I've been posting a lot lately after a fairly long period of silence, so I thought I should probably explain what was happening during that time. Basically, I was discouraged. Mainly about U.S. politics, but also about blogs as a form of expression, and so I just sort of dropped out for a bit.

When political blogs first started to become popular, I was worried that they would drown out other types of blogs, especially cultural blogs. However, I think there are some great political blogs out there, like AmericaBlog and American Samizdat, and they are essential in a media environment that delivers propaganda, lies and sheer nonsense in place of news.

Although I believe political blogs are on the whole a positive force, there has been some cost to the blogosphere as a result of the attention paid by the media and others. The more that CNN, Jupiter Research, and other mainstream power brokers engage with blogs, the more focused the blogosphere becomes on conversing with the establishment rather than with each other.

I see many blogs moving away from the things that I like most about blogging: a personal tone, generosity and openness towards strangers, the sharing of old enthusiasms and new discoveries. For now, I have decided to continue asserting the value of these aspects of blogging, against the tide of opportunism and self-promotion that have become such prominent features of blogs today.