This question came up my mind when I attended Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum in Bonn, Germany, a week ago. One of the events there was BOBs (Best of Blogs) Awarding. Blog might be promising type of media in 2005-2009. But now, the quantity is declining since the netizen prefer social media as microphone for their inner voice. What a bitter fact.
However, Budi Putra, one of the front bloggers in Indonesia), sees nothing to worry. As he said in our short conversation in Bonn, “Why should bloggers be numerous? Better if there are only few but the world recognized them, rather than a lot of bloggers but with low quality.”
Do some blogwalking, you’ll agree with him. I don’t mind blogs with amateur content. They’re learning (as I am, actually). But blogs of spammer and copy-paster, to me, are very irritating. With low quality posts, they can show up on top of Google’s result page. They’re mocking Google algorithm by that. In the meantime, Google is sluggish to anticipate such blogs, especially when they come from Blogspot (Google’s very own blog platform).
However, let’s not only look search engines with machinery work like Google. There are a lot of humanly appreciations for blogs out there. It’s more valuable, I think. One of them is BOBs Award I’ve just mentioned.
The Deutsche Welle (DW Media) International Blog Awards honors websites in 11 languages (Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, English, French, German, Indonesian, Persian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish) annually. It launched in 2004, when blogs were just beginning to establish themselves as a new tool in internet. The BOBs represent one of the DW ongoing efforts to promote freedom of expression and the upholding of human rights around the world.
I myself was asked to attend to their annually conference in Germany, with accommodation and transportation totally from them. I never applied such honor. WarungFiksi.net wasn’t even nominated to BOBs. DW Media just observed this blog and invited me. Then, after I said yes, they sent me some 11,000 km away from Indonesia to witness this international event. Wow, I thank them so much! I believe the reason is because I have a blog that I passionately build. It could be happen to every (serious) blogger.
So, I’d say don’t waste your time by the thoughts like: “I don’t have anything to say in the blog,” “I don’t have time to write,” “Why I keep on blogging, nobody ever comments there,” “I’ll never be as good as [insert your favorite blogger].” Cut those BS! Just blog. Seriously. Passionately. Routinely. After all, you need a blog for:
- Sharing. Blogging is like “CSR”. Whether you’re an author or not, you have to share expertise to your public. There is a time to take, there is a time to give. Blogging is giving.
- Showing your portfolio. Some clients may track your competence through your blog before dial your number. This is where you build your (personal) brand.
- Nurturing the community. Blog is something useful for promoting your work, meeting with your folk, receiving feedback directly, press releasing, and so on.
Surely, social media can do those as well. But blog is better, exclusive, and permanent. You know, one day, Facebook will end up like Friendster, trust me. And when it happens, your photos, videos, status, notes and everything will be gone, something that won’t happen to your blog (unless you’re not paying the host).
In the end, the contents of the blog are not only text. It can be photos, videos, podcasts, and everything you may imagine. So, of course blog is still in 🙂 [image from GabrielWeinberg.com]
as old saying, blog is marathon not sprint.
all we need to blogging is.. patient :}
Do you blog too, Aleena?
Dulu ngeblog, sih. Sekarang lupa passwordnya. Seperti yang gw bilang, all we need to blogging is patient. And I don’t have it….:p
Btw, congrats yak udah ke Jerman. Doh, kapan giliran gw??
Don’t you know, my lonely nights during your “travel” support me to blog more seriously. Who knows, DW will invite me next year.
Dulu waktu saya bikin personal website, yusuf.web.id, ada yang nanyakan kenapa nggak bikin blog? Saya balik tanya, apa bedanya? Kalau yang dimaksud blog adalah sistem yang sudah jadi kayak blogspot, wordpress dll, saya memang nggak nge-blog. Karena saya bikin sendiri (lebih bisa saya kustomisasi). Tapi sebenarnya yang penting adl selalu konsisten menulis. Entah di blog, diary pribadi, buku yg dijual, majalah dll. Itu yg susah. Hehehe.
Btw, Brahmanto ke Jerman ta, Rie?
Mochamad Yusuf´s last blog post ..Rahasia Rezeki (106): Mintalah Rezeki PadaKu, Pasti Tak Berikan
Aleena: Yah, kok gak diterusin? Makanya tiap komen, URL webnya nggak diisi, hahaha….
Cherie: Godspeed!
Pak Ucup: Yg terpenting terus ngeblog, apapun platformnya. Dan bedakan mana produk yg bisa dijual (disimpan saja) dg yg disebarkan gratis utk publik (lewat blog). Pak Ucup jagonya tuh, makanya postingan2nya dibuat bersambung ke… bukunya! 😀
@Pak Yusuf: Iya, Pak. Aku nggak diajak 🙁
@Aa: Oh, thank’s, Dear.
Wah, keren Brahm sampai ke Jerman.
Kalau saya sih sejak dulu tinggal di London (baca: Londen, kulone Nginden… Hehehe).
Mochamad Yusuf´s last blog post ..Rahasia Rezeki (106): Mintalah Rezeki PadaKu, Pasti Tak Berikan
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menarikkkk, jerman, aku juga tinggal di jerman sejak kecil (jerman:jejer panduman banyuwangi) heheeeee
@shulhan_hadi
I read your article. Very interesting insights. I will definitely think blogs over from now on.
very nice info, i used to have a blog, but i can’t write well…
Darren Smith´s last blog post ..Selamat Datang
wadow, kok pake bahasa sansekerta gini, aq ga ngerti hehe…tp mantap deh isi nya 😉
klo bisa di buat bilingual utk org yg kurang bisa bahasa inggris, spt diriku hehhehe 😀
Hahaha, kadang emang kelupaan bikin terjemahannya…