[OT] Blog Literacy
by 12sharks on Aug 8, 2008 2:31 AM PDT
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Print*******Warning!*******
What follows has apparently caused some consternation in the BEdgerhood. Just so we don't get off on the wrong foot right away, I'm NOT criticizing individual BEdgers or BEdgers as a collective. I'm referring to any and all who complain about reading on sites whose main content is the written word. If you feel offended by this piece, it should have to do with complaining about reading on a blog and nothing else.
*************************
"We know things are bad. Worse than bad. They're crazy."
We all know that the internet is transient stuff. Blogs particularly. They're here for us for the here and now, much like a pulp-and-ink newspaper, and gone as soon as you can say 'archives, page 2'. Attention spans are less so in this 'infemeral'* age. It's a "what I want, when I want it" medium and that's all well and good, but I does gots some beef, nonetheless:
What's with people not liking to read?
I don't mean to take issue with those looking for a little passive recreation after a long day's work. "Please," you seem to say, "at least leave us alone with our laptops. Let me have my TrueHoop, and DraftExpress, and my Fantasy Basketball Team and I won't say anything." Well I'm not going to leave you alone. I want you to get mad. Not mad in the sense that someone cut you off during your commute home or that Sheed's back in town, but in the sense that, Goddammit, the written word still means something, doesn't it?
The word - written, typed, txtd or coded - is the building block of modern communication, beyond question. It's what connects us. It's what allows us to convey our differing opinions. It's the agent, in coding syntax, that literally allows us to disconnect when we're finished with a conversation. It's not only the glue of 21st century communication, it's what makes the bottle, the label and the pour spout. NOTHING you do online happens without reading, whether of your own effort or enacted on your behalf. If you've gotten this far, you're doing it in a very direct way.
"Well, so what?" I hear you saying (in my head). Well, that's a tricky question you ask. I could go on and on about how multimedia editing is the new literacy and how copyright law effects our new language, and I'd totally see your point there in an intellectual sense. However, I'm talking more about the willingness to sit down and consume at a very basic level and how it relates to the state of patience, perception and thought in this day in age.
To be fully direct, this is in a large part related to Ben's qualification for his excellent interview with FreeDarko's Bethlehem Shoals a while ago. I was totally clotheslined by his apology/warning that the piece was long. Isn't that like a server apologizing for bringing a lot of food or Brandon Roy apologizing for bringing a bunch of championship rings (fingers crossed)?
"It's like everything everywhere is going crazy so we don't go out anymore."
Wasn't there a time that we liked to read? Sometime in everyone's lives the joys of interpreting someone elses' thoughts transcribed was a satisfying experience, wasn't it? I know it was for me, and it hasn't ceased. That's what I get out of picking up a book or magazine or clicking on a website. I like to communicate in these media. I'm not saying it's them or nothing, but here IS what I'm saying: you're doing it right now.
So why such distaste for your own preferred method of reference? Why clamor against the abundance of awesome and high-quality content around you because it happens to be 'wordy'? It's ALL "word-y", dude! If all anyone did online was win iPods by guessing whether the photo of a butt belonged to Paris Hilton or not, I'd understand. However, we're here for content, right? Why is more so bad all of a sudden?
Sure, it might take a little longer to digest. Sure, it might require printing out and scanning over in your house's smallest room. Sure, I've been burned, too, with two-and-a-half-page-long posts that amount to the effect that JR Smith is kind of immature - no one likes those. But this #*!$ Dave and Ben pump out is the pure, uncut Colombian dope, man, and man if it isn't the #*!$ that gets you high, brother! Can't we just leave it at that?
Where have our attention spans gone? It would be preposterous to think of someone writing a letter to Amazon and saying "Your selection is far too wide" or writing a letter to Playboy and saying "You know, your centerfold photo is really a page too big". This is what we come for, this is the medium of delivery, and really, to all the complainers out there, what were you expecting?
Let me know in the comments, yo.
If you made it this far.
* Wow. I thought I was being all smart by mashing up 'info' and 'ephemeral', but FireFox's spellchecker says that's a-ok. Dictionary.com isn't so into it, though. I totally didn't think this was a word - is it? If not, you heard it here first, folks - look out, internet!
p.s. This is my transparent bid to get two fanposts recommended at the same time. We can do it! Yes we can! The REC button is getting cold, Pritches!
