Gull picked up on a previous post from here which included a comment by Thespis:

I think that there will be a strong blogger influence for at least the next ten years or more. The authors and contributors might change, but it is an excellent outlet for those of us without others to listen to our constant rants on various topics.

I have only been blogging since September. Doing a good job requires more time than I can give since I work for a living. I am sure that others feel the same.

Hang in there! I have appreciated all of the support and encouragement from those at your wonderful site.

I read and write as much as possible. Let's all vow to do the same.

I need a blogging partner or two in order to keep everything fresh, timely, and new. There are too many days when I can not get to it at all, yet I constantly think of stories.

I hope that Blogging does not go the way of "mood rings" and "pet rocks" from the 1970's.

Not if Gull has her way, Thespis!  Both she and I have our priorities (as do you) and we never expected to blog more than for the entertainment (enlightenment?) of our cohorts over at Pogo.com!

Her post sorta speaks for all of us.  (It's expanded from comments to her previous post -- a followup from this blog -- reposted here with permission!)

I really don't think the level or content/context of personal blogging will change too much overall in the near future.   

No matter what folks say, however -- readership is always a motivating factor in and to the life of a blog.  

With few exceptions (two being the bloggers who responded to part 1!!!), most of the blogs I read are political in nature. 

As with most of us -- I enjoy reading blogs that write about what I'm interested in!  My family is grown and out on their own. (They would croak if I blogged about them -- and we talk/email every single day!  They'd know who told!!!!)   I work full-time and am pretty self-centered when it comes to creature comforts and/or who gets new shoes this month, who controls the remote or when to do the dishes or take out the trash.  I no longer attend PTO meetings or drive kids to soccer practice or softball games.  I've replaced bridge club with online poker because I don't have to bring a covered dish.  I'm interested in personal health issues because I have a few; I'm over-60, opinionated AND sensitive to the LACK of blogging (and community-building) for my generation.  And I happen to enjoy raising hell about/dissing the hypocrits who pretend to care about my welfare and well-being under the guise of policies that follow party lines.  Plus, I enjoy blogging AND I'm sufficiently foolish enough to believe that I have something important to say.  Most of the time, anyway. 

But I digress.

I anticipate a movement to impose a code of standards to political blogs in the near future.   (Not sure it will work, though.   MSM seems to adjust their "standards" whenever it's politically expedient -- so why should bloggers be held to "assigned" standards?  And if Congress gets involved -- you can bet your sweet bippy it will be a political move to curtail the impact of political blogging!)

Many MSM outlets that use blogs (or allow comments by email, for example) don't normally allow comments (or prescreen them) -- for obvious reasons.  There is little control over the content of comments and they don't want their institutional authority challenged ....  (You might also note that some "popular" political blogs encourage flaming and vile comments.  Without substance, it's one way to attract readers.  Direct from the Say-It-Ain't-So Department.) 

IMO, bloggers have become guardians (the Fifth Estate) of the guardians (if journalists are the Fourth Estate) of democracy (first, second and third being the judicial, legislative and executive Estates).  Media institutions don't like having their slants, perspectives and opinions challenged.  Soooo -- in this respect, BLOGGING (i.e., factual corrections, debate, counter-points, other perspectives, etc.) is being down-played by the very institutions bloggers are challenging!

A blog by any other name will be the same?  I agree.  I remember spending $20 for "snapshot" software in the mid-90's for my Vietnam photos (with comments) and how "proud" I was to be on the cutting edge (complete with scanner attachment to transfer old slides to digital files).

What's the future of blogging?  As Movin' suggests -- some types/formats of blogs may become less plentiful, but their role and function will expand as technology expands.

There are now regular college lectures available on iPod .... many blogs offer optional iPod broadcasts .... and the indispensible wireless phone system allows emailing, texting and imaging to and from anywhere.

(If you aren't following references in this thread and haven't read Movin's post at http://journals.aol.com/movinon203/MovinOn/entries/1683 -- do so.)

I actually envision more political bloggers to begin offering "optional venues" for readers not confined to landlines, laptops or PC's!

And my bet is on bloggers winning the media war with MSM!

 

Comments/reactions are always welcome, by the way.  (I've only deleted one comment ever -- and it was to keep my young niece from reading a few words I'm sure she'd probably seen on a bathroom wall.  But not on MY bathroom wall.)

Bold type above for my emphasis. 

We've referenced the Fifth Estate before.  To ensure that MSM is kept "honest," independent bloggers have to survive -- especially the "part-time" grassroots bloggers who aren't dependent on advertising, think-tank endorsements, talking heads circuits or college speaking fees.   If links, "co-ops," teams or rings are necessary -- let's have them!