Are we losing our way?

Some interesting points have just been brought up in Joi Ito's comments section.

Jim O'Connell launches the first salvo:

While these things are certainly fun and give us a way to gauge popularity of sites, does anyone else think that the whole thing might be a bad idea in the long run? What happens when a site on the fringe of popularity starts to 'karma whore' just to gain a better ranking? I'd hate to see blogs go the way of network television, where they are tailoring their entries for some percieved popular ideal, rather than honest thought and personal insight. My site, while not popular or important, is a fair reflection of what I am doing or thinking about or reading, even when I know it won't be interesting or popular with my reader(s). (Lately, I seem to get more hate entries than supportive posts, but it doesn't bother me much.) What I've come to love about weblogs is the honesty - I'd hate to see that become a casualty of the popularity contests.

Adam Greenfield responds with support.

Each successive iteration of this idea just focuses us more and more on link-whoring and meta-discussions about link-whoring and meta-meta discussions about meta discussions, and it's gotten silly.

To be honest I'm a bit guilty here. Well, not really, just kind of. I'm guilty of wanting to get the hits, of wondering what it would be like if people paid attention to what I said. It's an old problem for me. I was pretty non-existant for a large portion of my life. At least as far as my peers were concerned. Just one of the people who wonder in and out of someone else's reality. I don't think anyone minded having me around, but i wasn't thhe kind of person you missed when I was gone.

When I was in college I got onto a couple of email lists that were discussing a small scene that was starting to come together and would eventually turn into the jamband scene. Since the scene was in it's infancy there was a great mixing pot of people and ideas, as there are with any infant scene. And it was not uncommon to find yourself on lists with bands, promoters, booking agents, label people, etc. Somewhere in that mess I ran into something that I'd never run into before, people who made a point out of reading what I wrote. people I had never met who based their purchases or thoughts, at least partially, on what I said. There's even a chance that a few "industry" people were trying to curry favors from me (let's just say I was getting free shit). It was a crazy time.

Long story short, I got drunk on it all. Went a bit over board, and suddenly realized that i was more concerned with trying to appear cool then just being the happy go lucky geek that I'd been originally. This is when things went down hill. And when the ride stopped, I found myself with some good memories, but having to start all over again. The great reset of life as me.

So where is this all headed? Well, to quote Adam, "I'm done." It's just time to accept that no one will read this site. And go back to the old idea of a place where I can talk to myself and no one thinks I'm nuts.

Care to place bets on how long this will last? Posted by Matt at March 31, 2003 02:47 PM