A shower thought this morning; not born of black pre-dawn cigarette and coffee in a cold garage. And yet, not a happy one; a worry for the future of the written word.
Some of my best writing has long since been lost into the archives where no one but the librarian usually goes. Transient, unlike a book that sits on shelves and may be opened again and again by new readers, a weblog sits in cosmic space and yet if and when discovered, is read starting at its end. The beginning of the "book" is rarely sought; a weblog not kept up is crossed off the best seller list. A weblog post–though it’s out there and available–is almost lost as soon as it scrolls off the page.
Reading blogrolls can become like the book of the day club, and soon the readings must be pared down or overwhelm. Skimming, like the daily paper, to find the columns that are regular reads and then forgotten in tomorrow’s morning delivery.
Yes, weblogs are good for going forward, a book without an end.
But no beginning.
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology
Yes! 🙂
The reader encounters the blog at the beginning. This would be an excellent new media “reading” issue. I think you’ve touched on this issue: where does “the story” begin.
Consider the Cindy Lou Who issue in this light too.