) funny it’s about the egoboo. Egoboo stands for “ego boost.” When I’m linked by other webloggers and websites and have my material mentioned on the radio it’s a high. I love that feeling, and I want more of it.

It’s annoying when a newbie weblogger pops onto the scene and is an instant hit. It’s frustrating when you think you’re putting out material that’s as good as another certain weblog but you only get 1% of their traffic. Traffic and links are the currency of weblogs. It’s how we keep score. It’s a sign of respect. The initial list of participants in the weblog summit showed there was a lack of respect for those weblogs that have laid the ground work for the blogosphere today. Professor McAdams writes,

Second, remember C.C. Colton’s dictum that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” The fact that lots of people other than you pioneers are getting into blogging is a huge tribute to you.

Up to a point he’s right, but it’s not like we “pioneers” dried up and went away. We’re still here pounding away at our keyboards continuing to offer something interesting to readers. We like some actual appreciation beyond knowing we are trailblazers.

I admit I’m sucking on some sour grapes. Do you blame me? TAM is one of the oldest Wisconsin weblogs and no one bothers to ask what the blogosphere was like in 1999. No body remembers Robot Wisdom, the Instapundit of his time. Persistance doesn’t always pay off. Which shows I write for more than traffic, money, and chicks. Weblogging is fun. Obsessive, yes, but still fun.

Now, before this post gets too ungodly long I want to address Jessica McBride’s concern that critics are bashing summit participants. I don’t think I put anyone down except for WisPolitics who is organizing the summit. If anyone has a beef with me it’s Ann Althouse because I compared her to Judith Miller. McBride is mentioned for her short time as a weblogger.

There’s a difference between webloggers with an audience from their other work and webloggers like me who appeared out of no where like a quantum particle. In McBride’s case I believe she was on Charlie Sykes’ television show before starting her weblog. (If I’m wrong she’ll let me know.) Even if that wasn’t the case she knew Sykes and that was a way for her to get traffic. Reporters, lobbyists, and news junkies know Ed Garvey, Brian Fraley, and State Senator Mark Pocan. Professor John McAdams is a prominent figure on the Marquette University campus and has been on Sykes’ radio show. Sykes has a radio transmitter to tell the area about his weblog. Their experiences as webloggers are much different than those of Owen Robinson and myself. Neither of us are journalists. We didn’t immediately have people curious about our writing.

That doesn’t make McBride, Sykes, et al any less “real” than more veteran webloggers. More voices in the blogosphere mean more readers and more interesting reading.

I’ve found out the WisPolitics gang heard the complaints and are trying to fix it by adding more webloggers. They’re learning which is commendable.

The real downside is after all my bitching I might not be able to attend. I’m one of those who has to work on Saturdays. Getting a day off at this late a date isn’t impossible but it isn’t a sure thing. Scheduling the summit on a Saturday shows me WisPolitics partially understood the populist nature of weblogging. That’s another plus in their corner. I’ll do my best to be at the summit. With all the talk about it so far we know it won’t be boring.