I find ironic the fact that I’m writing a post on Escamoteurettes to answer some of the remarks you made in a post on Magic Rants today dealing with whether or not to host/field comments on blogs. Normally, in the blogosphere, these comments would be entered and hosted with the article on which I’m commenting. Wouldn’t you agree?
First, I’ll restate something I’ve mentioned a number of times: I believe each blog author should run their railroad as he sees fit. There isn’t a case or “right” or “wrong” — it just is as the author cares to have it. You have removed the ability for visitors to comment on your posts. That’s your choice, and I’m the last person to argue about it.
On the other hand, it is a point worthy of discussion. Other bloggers have discussed it. I’ve written about it. I didn’t see you complaining about it, and I don’t believe you would complain about it. I think you feel about the autonomy of authors’ decisions about the same as I do: to each his own. But sometimes people are moved to comment on something they’ve read. If it’s in a blog, it’s on the blog they’d like to comment.
But, here we are.
In response to my comment, “Conversations are very important in a community, “ you wrote:
That would be true IF one were trying to start a community. If I wanted to start a community, with discussions I would have started a new discussion board.
By community, I meant more along the lines of a brotherhood (with more “brother” than “hood.”) A band of brethren who share a common interest: magic. I didn’t necessarily mean actively creating a digital community.
But I would like to point out your web site’s masthead includes the line: “The Evolution of Magic Discussion”. With all due respect — and at the risk of seeming snarky — shouldn’t that either be deleted or at least changed to “Devolution”?
In response to my writing, “A blog without comments is simply a web site; a one-way street where the writer writes and the reader reads and, if they interact at all, it’s likely in private email.†you wrote:
A blog with comments is ALSO a website, where a very small percentage of visitors actually comment. But I think the bigger point is that this IS a one-way street. You either like what I have to say or you don’t. If you don’t, you don’t have to come back. Whereas on a discussion board, if you didn’t like what I had to say, you would probably keep running into me on various threads.
In the purest sense of the word, sure a blog is also a web site. But we call them blogs — weblogs — and it has emerged that one of the distinctions between a web site and a blog is the interaction between author and visitor, especially via the comments section. Web sites, by their nature, have writers writing, readers reading, and that’s it. Hence my reference to a one-way street.
Sure, you could repurpose my one-way-street reference to mean “like it or not, read it or not” — and that’s fine by me — but you are answering something I did not say. I’ll stand by my comment that a blog that doesn’t afford visitors the ability to interact with the author is a one-way street and I consider a traditional web site.
Even though we both know a tiny percentage of visitors ever actually leave comments — on the blog or in private email — everyone is extended the offer equally. It’s like being invited to a party. You don’t necessarily attend every party to which you get an invitation, but it sure feels good to be asked, doesn’t it? It makes you feel welcomed.
You wrote:
Regarding the change in my attitude and how I seem to have a “kinder and gentler†blog, well that’s true. I thought I would try something different since every new blogger is pissed off at everything from The Magic Cafe to other magic blogs.
I won’t argue that The Magic Cafe is singularly responsible for many of the blogs currently in the magic corner of the blogosphere; it is. Magic blogging was late to the blogging revolution. It’s still trying to find its bearings. TMC just happened to be a rallying point, a reason to be. Which, absent any other, is as handy as any other.
You wrote:
Just because most of you guys are anonymous, doesn’t mean you can’t do posts on magic that you actually do or DVDs and effects that you like. I suspect that most of you don’t actually perform and it’s just a hobby. That’s cool, but I can’t imagine that you’re in magic because you hate it so much. If that is the case, it’s time for you to get a new hobby. We all know that every magic dealer sucks, and anyone who has ever put out a DVD or releases a new effect sucks, so I would like to be enlightened, because apparently I’ve been reading the wrong books, buying the wrong effects, shopping with the wrong dealers and watching the wrong DVDs.
Some magic bloggers bitch and moan about other magic bloggers. Well, I agree it would be nice to more often see individual opinions on things other than what some magic blogger wrote, but the fact is I find that sort of train-wreck writing interesting, too. Sure, it gets tedious sometimes, but it has its place. I think there’s room for USAToday and the Washington Post and the National Enquirer.
One thing I’ve noticed in magic blogging over the last six months (especially) deserves mentioning.
Dave Winer has more years that anyone else on blogging proper. And, as Dave has transitioned from a blog I enjoyed (actually, truly loved) reading, into a blog today I don’t even care to visit any longer because of his often pissy, too-often politically-charged tone, some bloggers who launched their magic blog as a direct result of some perceived injustice they experienced at The Magic Cafe have actually morphed away from their roots and grown into something bigger. There’s hope still.
We all grow, we all change when we grow. I don’t think it’s necessarily good or bad, just different. Sometimes people don’t like change. I don’t like feeling that your blog is no more, that my comments are no longer welcomed. I don’t argue your reasons for it, but I don’t have to like it either. Obviously this is a point others have noticed. And commented on.
Your wrote:
So…yeah, there won’t be too much ranting. A little, but to be honest, I am more interested in writing about other topics other than how Steve Brooks hates bloggers. I’m starting to agree with him.
I don’t have a problem with shoot-from-the-hip ranting. Everyone’s done it. I’ve done it. I just did it and I’m ready to do it again. Venting one’s speen in a blog is no less healthy than the long and distinguished history of magic authors through the years doing it in the printed page. But even in The Jinx, Annemann printed letters to the editor unedited and gave equal time to others to dig their hole deeper. (Fact is, Annemann’s vents were what I sometimes enjoyed more than the other stuff.)
