Obviously there are some common practices that many blogs share: multiple posts, archives, search capability, even comments. But no single one is essential to “blogness.”

Second, there’s a larger democratization–that of blog software. The commodity nature of hosting and software means that for around $8 a money, a person can have his own domain and host all the blogs he wants. And if he’s not so inclined, he can publish a blog on WordPress or Blogger for free.

The democratization here has countered the old argument that freedom of the press is a great thing if you can afford a press.

As usual, I’m a little tardy in responding, but I’m struck by a phrase you used. You said in part:
“…democratisation means that a blog can be what you want it to be…”

My thought:

Well “democratization” can be defined variously, but I think I take exception to your notion if it is asserted as anything the blog owner has any control over.

Yes, he/she can attempt to establish a tone and try to entertain responses equitably, and even to treat all comments as equally important (which, obviously, “democracy or not,” they cannot be), BUT any fool with a computer can at any point interrupt dysfunctionally, even, destroy, any conversation that is going on.

So I would argue that your assertion is too one-sided and doesn’t recognize adequately that we have a two-sided (actually lots more “sides” than that) dynamic a great deal of which is not under the blog owner’s control.

We should “try,” but it would be foolish to predict that we could “succeed” in our interactive blog objectvies if we did the “right” things.

The only ways to do that are to 1) take on a very formidable, monitoring/approving task for all submitted comments; or 2) to largely bar responses, as I have chosen to do.

Regards,

R. John Howe

‘Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing—absolute nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Simply messing,’ he went on dreamily: ‘messing —about—in—boats; messing–’

At that point in The Winds in the Willows, the boat crashes into the riverbank. That doesn’t disturb the Rat much; he’s having a great time with his tools.

And that’s fine–but others want their blog-boat to get somewhere. The somewhere is of their choosing.

I’m delighted you feel comfortable in identifying yourself.

I’m happy to have been able to help you start, but Textiles and Text exists because you were willing and eager to, in the words of Sir Tyrone Guthrie, “share with others that which I myself have got great pleasure from.”

(I should add that while RSS would be another way for John’s readers to keep up with the blog posts, it’s not something to push. Many of his readers are doing well just to access a blog. For those who understand subscription, of course, an RSS feed’s built into WordPress. Successful use of RSS and a reader, just like successful hosting on your own domain, requires a good chuck of knowledge that’s helpful but not mandatory when the desired task is “read the textile blog.”)