LiveBlogging: Dumbest Thing Ever?
Obviously a LiveBlog sympathizer.Though I have been reading sports blogs online for the better part of three years, I am still a somewhat new contributor to the blogosphere. Throughout my years of reading other amateur writers' work, one thing I have never understood is the LiveBlog. For those of you who don't know what a LiveBlog is, a LiveBlog is when a blogger writes down every single thought that pops into their mind while they experience something (like watching a game on TV). In a nutshell, it's a stream of consciousness posted on someone's blog.
I occasionally read through LiveBlogs when they are posted, and in general, find them to be:
1) Usually not that funny/informative/interesting.
2) Usually too long.
3) Masturbatory.
LiveBlogging is weak. LiveBlogging is a mailed-in effort which does a disservice to a blogger's reputation by exposing their audience to a half-assed piece of work when a blogger could have otherwise taken a little extra time to put something cohesive, compact, and well-planned for their faithful readers to enjoy. Moreover, it seems extremely self-indulgent and somewhat narcissistic.
Bloggers, I know March Madness will soon be in full effect and the temptation to post a LiveBlog or two will arise. I urge you...for the sake of your readers and your own hard-earned reputations...RESIST!
6 Comments:
There's live-blogging and there's live-blogging. I did a live-blog on The Oscars, and I thought it turned out OK - definitely too long, but also somewhat funny and not at all masturbatory. Yeah, live blogging easy, obvious content, but ideally, it ends up having humor. It better or what's the point? But what's the point of this posting in the first place? If you don't like live blogs, then don't read 'em.
The only reason I support any form of liveblogging is if there isn't a way for me to watch a game or track it in a more robust way - or if I want some color on top of trying to peek at some stat tracker program between meetings or something like that.
Thanks to internet radio, this is seldom the case, but I did read some of michigansportscenter's liveblog of the bball game yesterday afternoon because I was stuck at work and had no other way to really catch the goings-on.
Long story short - liveblogging seems okay for day games during the week or games that aren't available to a good portion of the country through other media.
To be honest with you, I think liveblogging sucks as well, but its such an easy way to come up with content that I'll occasionally partake.
I think it takes a special kind of writer to be able to do a good liveblog...I personally enjoy Bill Simmons, especially his liveblogs of the 2004 ALCS between the Red Sox and the Yankees.
I do liveblogs of Michigan basketball games, sometimes, for two reasons: because it eases the pain of watching those guys (right now), and because I have a friend who reads my blog and has no access to the games otherwise because he is currently in the Philippines.
Good site, big fan!
Welcome to Autumn Thunder, my half-assed Michigan football blog. My blogging philosophy is that things over 500 words are too much work (for me to write and you to read) and stupid pictures are much more entertaining. Enjoy!
so you're saying you could do a 500 word liveblog?
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