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Did I really just spend three minutes reading a post about how "people" don't like to read?
You’re trying just a little too hard to be poignant and the whole post rubs me the wrong way. It seems like a rant prompted by something personal as opposed to something related to this communities consciousness, making it feel a little “left field”, a little desperate, really condescending, and completely unnecessary. It seems like you are writing this to scold a few people in particular but you end up scolding, unjustly, an entire community. That’s just my take though. “You get an E for effort and a T for nice try.”
Sorry You Feel That Way..
It was never intended to scold anyone. I was really just trying to voice an opinion and get some feedback on something I find weird with modern communication (blogs in particular) these days. I’m constantly hearing people gripe about the length of posts (here, other sports blogs, other genre blogs as well), which to me is like complaining about overtime or extra innings – it’s MORE good stuff.
This was at no point BEdge-specific (except when praising Dave & Ben’s work) and I really don’t see how I was chastising “an entire community” in that sense, unless you mean “community” referring to anyone who reads things on the internet, which would be quite a feat. Also, the only “personal” event that prompted this post was a personal observation, so sorry if that smacks of desperation and condescension.
In any case, sorry for wasting those three minutes of yours.
"Well, Travis just showed us that we can go to Travis Outlaw." - Nate McMillan
by 12sharks on Aug 8, 2008 9:22 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I didn't say you "wasted" my 3 minutes.
“This was at no point BEdge-specific”
Except for the fact that you posted it on the BEdge blog (I noticed you edited the title to include “OT”, thank you) and consistantly used the pronoun “we”.
Look, I appreciate your observation. It’s a commonly lamented point: modern society is creating short attention spans and lazy people. OK. The context and presentation of your post rubbed me the wrong way. It’s OK though right? We’re still friends? You seem like a smart guy, and I’m confrontational by nature. I bet we’d get along great in “real” life.
I think 12sharks has a good point,
and I think the largest benefit could come in folks’ writing. A longer, reasoned post that contains a structured and supported argument is more likely to elicit similar responses. A short, one-off post is more likely to elicit one-liners and less examination and analysis.
This community prides itself – and rightly so – on its high level of discourse about the Blazers and basketball in general. If we want to continue that tradition, thumbing our noses at length and associated analysis is not going to help.
12sharks made a good point in that two pages of drivel is just a lot more drivel, but it’s also much more difficult to make a good argument in only a couple sentences. I don’t think anyone wants lengthier posts just for prose’s sake, but people should not be turned off by a good chunk of words, especially because it’s probably more likely to make you think and react well.
I think Ben has done a really good job recently of really tightening up his writing. He continues to make the same great observations and analysis he always has, but his word count has dropped. That’s a great example of what I think 12sharks was looking for.
I was looking around Sactown Royalty the other day, and saw a couple good things over there that are a bit relevant to this. FanPosts vs. FanShots and a good comment on that thread third down. There’s a word limit on FanPosts for a reason. If you have to type filler, it probably shouldn’t be a FanPost.
< /war >
I'm happy
to give it a rec, not because you asked for it, but simply because it makes sense to me. I don’t see it as a rant against this community at all. We wouldn’t be here (at least not for long) if we didn’t like to read.
But short attention spans? I blame tv. Commercials interrupt most broadcast tv every few minutes. There’s no way you can get deeply into something in six minutes. Sesame Street was lauded for utilizing the short attention span of children, but it may have only reinforced it.
Life has become faster. People drive fast, recklessly change lanes, cut off other cars, run red lights because, horrors, they might arrive at their destination 23 seconds later. Instant gratification rules. I want it NOW. (You don’t often hear about people “saving up” to buy something anymore. Just whip out the Visa and it’s yours.) With a cell phone u cn tlk/txt NOW [insert smily face here]
Not wanting to read is just a by-product of the times. It requires an effort on our part ; its something that cannot be done for us … and cannot be done any faster . It’s funny – in another online community I said years ago that “everybody writes, nobody reads” and that is still true to a certain extent here.
This is no “holier than thou” rant ; it’s simply an observation. I’m guilty of many of the above transgressions. It’s just what’s happenin’ .
"We, as Blazer fans, are perhaps the luckiest fans in the league."-Idog1976, July 19.
by jorga on Aug 8, 2008 7:56 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
I rec'd it too and also your comments jorga ---
because of your excellent, well presented points.