I know it’s popular to crack on Steve Brooks. I know it’s conventional wisdom that Steve hates blogs, but I don’t think that’s accurate. Steve has visited Escamoteurettes and even left complimentary comments. If he’s sensitive towards certain blogs that have been critical, or hypercritical of him personally, well..I find it hard to fault the man for feeling a bit put out by some of the bloggers out there.
Finally, isn’t it ironic that one people more critical of magic blogging joined the Dark Side and has one of the best magic blogs in the blogosphere? He’s even opened up commenting on certain posts and, I suspect, it’s only a matter of time when he lets lose, throws caution to the wind, and allows commenting all over the place.
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Another irony: Steve bemoans the bitchiness of the magic blog unwashed hordes and mentions his “kinder, gentler” status, yet his last two posts have been bitching on other blogs – something he says he doesn’t like.
Am I missing something?
All we need now is for Steve (Pelligrino) to leave a comment on this particular post and it’ll be so thick we can start looking for a knife…
Best Regards,
Thomas Wayne
Ha! You’re a funny guy, Thomas.
Well, I do hope Steve stops in and joins in the discussion. We (the magic community) are a small group to begin with, which makes the number of people involved in magic blogging — both readers and writers — so small you could probably fit them all in one room. (Not that you’d necessarily want to. That makes every voice that much more important.
I truly am interested in seeing a conversation on this continuing. Even if it ends up being op-ed pieces in separate “newspapers.”
John
I doubt very much if Steve will read any of this. So you wonlt get to have much action with this one.
You know, Randy, I haven’t been critical of Steve. I’ve discussed things in which I found interest, but I’ve not slagged Steve personally. I can’t think of any reason why he’d find any of this a personal affront.
On the other hand, Steve pulled his blogroll. Again.
John
It doesn’t appear to me like he’s been reading too many blogs lately. Most of the bitchiness he decries has fallen by the wayside.
Oh, don’t be so bitchy, newmann!
Hi John just to set the record straight I am not critical of magic Blogging only of a few magic bloggers. My point has always been that people should get along. It is OK to have a different opinion in an exchange of ideas in magic and in life. But in the exchange of ideas should be done in a respectful way.
Since I went public about the blog issues some things have changed and some haven’t. I have no idea if it is good or bad. But I still feel that in magic, magicians should get along. I also feel that magicians should use the power of Blogging and the internet in a responsible constructive way that is good for magicians and magic as a whole.
The odd thing I find in the magic blogs is that I find them a lot like some of the magic clubs. In many of the magic blogs there is very little magic talked about. And if one goes to a magic club there seems to be very little magic performed by it‘s members depending on the club.
I think the reason why may be that magicians have gotten into the habit of slamming other magicians to much. When performing there is a risk when a magician puts something out there for the public to judge. I feel that if a magician puts something out there and they have their name on it so to speak – a magic effect – a performance – a blog – it may not be the best thing – but they did the important thing – they took the RISK! And got it OUT THERE!
I also feel that the world respects people that take the risk and the hard knocks that seem to be a part of that – in getting their name and ideas out there.
Keep up the great work in your blog John…
Best ahead,
Glenn Bishop
Oh, I know you aren’t blanketly critical of blogs, Glenn. I used you as an example of how opinions change with events — which is, essentially, what you noted above.
I do wish there was more “brother” than “hood” but we have to deal with the hand we’re dealt. In the end, it still comes down to how we treat each other that defines our character.
John
Life is a journey, much like one might take on a train across the countryside. People are similar to the cars that ride those rails.
A small minority of people are like engines…strong and willing to tread ever forward. By doing so they often take risks, making decisions as to which track they should take on their journey. Pick the correct course and you’ll be a hero, make a wrong turn and you’ll plunge down the canyon while the boxcars laugh at your misfortune.
But, engines are very tough and become better with each mistake they might make. You see it’s not the destination that’s really important but the lessons that we learn along the journey.
Those important lessons are never learned by the majority of folks who are content to be boxcars. They are happy being pulled thru life by the engines. Boxcars never have to take risks, but then again, they have no say in which direction they travel and will always be in the shadow of the engines.
I personally believe that folks who take the time to give something to their community (magic or otherwise) are the true engines. Whether you own a message board or write a blog, you are making the decisions that the boxcars can only dream about. I say be happy in the knowledge that the journey we all travel called life is what we make of it, good or bad, black or white.
“I do wish there was more “brother†than “hood†but we have to deal with the hand we’re dealt. In the end, it still comes down to how we treat each other that defines our character.”
I agree with this John but I also feel that in magic and other places in life. When people insult others – say in magic and they do not have a track record of contribution – often it really turns me off.
Being critical of others is easy. Offering true contribution to the art is much harder and has that risk factor in it. In life and in magic we all have a choice in the way that we can choose to say it. Or choose not to say it.
I know for a fact that a lot of insults that have been written toward me would not have been said if I was standing next to the person that was doing the insulting. Or if it was said out loud and I was in the same room with them.
But then again we all have to make a choice but what others say and think about us does not have to become our reality. One of the points that I try to make with this issue is that the choice to insult others is not a choice that leads to the road to success in magic or show business.
Magic as a hobby and as a business works better by building positive networks and friendships. And success will come faster in magic and in any business if you build a positive network of friendships and contacts.
At least that is my opinion!
Best ahead,