sometimes glass glitters

 [−]
zx. 20+. wants(1 gpa to stay abv 4.00 (2 big watsons dog/guitar lessons/tohoshinki cds/dvds/polaroid camera(on a whimsy)/new sandals/dresses!/skirts/tops/shorts... (3 summer holidays to come soon

more than diamonds

 [−]

goodbye


designer: eminence.
image: Sara Bareilles' Site
background: Photobucket quote: Terry Pratchett

Friday, September 30, 2005


Okay, I've been meaning to blog about this issue for quite a long while, that is, about the prevalence of local blogs and bloggers.After reading a recent article from Newsweek, "Criticism In An Uncritical Age" by John Simon, I realise that most people's blogs (mine included) are of utterly no critical value, in the strictest sense of the word. Sure, everyone has different experiences and some can even claim certain expertise in various areas. But when it comes to blogs, the sole or main purpose of the writer, undoubtedly, would be to express his or her own opinion. That is of course justified since blogs are considered "private" weblogs anyway, "private" enough to be placed on the Internet for millions of readers, known and unknown, to access. Of course, to do that is personal choice, and I'm sure the exhibitionist in all of us (hidden or otherwise) would not deny that we (I) enjoy having people read our blogs because of the attention it means. Especially for those with tagboards, leaving another form of communication available between you and your reader. =) But anyway, back to what I was saying about the article, he quotes T.S. Eliot as having observed that a critic, must be "very intelligent". This is what some of the blogs that have been reported in the news papers so far lack. Okay, maybe they don't even intentionally mean to be critical, or a critic, but to unfairly condemn other racial groups or religions due to sheer prejudice strikes me as nothing more than utter stupidity.

Besides that, since everyone is sharing their own personal opinion online, it just means that a floodgate has been opened. This means that like any huge body of water (pardon the inaccurate geographical assumptions), it comes with it's fair share of debris. As such it is definitely up to the reader to discern between what is worth taking seriously and what is not. Certain blogs, to me, are overly peppered with vulgarities and crude language, the purpose? Perhaps to adequately convey what the writer feels cannot be properly carried out across to the reader in any other form. Of course everyone does what he or she wants, mainly because they can. Freedom of speech should be a right given to those who know not to abuse it. Or at least not in the public eye. Like so many have told me before, people can get away with almost anything, as long as they don't get caught. Defaming a person, be it a teacher, group or maybe even a classmate, is certainly not beneficial to either party. It firstly feeds your hate and causes it to swell and grow, into some gargantuan bulbous sac of pus. (Utterly gross I know, much like hatred isn't it? Poisonous and it keeps accumulating until one day it bursts!) And of course, if and when you get caught (because people in high positions are becoming oh-so-very tech savvy now), so you probably will, you'd be the only one who gets into trouble. So is it all worth it? This expression of freedom and our thoughts simply because we can?

Saying so, all the above are purely of my own creation and hold no/little critical value at all. After all, I'm just another presumptuous little self centered teenage blogger in these tumultuous time of ours. =)