Is blogging a waste of time? This is a question I’ve been asking myself a lot lately. Jay C and I have been talking about all the time and effort we sink into our blogs and podcasts, and when you step back and look at the big picture, we must be absolutely mental for putting so much work into something that is ultimately just a hobby. It generates no money (we would have quit long ago if that was what we were interested in), and it eats up nearly every waking moment of our spare time. We enjoy doing it, but just like the other millions of people out there on the internet, we are delusional on some level, thinking that we are reaching out to an audience that just isn’t there. Shouldn’t we be putting effort into something a little more rewarding?

95% of the time, I have absolutely nothing but praise for blogs. I get most of my information from blogs, in fact, I have probably hundreds of them bookmarked and visit them on a regular basis. I love getting bits and pieces of news from people who are “in the know”, bold opinions from fans, and non-stop updates around the clock. I like the personality of each site and the sometimes unprofessional nature, plus the opportunity to interact if I feel the urge. Lately though, I’ve been pretty frustrated with blogging and here’s why.

Ever since Google Adsense and other programs made blogging a viable way to make money, there are a lot of people trying to put their feet up and make a living at it. They are understandably protective of their traffic, and are doing everything in their power to keep viewers’ eyes on their sites exclusively. Which means there isn’t much collaboration or sharing going on, and sometimes there is downright theft, and the “hobbyist” can’t hope to compete. The focus is always on the big exclusive scoops that will drive traffic to the site — even if it means stretching the truth a little, or being sensationalistic.

Yeah, the internet isn’t always the most reliable source of information. We all know that. I don’t have the time or resources to check my facts properly, and neither does anyone else in the blogosphere. I don’t like it, but there it is. It becomes even more disheartening when you look at the content of a lot of blogs, and realize it’s all basically disposable crap. You write new posts every day, only to have them pushed off the page and forgotten a week later. Maybe this is a problem with news media in general, but in the blogging world it’s always a rush to get the next new post up, without spending any time on the one that came before it. Quantity over quality. I’m slowly realizing that the speed of the internet and fickleness of web audiences basically obliterate the ability to construct a detailed argument or analysis. I haven’t had time to write many full movie reviews for Film Junk lately, and it seems that my time is better spent posting two quick throwaway sentences about some lame casting rumour anyway. In some sense, you can’t help but feel used.

Since everyone and their dog has a blog, there are just more and more people cannibalizing content from each other, with no one actually participating in the communities on each site. It’s like there are a million bloggers and only 500 people actually reading these blogs. It’s kind of a ridiculous situation, and yet I can’t blame other people for wanting to start blogs of their own. I don’t have any qualifications that make my blogs more valid than someone else’s… after all, that’s part of the beauty of the web. But at the same time, the sheer number of bad blogs and podcasts out there drag down everyone else, muddying the water and splintering audiences into smaller groups.

The bottom line is that even if your blog ends up being successful, it’s still going to be regarded as the lowest form of media on the planet. Since anyone can start a blog in 5 minutes, there’s very little respect for the format, and no one thinks it takes talent or dedication or hard work. The whole situation is summed up nicely by the sole comment left on our most recent video podcast on YouTube:

“why do you think we care what you 4 adult and probably unemployed man have to say about the movies
go get something to do with your lifes [sic]…”

And maybe these rudimentary words of wisdom are precisely the wake up call we needed.

The internet gives the illusion that the world is your audience, but the reality is that unless you’re famous, or well-connected, or have other accomplishments to prove your worth, no one is listening. You’re just shooting the breeze into the emptiness of cyberspace.

So does this mean we are going to give up blogging? The thought has crossed my mind many times, and yet I am somehow always compelled to jot down ideas and share interesting links with friends and will probably continue to do so. Blogging is just a convenient way to do it. In the long run though, I’d much rather be working towards a personal project that is a little more permanent and, I don’t know… real. As for what exactly that is, I’m still trying to figure that out. Looking at publishing a book down the road is probably no more delusional than thinking people are going to read my blog. As for Jay, he is going to start focusing on getting his feature-length documentary made and I wish him luck.