At the Brecker Concert this Monday, I had the pleasure of conversing with two friends about the nature of blogs.
Saxophonist|composer Rich Van Voorst is returning to USF for his second Masters’ this Autumn. Rich is the reason I am attending USF this year (another story for another occasion). He doesn’t blog and isn’t really all that interested in the blogosphere. The conversation turned towards the inevitable: What is a blog exactly? Well, for me, it’s an interactive diary. I put my thoughts out there for the world to agree or disagree with. To improve, dissent, and generally respond to. It’s a view for potential employers and clients into my life (well, then, it’s definitely self-censored, right?). It’s also a way for me to organize my history. I can go back and work through the blog for inspiration for my CV|Resume (When was that gig with Tenor Sax Giant X? (Ha!)).
For my friend, Philip Booth, who I am glad to see blogging regularly again, the stakes may be a bit higher. Philip is a freelance journalist who works as Media Relations Coordinator for the University. Because he is a journalist, his standards are rightfully higher. While I am content to tell you about what I ate for breakfast and slip in a few typos and mis-quotes, Philip’s journalistic orientation means a more carefully crafted (and often more substantive) post.
The beauty (and the pitfall) of blogging is that Philip, Rich, and I are all able to speak. For the casual reader, credibility may be determined by the blogger with the most user-friendly interface instead of the one with the best credentials. In cases like Jason Heath, you get both. In cases like mine, well, you decide.