stumbling blogs
You can't figure out how it happens.
You're surfing the web, minding your own business, when suddenly -- BAM! -- you've landed on a blog. A random person's blog. A blog that, in most cases, has nothing at all to do with the subject matter you were studying or searching for.
Sound familiar?
This little mishap is becoming a common occurrence for me, and I just can't figure out how it's happening. In fact, just today I was Googling images of graves when, upon clicking one of them, I was directed to a blog entitled, "My God Can Beat Up Your God." What, pray tell, does such a theme have to do with tombstones? (And, uh...where's my image?)
As previously stated, this is happening to me all the time - so often that I have now come up with a neologism for these accidental journal encounters: Stumbling blogs. The reason for this epithetical bestowment is because they inevitably lead to further investigation, which inevitably leads to three things:
Now, don't get me wrong. Not all of these encounters end with the unleashing of my inner rage. Sometimes, with a precarious click of fate, they turn into a pleasant surprise. This case is rare - for me, it has only happened twice, but I do remain hopeful - and usually when you are using a search engine for exact wording on a topic. Take my two examples, for instance:
Example #1: I am shocked and appalled and slightly miffed at the fact that Nabisco has changed the Oreo slogan, and I decide to write a blog about this mystery. I am utterly confused and upset that Oreo is not "America's Favorite Cookie" anymore, just "Milk's Favorite Cookie." I am proactive. I do my research. I Google the question, "Why has the Oreo slogan changed?". I land on a blog titled, "The Plight of The Oreo," in which some girl in California dares to delve into the very same issue that was consuming my brain cells. Finally! Someone else who noticed the switch and was just as curious about the logic behind it as I was. Partly satisfied, I quoted her in my blog. No animosity there. It was worth my time.
Example #2: I am in the process of writing another blog. I want to quote an article I found in Relevant Magazine; however, this article is nowhere to be found on the internet. I figured Relevant would have some kind of article archive on their website. This is not true. Suddenly my want to quote the article has become a need, and I become frantic in my search. I Googled, "'Faith No More' by Jesse Carey" and landed on a blog beginning with this sentence: "Ok... I searched all over the internet for this article entitled "Faith No More" by Jesse Carey from the January issue of Relevant Magazine, but alas, it is no where to be found." And this girl actually proceeded to type a large portion of the article by hand, and while none of it included the section I was looking for, I was intrigued by the fact that she was quoting the same article. If you'll kindly refer to my first reason for inventing the phrase stumbling blog, you'll understand why I went ahead and read the entire blog and left a way-too-long-for-a-stranger comment (a passionate one, not a furious one, in case you were wondering). A day later, we're Myspace friends. Good read, new friend, happy ending - well worth my time.
However. Despite the few gems I happen to have discovered, unless they start popping up more frequently than the ones that are simply feeding my internet addiction, they will humbly remain Stumbling Blogs. And with that I would like to warn all of ye filthy scoundrels who dare to continue producing the latter type of blog:
"Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling blog to the weak." - 1 Corinthians 8:9
You're surfing the web, minding your own business, when suddenly -- BAM! -- you've landed on a blog. A random person's blog. A blog that, in most cases, has nothing at all to do with the subject matter you were studying or searching for.
Sound familiar?
This little mishap is becoming a common occurrence for me, and I just can't figure out how it's happening. In fact, just today I was Googling images of graves when, upon clicking one of them, I was directed to a blog entitled, "My God Can Beat Up Your God." What, pray tell, does such a theme have to do with tombstones? (And, uh...where's my image?)
As previously stated, this is happening to me all the time - so often that I have now come up with a neologism for these accidental journal encounters: Stumbling blogs. The reason for this epithetical bestowment is because they inevitably lead to further investigation, which inevitably leads to three things:
- I actually read the blog (with an enticing title such as "My God Can Beat Up Your God," I simply can't resist the temptation to go, "Oh yeah? We'll see about that..." and begin reading). Then, depending on the subject matter, I'm either going to be so passionate or so furious at its content that I just have to leave a comment.
- I notice that this particular blogger receives on average 12.3 comments per blog. I recieve about 2. This is not right. I am mad.
- I've just wasted my time reading a complete stranger's blog and, doing a fine job of adding insult to injury, boosted their comment average. I am now twice as mad.
Now, don't get me wrong. Not all of these encounters end with the unleashing of my inner rage. Sometimes, with a precarious click of fate, they turn into a pleasant surprise. This case is rare - for me, it has only happened twice, but I do remain hopeful - and usually when you are using a search engine for exact wording on a topic. Take my two examples, for instance:
Example #1: I am shocked and appalled and slightly miffed at the fact that Nabisco has changed the Oreo slogan, and I decide to write a blog about this mystery. I am utterly confused and upset that Oreo is not "America's Favorite Cookie" anymore, just "Milk's Favorite Cookie." I am proactive. I do my research. I Google the question, "Why has the Oreo slogan changed?". I land on a blog titled, "The Plight of The Oreo," in which some girl in California dares to delve into the very same issue that was consuming my brain cells. Finally! Someone else who noticed the switch and was just as curious about the logic behind it as I was. Partly satisfied, I quoted her in my blog. No animosity there. It was worth my time.
Example #2: I am in the process of writing another blog. I want to quote an article I found in Relevant Magazine; however, this article is nowhere to be found on the internet. I figured Relevant would have some kind of article archive on their website. This is not true. Suddenly my want to quote the article has become a need, and I become frantic in my search. I Googled, "'Faith No More' by Jesse Carey" and landed on a blog beginning with this sentence: "Ok... I searched all over the internet for this article entitled "Faith No More" by Jesse Carey from the January issue of Relevant Magazine, but alas, it is no where to be found." And this girl actually proceeded to type a large portion of the article by hand, and while none of it included the section I was looking for, I was intrigued by the fact that she was quoting the same article. If you'll kindly refer to my first reason for inventing the phrase stumbling blog, you'll understand why I went ahead and read the entire blog and left a way-too-long-for-a-stranger comment (a passionate one, not a furious one, in case you were wondering). A day later, we're Myspace friends. Good read, new friend, happy ending - well worth my time.
However. Despite the few gems I happen to have discovered, unless they start popping up more frequently than the ones that are simply feeding my internet addiction, they will humbly remain Stumbling Blogs. And with that I would like to warn all of ye filthy scoundrels who dare to continue producing the latter type of blog:
"Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling blog to the weak." - 1 Corinthians 8:9
posted by audrey at
6:39 PM
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