Don't Cite Me

Blogging is an immediate reaction to any type of event, news, or opinion. After reading “Why I Blog” by Andrew Sullivan, I realized that I had to type my blog post right away, while it is still fresh on my mind. While reading this article, my mind went wild with ideas; what I was going to name my blog and what I was going to type into it.  In Sullivan’s article, he states “A good blog is your own private Wikipedia.” I loved how true that statement was. In high school, I was a member of the Speech and Debate team. I competed in student congress along with humor and duo. In student congress, I learned that you never, under any circumstances, want to cite Wikipedia as a source. Wikipedia is considered unreliable when talking about the facts and your opponent would crush you. While this is usually true, Wikipedia gives a wonderful overview of the subject. As a new blogger, I want to do the same thing. Although I don’t want people to cite my blog as a legit source, I want the reader to be able to come to my blog for a good opinion. I like how Sullivan is a writer for two different worlds; the newspaper world and the blog world. “To blog is therefore to let go of your writing in a way, to hold it at arm’s length, open it to scrutiny, allow it to float in the ether for a while, and to let others, as Montaigne did, pivot you toward relative truth.” Blogging is a way of true free expression. When you blog is it a freeing experience, which is why I believe that Sullivan blogs. Blogging is like a diary, you don’t have to hold back on what you want to say. When writing for the newspaper world, a writer has to be more careful. When writing a blog, it is kind of like talking to a friend. It is a more casual way of speaking to someone and the reader feels more connected to the writer. Overall, Sullivan had many reasons to start blogging. He wanted to “write out loud” and say what he really feels and didn’t want to give his thoughts an ending.  There is not a set definition of how to blog, just like how there is no set definition for jazz music. There is only feeling.