First off, I'm well aware that the readers of this blog are here for a quick freebie for their ears and the occasional interesting musical analysis, so I'll just let you know that mediafire won't see the light of day in this post. But please know, that I am at least trying to change the function of this blog, and the way in which "followers" can contribute to making some sort of actual community (my initial reason for kicking this off). It is because blogging is like making love, in that it should not be done alone, that we have several contributors sharing music of interest together, but we still need something more.
The earlier blogs I started years ago fizzled out after short runs because I found myself sharing and relating with no one. I was trying to be cool, like the other bloggers I followed, receiving praise and thanks for sharing things that I have no reason to take credit for. I offered little personal insight and opinion, and didn't realize that in order to have a successful blog and not come off as a prick, you have to put real work into it and take it seriously. This blog has kept strong since its start, and many people have been following our daily posts, but I'm starting to feel like a prick again. At first it was fun because my friends and I were getting a chance to swap music together like we used to do every day in high school. However, feeling like I am contributing to a community that I can only measure by looking at the amount of daily readers is starting to feel shallow.
I don't mean to come off sounding whiny,because like I said, none of you readers and spammers are here for this kind of banter, but I am left to question, how can we push ourselves further into relationships and community in order to avoid the shallow act of "cultural masturbation", in which I take pleasure in the peeking, and not in the content. I've decided to re-evaluate the way in which I post these albums. I realize that in order to create something real within this seemingly soul-sucking atmosphere that is the blogosphere, I will have to put more heart and soul into posting. Although it will mean whacking off posts less frequently, it will also bring forth posts with depth and opinion. It will hopefully drive away the readers that simply come to oldCrippledmen for a quickie musical fix, and will retain the readers that are willing to contribute through recommendations and feedback in the comments section. My job is to write and post something that you (the reader) would want to respond to, and in the future I will do so. Below I've posted a brief video in which NT Wright offers insight on blogging in a more generalized light. Voice your opinion on the future of this blog, or just heckle me about getting back to the music, in the comments.
-Tony
I can tell you put a lot into your posts already, which is why I like seeing new things up here as often as you post them. It's a nice thing because so many music blogs don't really bother with doing that. "Cultural masturbation" or not, I enjoy it, anyway. Hope you keep the writing and the music coming, at whatever level of frequency.
ReplyDeleteHmmm..it's Christmas day and I'm way too drunk to make any meaningful contribution,but in the words of General Douglas MacArthur :I shall return.
ReplyDeleteyes.
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