I remember telling him how impressed I was with a player during summer league. In Avery's unique voice, he replied, "Marc, it's summer league." I
There's a bunch of articles available on this subject
but they’re all too long and who has time to read them?
Asked his specialty in the kitchen, Oden paused and said, "Hamburger Helper and tuna fish."
Well, the last time I checked you dont know me.
I suppose I get your argument, I think. BUt really, how do you know I don’t read? How do you qualify the reading of the members of this blog? Can you even do that when an online community is anonymous?
I agree with the majority of your topics in this convaluted thesis paper, but the overall tone is negative and you seem condescending. I was hoping to be enlightened, unfortunatly I was not.
Sophia
PS Check all typos.
Leaders build cultures that create self-esteem, generate and sustain trust, elevate the dignity of work , create community and foster open communication, and finally encourage growth and learning.
-Warren Bennis USC Professor
That was a very hard winter,
and it was just like one long night,
with me lying awake, waiting and waiting and waiting
for daybreak.
- Black Elk
1881
Three posts
I think one way to qualify the reading habits are the three people that took the time to post that they didn’t read it because it was too long. Really? Perhaps they were just being sarcastic.
He may have been negative and condescending (I’m not sure I agree), but he makes valid points about shunning good writing or arguments merely because of their length. Especially when people feel the need to comment specifically that something is too long and thus not worth their attention.
< /war >
If you READ my post
you would notice that I agree w/ the majority of the post.
Leaders build cultures that create self-esteem, generate and sustain trust, elevate the dignity of work , create community and foster open communication, and finally encourage growth and learning.
-Warren Bennis USC Professor
That was a very hard winter,
and it was just like one long night,
with me lying awake, waiting and waiting and waiting
for daybreak.
- Black Elk
1881
Wasn't trying to point fingers at you.
I did catch that you agreed with most of his post. I was just referring to your question: “How do you qualify the reading of members of this blog?” There were three posts of evidence as to how some people read this blog.
I was also agreeing with his and your take, just wanted to note that even though his tone may not have been the best, it didn’t detract from his points.
< /war >
Surprisingly..
I wasn’t writing this with you in mind. Nor any particular BEdgers or even the BEdge community as a whole. I don’t know who reads and who doesn’t and frankly I don’t give a rip. What I was discussing is what I see as a growing culture of people who complain about reading on sites whose main method of communication is writing. That’s it.
I don’t know why you’d be offended by that, but if you were I’d like to apologize – I’m not snooty or snobby and I generally don’t wave my preferences in other people’s faces.
p.s. My typos or yours? Glass houses, BF1..
"Well, Travis just showed us that we can go to Travis Outlaw." - Nate McMillan
My typos 12 sharks only mine
Im not offended. I thought the post condescending.. I did note that I generally agree with your point.
Sophia
Leaders build cultures that create self-esteem, generate and sustain trust, elevate the dignity of work , create community and foster open communication, and finally encourage growth and learning.
-Warren Bennis USC Professor
That was a very hard winter,
and it was just like one long night,
with me lying awake, waiting and waiting and waiting
for daybreak.
- Black Elk
1881
I am a speed reader
and long blogs are fine with me but I am a pretty slow typist thus the brevity of my replys
by southern oregon on Aug 8, 2008 12:10 PM PDT reply actions
12Sharks, The Iceland Weather Report
this month might address your point, but if not, you may like the lion picture. (Hopefully, you won’t feel like the male, because your thoughts seem useful to me.)
http://icelandweatherreport.com/2008/08
Many BEdge participants are/were scholar/athletes. Reading and physical activity are both important to them. They likely contend with the dilemma of “So many books, so little time.” The Bob Seeger songline “what to leave in, what to leave out” runs thru their heads.
http://www.google.com/search?q=%22What+to+leave+in%2C+what+to+leave+out%22&rls=com.microsoft:*:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7DKUS
As they edit their daily options, deciding whether to peruse posts or read a novel, run 10k or stroll to the mailbox, some BEdgers make choices that reflect my favorite political slogan: “How long is too long if its good?” (From Barbados in 1971.) I’d rather read a long historical novel than a short one … if it’s well written, but when checking BEdge posts, I’m probably taking a break from physical activity and am not expecting to commit a large block of time to reading.
