Blogging Responsibility

"...the Internet, like all free markets, has a way of gratifying the mediocrity of the masses"--Joseph Rago.

I love this quote. I hate this quote. It is so true and so wrong. It cuts to the chase so to speak and insults many people including myself. The quote came from an article criticizing the writing ability and thought processes that take place in the seemingly unlimited number of blogs being produced almost daily throughout the world. Blogging is a shockingly new "art" form allowing anyone regardless of his education level, status, income, race, gender, or age to participate in world-wide publishing. It is an awesome experience that is both exhilarating and frightening, enlightening and dangerous. This is due to the awesome impact and responsibility of the written word.

Thoughts tend to be random, selfish, entertaining, and devoid of any kind of meaningful collective purpose. Writing (to use an archaic term since we really do not write any longer. We really are typing or inputting but not writing), whether fiction or non-fiction, traditionally, has been goal-oriented, directed, and reserved for the educated and/or creative elite. This is partly or even mostly due to market constraints and publishing demands. A publisher does not and will not want to produce a work that will not turn a profit. Respect for the craft or art (another great topic) of the piece may encourage "taking a risk" in publication, but sales will ultimately determine its place in the world of the written word.

But now, with blogging, which is in effect publishing, where is the accountability and where is the establishment of a standard? Who determines excellence in content and form? Are we going to slowly but surely lose the "expert" editor? How will we separate the wheat from the chaff? Maybe it will all be wheat? Or maybe it will all be chaff? A frightening thought for sure. Unlike the world of popular culture, food, and merchandise, the academic literary world has been held accountable (or hostage depending on your experience) through publishers, editors, scholars, experts, and of course readers.

Blogging, however, opens the door for literary masterpieces to be produced by virtually anyone in the world and available to everyone. It also opens the door for literary garbage and potentially damaging, corrupt, dissident, and uninformed writing that in the wrong hands could create discord and havoc. Only the individual is culpable and quality is determined by the reader without any kind of accountability or burden of proof of excellence. It is freedom of the press at its finest and its most terrifying.

But in the end, the masses choose the excellence. The demand for blogging, for ideas, for knowledge, and for perception have led to the vast array of published thoughts. Some are life-changing, some are perhaps world-changing, some are worthless and some are corrupt; but blogging has given all of us the right to put in print our thoughts. May we do so with grave responsibility and may we do so with commitment to the highest standard of excellence available to us. Bloggers should not aim to "gratify mediocrity" but instead should dedicate themselves to serve and oblige arete within the confines of personal ability.

Like a carpenter given adequate tools for creation, or an artist with brushes, paint, and canvas, blogging provides the tools, the impetus, and the instant ability for the sharing of ideas in print. Time and the masses will decide the value. Not only is this nothing new, it is also right.