Mere Comments: Altena's Observations on Blogging

by Jerry Janquart
October 01, 2008

James Altena, a frequent commentator on these pages, has over the years done me the great service of explaining clearly and with perfect accuracy, to those who insist on misunderstanding them, a number of things I have written. This has been an inestimable relief to me, since I thought I was being clear. James has shown many times that indeed, what I have written is perfectly apprehensible to those who read with the intention of understanding.

Recently, at the request of his wife, who is teaching a writing class, Mr. Altena compiled a list of observations about blogging, which he circulated to some of his correspondents. He made so many good points that I requested permission to reproduce his list here, which he has kindly granted.

1) Blog threads, being essentially conversational in nature, are inherently discursive and informal. They also tend to be digressive, frequently wandering off topic, as someone responds to a side point made in a previous comment, and that side point then becomes the focus of debate, and the process repeats itself. the rest