Likewise, some BEdgers write efforts that range from terse, grammatically flawed burstsof inspiration … to expanded, carefuly edited epistles. But, too, some BEdgers creatively make reading difficult, as was apparently the case with Fatty. Personally, I prefer posts that made a point clearly and quickly, allowing me to move on to another activity.
In “Geography of Bliss,” Eric Weiner reports that a primary reason Icelandic people are happier than most in their willingness to make mistakes, not letting flawed attempts dampen their enthusiasm for the next endeavor. When I read someone’s post, I’m not expecting a polished piece by a professional writer, but I do prefer they follow a relatively short, straight path to their viewpoint, partly because I want to get back outside.
http://www.amazon.com/Geography-Bliss-Grumps-Search-Happiest/dp/0446580260/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218218790&sr=1-1
(An OT aside … When seeing Dheepan’s name, I tend to think of Joseph Campbell’s writing, which I appreciate even more knowing he was a half-miler in college.)
Cave Canem!
by Caveowl on Aug 8, 2008 12:21 PM PDT reply actions 4 recs
Wow. Well said.
“Personally, I prefer posts that made a point clearly and quickly, allowing me to move on to another activity.”
“When I read someone’s post, I’m not expecting a polished piece by a professional writer, but I do prefer they follow a relatively short, straight path to their viewpoint, partly because I want to get back outside. “
Thank you for expressing my feelings so well.
Yeah..
Thanks for the non-”You’re a jerk” reply. It was really well thought out and definitely influenced my thinking on the subject. I generally post things to get other people’s opinions more than I do to have them get mine, and this one’s not really an exception.
I think you’re right on the money in a couple of your points and raised a few others that I hadn’t even considered before.
Thanks again!
"Well, Travis just showed us that we can go to Travis Outlaw." - Nate McMillan
Everybody used to call me condescending too,
but that was mostly cause I’m smarter than em all.
I'm a really really ridiculously good looking orange mocha frappaccino drinking manhammer sandwich
Here's a con descending
Asked his specialty in the kitchen, Oden paused and said, "Hamburger Helper and tuna fish."
I skimmed
I’m about to walk my dog but it looked like you were saying we should read books and not hang out on the internet because it makes us dumb. I didn’t read it anywhere but I figured you were thinking that reading or typing, “yur dum” isn’t as good for us as reading words like “ubiquitous” or “flatulent.”
One time I had three fanposts rec’ed at the same tame. I’m pretty much the Calvin Edwin Ripken, Jr. of Blazer’s Edge. The record will never be broken.
"The only difference between a good shot and a bad shot is if it goes in or not." - Charles Barkley
Yeah, all this talk about readers being lazy...
What about writers? When I invest my time to read something, I want a payoff. I want to learn something I didn’t know, see something in a new way, laugh, cry, or have a seizure. I don’t want to think, “that was flatulent.”
Asked his specialty in the kitchen, Oden paused and said, "Hamburger Helper and tuna fish."
I cannot believe I had a typo in a comment about swell writing.
I can handle bad spelling; stupidity is downright junky. Are we going off topic? I was just answering 12shark’s question if we read the post until the end.
"The only difference between a good shot and a bad shot is if it goes in or not." - Charles Barkley
I had to read your 4:06 comment
several times to find the booboo, which is puny next to the whopping syntax error in your 5:39 comment, which jumped out and punched me ubiquitously in the nose.
But I digress.
I’m hanging around this thread because I recently read an excellent article on the subject about which 12sharks posted and I’m struggling to remember where I saw it. Wait a minute… Found it!
Here’s the article. Below are the comments I added when I circulated the article to my distribution list:
Like a friend of the writer in this article, Nicholas Carr, I was a voracious reader most of my life, able to consume even complex books like James Joyce’s "Ulysses" – until I began consuming Internet fare for my intellectual diet. I first noted the effect Mr. Carr describes several years ago, when I tried to read the forward to Mary Shelley’s "Frankenstein." The prose is dense and Elizabethan, and I literally struggled through the first five or six pages before giving up, in surprise as much as exhaustion. I felt while I was reading that I was mentally gasping for air, over-using image-generating and concentrative muscles that had long atrophied from lack of use. I felt like a couch potato who had suddenly jumped off the sofa and begun running a triathlon.
