Chapter 8 of Nude Talk

It’s interesting to actually look at blogging in a case study format of cultures as we’re doing in Chapter 8. It makes sense that China doesn’t blog as openly as America and France. I mean, we all know that the French wear their emotions on their sleeves so blogging only makes sense for them… On a more serious note, I think I’m beginning to really understand and like this blogging stuff (although sometimes I just don’t feel inclined to blog myself and sometimes I get bitten with the bug to share on my blog all my thoughts– is this normal?).

I liked the quote of Le Meur defeding La Fraise and the t-shirt company to critics of the company by saying “… put the customer at the center of everything, rather than on the edge.” This is exactly why we are grasping on to blogs as a flattener of the uneven terrain marketers and advertisers used to create for consumers to navigate through. Although there is still quite a disparity in the old school and new school ways of doing things in business. I think all companies should have blogs, and rather than them being facades of pure PR fluff, they should be organic by the members of the company and receptive to consumers’ feedback.

We can learn so much about ourselves by studying other types of people and how they are innovative with the same technology.

Another more personal observation of mine is that I’ve quickly learned that a blog’s focal point can be anything on the long tail of topics, but these focal points revolve around human beings connecting to share with one another. The beauty of the blog is it’s a free way to share. This new wave of internet users is demanding things online be free. Free is what we will get because the competition will always lower the cost to nothing online.

Just today, I visited a local artist’s blog because it was mentioned in a Washington Post article fittingly about living on a budget. I was thinking about how, as I articulate subtler interests lately, I can stumble into a subcult of enthusiasts whose blogs are brimming with information. For example, I am getting ready to go mountain biking with a friend and I can just google the words mountain, biking, and blog to pull up a wealth of information. I am also interested in art because I’m a painter and as mentioned before, I can read blogs of local artists in D.C. so I know what’s showing where and what the artists are doing. Aside from the silly Julia Allison-type blogs of idle entertainment, I am beginning to embrace the long tail of my own interests by visiting the circles of people who are into similar things. It can really give you insight into what is going on around you and who you can meet. I especially like the aspect of openness and bloggers who are willing to email or comment back on the comments of others. I’ve heard Ted Leonsis will write back those who comment on his blog.

Overall, Scoble’s book is pretty neat and he really took his time dissecting the universe of blogging.