aNYa Blogs!: Meet Joe Blah

June 23, 2004

Meet Joe Blah

Time magazine, in its last issue had an article titled Meet Joe Blog. (Why are more and more people getting their news from amateur websites called blogs? Because they're fast, funny and totally biased). While most of the article addresses the issues of What blogs are, talks about some of the most popular blogs ever, the power that blogs weild nowadays, and about political blogs; one another part struck a chord.

Blogs can be a great way of communicating, but they can keep people apart too. If I read only those of my choice, precisely tuned to my political biases and you read only yours, we could end up a nation of political solipsists, vacuum sealed in our private feedback loops, never exposed to new arguments, never having to listen to a single word we disagree with.

[After looking up solipsists I realize that] This is a frightening thing, and one that I have been thinking about.
Now two things largely influence my thoughts. The first is discussing things with people .. friends, my dad, colleagues etc. The second is what I read. In both the cases I have always been careful about looking at all sides of an issue, hearing the other side out. It is very easy to bias yourself in any thought process even before you know all the sides. This will obviously, be even more pronounced if most of the people in your circle of friends think similar to you. [But then you will say: "Anya, thats why they are my friends"]. True enough, even more reason for you to read up different arguments and try to understand why some people think different.
I am stressing much on this because thats what I observe nowadays, people are caught up in their own ideas so much that they don't value the opinions of others, and so don't give them an ear. More so online, on blogs where it is so easy to publisize our own thinking, and so easy to read just what we want to read. A sort of an e-ego massage I would say. Think about it.
Keep an open mind.
[But not so open that your brains fall out].

Posted by anya at June 23, 2004 12:29 PM | TrackBack

Comments

Old Chinese adage: If you know how to learn, your best enemy can be your greatest friend.

Posted by: Amol Hatwar at June 23, 2004 09:13 PM

Profound point! Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm thinking..

Posted by: Kiddo at June 24, 2004 05:45 PM

Excellent point. Never thought of it that way...

Posted by: Sidin at June 25, 2004 05:26 AM

There is something which I do want to ask. Is the E-EGO MASSAGE you have mentioned such a bad thing? As humans we have been craving for attention for ages but the scenario has changed over the times as earlier we used to do it as Gladiators in Collosiums, now we do in on the net as Bloggers. Around 500 years back we did believe that EARTH was the centre of the universe, that basically reflects on the amount of importance the human race gives to itself.

Posted by: Ravi Handa at June 26, 2004 11:28 AM

The e-ego massage may not be a 'bad' thing in itself .. but when it prevents you from having a wholesome all-round view of things, so much so that the circle of blogs you read all subscribe to similar philosophy in general.. then yes .. it must be reigned in.

Posted by: anya at June 26, 2004 01:43 PM