Some time after, I decided to read Lawrence of Arabia’s excellent interpretation of "The Odyssey." Again I struggled, but I limited myself to only what I could handle, a few pages at a time, and kept coming back to it each day. Soon I was able to read with less effort, until I had regained my former ability. So at least I take comfort that, even if I’m not reading books much these days, the ability to do so is still within my grasp. All I need do is turn off the computer and TV and stereo and sit down with a book.
Asked his specialty in the kitchen, Oden paused and said, "Hamburger Helper and tuna fish."
I do in in memory of that guy who is named T Keanu Reeves' band
"The only difference between a good shot and a bad shot is if it goes in or not." - Charles Barkley
Your situation is dire and deteriorating rapidly.
You need emergency FLR (Frontal Lobe Resuscitation). Better start off with something easy. I’m sending you a copy of “Goodnight Moon.”
Asked his specialty in the kitchen, Oden paused and said, "Hamburger Helper and tuna fish."
John Grisham's "Playing For Pizza" works too
It’s about football..sorta
"There something going on with that Skipper. No one gets that fat eating coconuts"
The Unkindest Cut
I’m really not sure if you’re joking (“I skimmed”, “I’m about to walk my dog”, “We should read books”) but I think, to my sole blame, everyone’s misinterpreting my post. That being the case, it seems to have touched a nerve and I suppose that’s interesting, but here it is, once again, in a sentence or two:
People who complain about reading while attending places whose content is conveyed through that very act seem weird to me. It’s a shame people like our very own Ben have to preface their pieces with disclaimers that there will be more than snippet-sized content available.
That’s all I was saying. I’m not advocating reading books instead of clicking around on the internet. I’m not suggesting we take English courses at our community colleges. All I’m saying is that, just as a customer of an all-you-can-eat buffet shouldn’t complain about an abundance of food, so shouldn’t attendees of what’s essentially an online essay group (again, blogs proper, not BEdge specifically) complain about an abundance of words. That’s it.
Again, to my own fault, this thing is a beautiful disaster. Hope this settles the complications to some degree.
"Well, Travis just showed us that we can go to Travis Outlaw." - Nate McMillan
It was just real long and I was in a hurry
"The only difference between a good shot and a bad shot is if it goes in or not." - Charles Barkley
Oh..
‘cause you do make the funny jokes on occasion.
Perhaps I was a little oversensitive considering the backlash and all. It was weird, because it seemed like everyone was mad about something that didn’t have to do with my point. Maybe it was the tone that got the BEdge goats.
I can’t imagine you’ve ever been misunderstood – were there bumps in the road to becoming T “don’t be offended, he’s just being funny” iH?
"Well, Travis just showed us that we can go to Travis Outlaw." - Nate McMillan
I still offend people all the time
The funny part is that I do it on accident more than I do it on purpose. Unless it’s bow4meow, I do whatever I can to offend that guy. Like right now, I just kicked my cat, just to make bow4meow mad. If you really want to make him mad, call him bob4meow.
Seriously, the comments that I think might be offensive and almost cancel never anger people. I try to use Jorga as my moral compass. I try not to write anything that I think would offend her. She’s an older woman and she also seems pretty open minded.
I like cheese.
Yeah..
she’s definitely a sage among us. She’s given me a couple taps on the nose before, but always in a way that opened my eyes to the situation.
Plus, she was into this post. It’s funny, I thought “well, at least Jorga likes it – that means it can’t be all that bad”.
I think people get offended – like you said, on accident – more because of wires getting crossed, not lines.
"Well, Travis just showed us that we can go to Travis Outlaw." - Nate McMillan
I don't know why people are upset either
But haven’t said nuthin’ yet. You weren’t saying anything that ain’t untrue, even if it’s better here at Blazers Edge: people online don’t like to read much and often complain about it.
On other sites I’ve had more than a few instances of people replying to a long-ish post with “why did you write so much” type comments. It’s lame.
I was surprised Ben even said anything, since this IS Blazers Edge. Dave rights long stuff all the time, as do many commenters. I’ve never seen anyone complain about it, and considering how long some of my stuff is I’d assume I woulda’ seen it sometime in the past few years.
The only thing I mind when a post like that is so long is that it pushes everything further down the page. Not a big deal since it’s still ‘there’, but takes longer to find older posts to catch up on them. I’d rather Ben did a ‘click for more’ type thing to keep the front page from being so long.
But like I said, that isn’t a big deal.
