Has the Blog Lost Its Edge? No Way.

This brutal blog really caught my eye, and gives me hope for the near future of the medium.

Blogging is becoming mainstream. The signs are everywhere. Blogs are already becoming formulaic. Some are speculating that blogs are already a mainstream political tool.

But this does not mean that the blog is losing its edge...at least not yet.

Blogs are already developing celebrities, known for writing about anything from politics from a gay Republican point of view, to a the basic liberal point of view, to (I think) a conservative point of view.

These guys (and gals) are the ones who worked so hard that blogging became more acceptable, and they deserve the traffic that they get.


Daily Kos is a daily read for many.

Some are building fan bases by writing really personal stuff, leading to the natural outgrowth of those those who comment on and mock them. One blogger, the Queen of the Sky, lost her job because of her blog.

Through Blog Explosion and TTLB Ecosystem, I'm being exposed to a lot of new ideas, I'm learning that there are still some real diamonds in the rough out there.


The Moderate Voice is one of my favorite news blogs.

There are blogs that are doing more than regurgitating the New York Times and Washington Post and adding their own comments (surprisingly enough, not a lot of bloggers take stuff from the Wall Street Journal, but that's another issue). They are combining news events with first hand experiences, or in some cases, unusual wit and wisdom. Some of them are providing materials that mainstream news outlets will not (and probably should not) provide.


Riasawn had a few moments of fame when a photo of her and an army rifle hit the net. Her blog is worth a look.

They are not getting a million hits, yet, but are writing some really interesting stuff that you just can't find anywhere.

For instance:

The Rebel Rouser, a conservative Iraqi-war veteran, posts about his experiences in the mess hall that was recently bombed/attacked.

Meanwhile, national guardsman Risawn writes about her experiences leading to her deployment to Kosovo.

A law student passes on her knowledge to the masses yearning to be free.

A guy, who got his girlfriend pregnant, ponders her desire to keep the child, even though he doesn't want it. Another blogger ponders life after abortion.

This guy literally posts nothing, and gets a huge conversation started. That's power.

In another really creative post, one blogger asks if George W. Bush is ill.

Some of this is raw stuff, while other posts are more thoughtful, and to be honest it's probably not all true. But it's definitely got an edge, and these blogs might just push the envelope of the mainstream media just a little further.

We'll see.

Other blog plugs.


Blog Explosion readers have come to know Crystal Clear very well.

More Nominal Me.

UPDATE (more notes about blogging):

The mainstream media eats its own.

Here's a reaction from MsRowz about Crystal Clear.

Blogs reported details of the tsunami disaster.

Here's a great entry by Intel Dump about the KIA's in Iraq and Vietnam.

UPDATE: 12/29/04

This Crystal Clear thing continues.