Blogging, Tweeting, and What's In Between

Some people think "blogs are dead." Usually, when that gets said, it is a reference to massive growth of tweeting, Facebook posts and other very-short snippets of stuff. Tumblr is a good example of the in-between space between a tweet and a blog post, with its emphasis on visual elements. Of course, some would argue something else is going on, namely that blogs remain a place where relatively more thoughtful stuff happens, while Tumblr is better for highly-visual, word spare content. See http://inessential.com/2011/06/15/gopher_dead_blogging_lives.

All we are seeing is the evolution of tools to fit different use cases. Consider tablets. They work really well for most people, who only have to create a minor amount of content, such as replying to an email, or taking a limited amount of notes at a meeting, creating a calendar event or something simple.

That leads to statements such as "the PC is dead." But that's a misnomer. PCs are required for serious content creation, and might always be.

Sure, you can add a keyboard to a tablet, plus other peripherals (one of these days), but then what you have is a PC.

It's the same thing with media that allow people to express themselves.

Not everybody needs a blog. For lots of people, tweeting and Facebook are all they require. For others, who want to share content of a highly-visual nature, Tumblr works great.

"Tumblr, to me at least, isn’t a blog platform but something new entirely - a social network for both original and curated content that is longer than a tweet and often more visual in nature. It’s a hybrid," says Steve Rubel. See http://www.steverubel.me/post/6583713687/tumblr-is-the-next-great-social-network.

For some purposes, such as a "fashion portal," Tumblr is a great tool. See http://blog.pret-a-portel.com/.