I didn’t think you were scolding anyone and I am surprised people thought so. Didn’t seem condescending to me, but maybe I just read it in a non-confrontational voice because I’ve paid attention to your posts before and like to read ‘em.
I dunno, sometimes people read into stuff that doesn’t seem to be there for me.
Perhaps people just got sensitive because they inferred that you were implying Blazers Edge is guilty of those transgressions, when to me you seemed to be talking about the Inter-web blog world in general.
Mortimer
Yeah, Totally..
Thanks for the fist-bump. That’s exactly what I was saying and I was at first feeling really bad that people were so offended, then not so bad because they weren’t offended about my actual point, then feeling kind of bad again because I obviously did such a poor job of getting said point across.
You don’t hear basketball players go “oh man, two free throws?” when they go to the line – it’s part of the game and also part of what makes it enjoyable. Same with blogs, in my opinion. If people wanted sports analysis without having to read, they’d probably invent some kind of TV show dedicated to sports (I know – ludicrous – but some sort of.. center for sports news, reviews and highlights would be pretty cool!).
That said, I have seen this sort of thing creep up on the Edge. It’s infrequent, but I could probably provide you with five links off the top of my head where people have complained about word count (or at least referred to it). This site is a rare gold-standard for posts, comments and user-generated content and I see the whining about it as harmful towards that. Like Ben’s preface to his post. He shouldn’t have to make excuses or provisos – it should be lauded that he takes that time and energy in the first place.
At least, I’m guessing that’s what you were saying – I only got to the part where you said “nuthin’ yet” and kind of tuned you out after that. I’d have read it all, but I don’t enjoy that sort of thing or have the time.
"Well, Travis just showed us that we can go to Travis Outlaw." - Nate McMillan
I guess I'm a voracious reader. If I lost the ability to read I doubt I'd think
life worth living. If I couldn’t read myself to sleep I’d never sleep. If I couldn’t read I’d sicken and die. I’ve always marveled at people who tell me they never read except when required to for whatever reason. I have a book with me wherever I go. The advent of the internet has not precluded books. You can’t snuggle up on the couch with your favorite blanky and a desktop or even a laptop. Yet. But it still won’t smell like a book. Hmmm.
"Besides, AnntheFan will be here any minute to #25 you." T Darkstar
somehow, I dont know why, but I really like this part of what you said.
and I quote:
I guess I’m a voracious reader. If I lost the ability to read I doubt I’d think
"I love Sheed. I wish he’d write a children’s book. Maybe he’d call it - How to $&%# Cuss Like a Big Boy."
--- tominhawaii on May 29, 2008 6:29 PM PDT
Email Dave,
--- Mortimer --- for Blazers Edge Ambassador to the SBNations
I like it, too..
and I actually think it’s pretty thought-provoking.
"Well, Travis just showed us that we can go to Travis Outlaw." - Nate McMillan
I'm with you, but..
I’m not chastising people for not reading – I’m not trying to be on a high horse or anything.
I’m just saying that complaining about reading on a blog is equivalent to calling up an AM radio station and complaining about “all that talk”. If you don’t like listening to people speak, don’t listen to talk radio. If you don’t like reading, don’t visit blogs. Otherwise, quit yer gripin and enjoy some world-class content.
"Well, Travis just showed us that we can go to Travis Outlaw." - Nate McMillan
now you know how Ben
must have felt after writing that scathing oritorial on rebecca’s seedy partying habits. wait a minute, what was that about again?
"I love Sheed. I wish he’d write a children’s book. Maybe he’d call it - How to $&%# Cuss Like a Big Boy."
--- tominhawaii on May 29, 2008 6:29 PM PDT
Email Dave,
--- Mortimer --- for Blazers Edge Ambassador to the SBNations
You know what is wrong with this post???
Too many Asterisks
"There something going on with that Skipper. No one gets that fat eating coconuts"
I should probably clarify this comment
I do come to Bledge for Asterisks. In fact, most of my internet use is to find Asterisks. The problem is I am used to only seeing them in small doses. There are so many in this one thread and I have to look at each one…...and I can’t look away. I think that perhaps it could be a little more concise …or perhaps it could be split up into chapters if you will. 2 or 3 Asterisks per chapter. Just a thought
"There something going on with that Skipper. No one gets that fat eating coconuts"
by 92wastheyear on Aug 8, 2008 10:31 PM PDT up reply actions
This post seems to make judgments about people and purpose on BE
There is a place for that so I do not object. However this is a community which has many and diverse interests and backgrounds with the one common interest the NBA and specifically the Trailblazers. So when addressing comments about a few to the many you engage mostly the wrong people.
