I don't think so.
William Jacobson, over at Legal Insurrection, posted Surviving the death of the blogosphere, back on Jan. 28th, and it got me to thinking about why we do what we're doing.
Over the past few years I've come to rely on my news and opinion from an ever decreasing pool of people. I rarely go to MSM, including Fox The larger blog sites, employing many writers and a bunch of fancy high tech stuff to run a spiffy looking blog, have become a bit off-putting. The only larger sites I check out are Drudge and Breitbart, and that's just to get the ball rolling in the morning.
While sites like Legal Insurrection or The Last Refuge could hardly be considered "small", they've managed to maintain a small time feel by building community.
I've read in some places that Twitter and Facecrap are losing readers. I wouldn't know as I confess to never "getting" Twitter, and Facecrap is just a place to link my articles and spy on people (a seriously bad habit!!) I do, however, have a few local peeps on Facecrap who keep me up to date on local goings on and events.
So why do I rely on the smaller sites for my daily jolt of information?
Let's face facts here. If you have a site like Gateway Pundit that has exploded in page views, taken on high tech site designers, lined up a bunch of writers, and has owners who fly around attending functions you need to have money to keep going. Lots of money.
I remember when Hot Air used to be high on my list as a go-to place until the site was sold. I haven't been there in years.
Understand this: I am not knocking anyone who makes money from their blog. Quite the contrary - I applaud them and am happy for their monetary success.
The downside of this success is the tendency to become echo chambers in the rush to post, post, post in order to keep the clicks coming so the ad revenue will continue to support the blog. This rush of posts does not always support the truth.
So what's my point?
Glad you asked.
My main point is that smaller blogs should not be forgotten and should receive a larger audience. And I believe that is already happening. I don't think that my experience is a one off. I absolutely believe that people yearn for truth and are becoming just as turned off by larger sites as I am.
Unlike earlier times of the great salons where people could gather to discuss art, literature, or politics, today's peeps are using blogs as a way to form community and share ideas. Is it ideal? No, but it's what we have and it will have to do for now unless you're willing to start your own "salon" - which I highly recommend. More on that in upcoming posts.
Here's where I take a step out onto a very shaky half dead limb: I think the future belongs to the little guys who have hung on year after year. It will belong to the people who have built communities where people can discuss ideas, impart opinions and knowledge through the comments, and have some fun along the way.
To that effort, over the next few weeks I'm going to be highlighting some blogs who should be visited, read, engaged with, bookmarked, and supported. These are the blogs doing a yeoman's work of sorting through hundreds of articles every day to synthesize the news into a readable article that has been vetted as to the truth.
Starting Off
Bunkerville
Bunkerville, or Bunk as I call her/him, has one of the best smaller blogs floating around in the ethernet. Well researched and verified information makes this site invaluable for truth seekers.
It takes a tremendous amount of time to do what Bunk does and I applaud her/him for knowing more about a well run site than I do (which is just about everyone.)
Whatfinger News
If you're getting a bit tired of Drudge or other aggregate news link sites, Whatfinger News is the newest kid on the block, and doing a very good job. I've come to rely on them more and more. Drudge better look out.
Amazon
My site does not advertise (other than the awful Disqus ads that I have regulated to the bottom of the comment section. Disqus has made it next to impossible to make them go away.)
I do post links to Amazon. As an Amazon affiliate, I receive a small commission, at no additional cost to you, if you use a link from my site. I consider it a win-win if you usually purchase items from Amazon.
I try to never post a specific Amazon link to an item that has poor reviews or I have not personally bought and used.
I figure that my readers are discerning and smart enough to do their own research on the general links to "today's deals" that I post.
That being said:
With Valentine's Day fast approaching, you may want to explore:
Be still my beating heart - I so love watches!
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