A Quick Thought About the Internet (and Blogging, in Particular)

I think that the Internet is one of humanity's greatest accomplishments. It gives everyone the opportunity to publish, to report, to release and distribute recordings, and to connect with people around the world that share one's peculiar interests. I'm also glad to see that blogging continues to gain popularity. A blogger can write or report anything she or he feels like writing or reporting but is expected to provide his or her readers with links to any relevant sources. Other media outlets have neither the freedom nor the accountability that bloggers have.

The problem with blogging is that anyone can rant and rave about whatever is on her or his mind without having to face anyone. He or she also has the luxury of editing these rants as they're written or at any point after they are published. As a result of having a faceless audience and having the capacity to edit continuously, many of us (myself included) have gotten awfully damn smug when we're hanging out in the blogosphere.