[from my
comment]
Your deconstruction of Suw's 'Welcome' post seems like a social analysis of an invitation to dinner: "What are the overtones of 'bring your own beer'? Does 'RSVP' mean that they really don't want me to come? Is 'Sincerely' a subtle insult?"
Come on. Get over it.
But on the other hand, there is a real parallel in your critique with events brewing elsewhere in the world of new media. The desire for subjectivity and immediacy rather than objectivity and deliberation -- that you seem to be asking for -- is a centerpoint of the conflict between traditional journalism and social media (blogging).
And yes, we bloggers write from 'the perspective of how the world pivots' around us, and yes, for our own selfish amusement and self-improvement, absolutely regardless of what other people think. Welcome to the twenty-first century. The world does pivot around us, each and every one. There is no objectivity, and waving it around like a sacred relic does not make it so. People should think for themselves, and reject the mind control implied in 'objectivity' where deep-seated social conventions or the decisions of disembodied editorial forces sidetrack dialogue and stifle contention. This also means that we don't wait until we have figured it all out: we write, even when our thinking is not finished yet. We are always beginning, and never finished.
One of the benefits of blogging as a form of communication is a dialogue with a community of interested readers. That dialogue can be messy, can be bristling with unpalatable or contradictory ideas, and may not perfectly fit the presumptions of the casual reader. Occasionally, the dialogue may be a shouting match. And it can include 'little e-hugs' with people encouraging bloggers to press on, despite the trollish voices telling them to stop.
In the long run, however, the value of a blog is measured by its impact over time in the minds of the community members. It can't be judged based on its first posting, or even its first month of postings. Blogs take time, and involvement, and yes, even vocal nay-sayers howling at the moon.
