Blogging

This post is a kind of reaction to something I read in the press a couple of days ago. Funnily enough there were articles on the same subject in two different papers. One I read, one I didn't. The first one was saying that bloggers could be anyone, and that they could be a front for anyone, any organization, and use the blog to manipulate opinion anonymously. You can be anyone on a blog I guess, except to the people who know you.

The article also contrasted the established media and blogging. While bloggers, if they're not under someone's control, have freedom to write what they want, established media professionals have to write within the boundries set by their organizations. It does tend to mean that they write within a certain political slant. If it's a paper the paper will often say who they're supporting politically, others won't, but the political slant of the paper is apparent anyway. Though I do think in the UK at the moment it's quite hard to support one party down the line.

I thought the article was too short and tended to demonise bloggers rather than extending what had been written to a larger overview. The bloggers I read aren't in the pay of any controlling body!!!!

I started blogging because of racism I found in places where I expected there to be an informed and balanced outlook, this just wasn't happening with a lot of the people. The only other really political blogger I read and vaguely know over the net has been blogging about racism in the context of her work. Both of us are totally independent. I didn't expect to be still blogging I guess. My blog was really there just to work out what was happening.

I know find part of my chosen life style is being pulled apart too in the same context. Not that I'm surprized this time, but I guess I did expect a more open minded view even so. Part of me is surprized I suppose.

But still it just leaves me happier to be me.

I don't support anything where women are 2nd class citizens and in a context where control is the issue, usually through religious means, I am fully aware that this will happen. But this lifestyle can also be a lifestyle of choice combined with independence and freedom to a great extent. And it's not hidden or going behind anyone's back.

I dunno.

I didn't read the other article but it seemed, judging by the leader on the front page, to have a favourable opinion of bloggers in general.

But as I didn't read it, the paper's here somewhere so I suppose I will leaf through, I can't give any idea as to the content, just the leader on the front page.