Dino Bansigan discovers for himself not only that “almost every post on a person’s blog […] is personal commentary” but goes on to realize only the very heart of blogging: “It might be the case that personal commentary on a subject, is what makes a post valuable.” This is true even for the humble linklog (or linkblog); curating what to share itself is an act of personal commentary on what you find important enough to mention. (Apparently back in 2012 there was something of a debate over linkblogs.) Blogging always was supposed to be about what you see, whether you’re looking inward or outward, not about trying to determine what some reader-person might find valuable. This always was the psychological danger and risk of blogging: the potential value-added was you.
Addenda
- I’d plumb forgot that I’d been meaning to link this Colin Walker post asking and answering, “What is blogging?” Naturally enough, it narrows its gaze to the person and what they find interesting.