Two points about long posts: 1) The reader has the option to read, skip or skim on any post. However on the main page a long post without a jump (as used on many blogs today – see True Hoop) requires reading more even if time is limited and limits the time for other posts. Which brings up 2) The internet has literally opened history and science and medicine and every other discipline to incredible availability of information and scrutiny. Just browsing Wikipedia boggles my mind. With so much available the competition for time even if one reads 10 hours a day makes it impossible to cover even the new information pouring into the stream. So we must learn to prioritize and to filter.
Ben’s post was wonderful. I printed it. But it was two days later before I could read it all. And I missed several other excellent fanposts that day in trying. I am not complaining. I am simply stating that there are mitigating factors to everyone’s life including my own that limit me.
Since you appreciate long posts I will include some personal information by way of illustration. (By putting the least important part of my post at the end you can skip this as you no doubt have other higher priority tasks to do.) To you I am no doubt an old man. When I was kid only the baseball world series and the Olympics were featured on TV for sports. I read the sports section every day in the Oregon Journal. But there was only a few stories. So I learned to analyze baseball games from the daily box scores. Reading was time consuming and as a farm boy relegated to late at night after the chores were done and the homework as well. I am now disabled and can barely move around so I sit with an articulated arm-mounted LED screen in front of my face moving a mouse to move the lines to read. I read 10-14 hours nearly every day. It is a luxury few are afforded. Some days like today I can peck out responses fairly fast (on a keyboard suspended in front of me as well). Other days I must use the mouse keyboard and it is harder to write but I still read. Even so, I follow NFL, College Football, NBA, College Basketball, MLB and occasionally other sports in the USA. With the advent of Sergio in Portland I read more European basketball stories as well. I love history (especially current history) and read parts of the Washington Post, Financial Times, NY Times, WSJ regularly and use Drudge (along with 18 million others every day) to broaden my scope to the other world-wide news. NBA is my most favorite sport and I have been a Trailblazer fan from the beginning (my CPA firm audited the Trailblazer financial records from the beginning). This blog, among all those competing interests, has risen to the very important in my life.
This is a community of caring individuals. When we begin judging each other we will begin to erode that care. I suggest that if someone whines and you think it inappropriate that you tell them in a sub-post comment. Then you can begin a dialog with that person that might broaden both of you. Your passion is appreciated. Your vulgarism, not so much. Thank you for writing and thank you for caring.
Aldridge said. "We feel like we can beat any team. We feel like we can beat the Spurs, Suns, Lakers, Mavericks, whoever any night right now, and we'll still be here when those teams get old and their guys retire. We're going to be here for a long time."
Thank YOU for Caring
I never, as you can see in the comments for this post, intended to offend anyone. In fact, I can state with certainty that of all those who WERE offended, none of them ever engaged in the act I posted about. Again, the topic of my post was “people who read blog posts (on any site) shouldn’t complain about actually having to read them”, not “people at Blazer’s Edge are illiterate”.
You mentioned Wikipedia – a fine source of information, for sure. Not once have I ever encountered a Wikipedia entry, however, and thought “why on Earth did they type all this?! This is SO MUCH READING!” In fact, the longer the entry, the greater my satisfaction, I’d say.
I’m in no position to berate people for choosing what they do or don’t want to read. Similarly, I won’t criticize people for deciding when or how they’d like to do it or to what capacity. In my opinion, however, those who complain about post length because of “all those words” are at least misguided (as this is a literary medium) and at worst detrimental to the form (as creators begin to self-edit or apologize, as Ben nearly did).
That said, thanks for your insightful response and I hope this clears things up somewhat.
"Well, Travis just showed us that we can go to Travis Outlaw." - Nate McMillan
It does for me at least
I agree wholehartedly with this statement. One should not feal it nessassary to apologise for the length and depth of their contrabutions. Spelling maybee. :-)
"I love Sheed. I wish he’d write a children’s book. Maybe he’d call it - How to $&%# Cuss Like a Big Boy."
--- tominhawaii on May 29, 2008 6:29 PM PDT
Email Dave,
--- Mortimer --- for Blazers Edge Ambassador to the SBNations
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