Comments on: Why Do People Post Useless and Uninteresting Information? http://www.cynicalstuff.com/why-do-people-post-useless-and-uninteresting-information A blog about casual games development, science, culture and cynical observations Mon, 26 Dec 2011 11:10:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Cynical Stuff » Blog Archive » Tröjan! Chasing the Storm http://www.cynicalstuff.com/why-do-people-post-useless-and-uninteresting-information/comment-page-1#comment-580 Cynical Stuff » Blog Archive » Tröjan! Chasing the Storm Sun, 17 Dec 2006 01:41:19 +0000 http://www.cynicalstuff.com/why-do-people-post-useless-and-uninteresting-information#comment-580 [...] I tend to post rants about useless and unnecessary blog posts, and still I do these things myself. Links to supposedly cool stuff, small comments that no one else finds interesting and so on. I think that I’m aware of this though. If there’s one thing I hate it’s when people claim that you must be perfect yourself in order to complain about others’ behaviours. Screw that. It’s small-minded schoolboy behaviour - a weak defense against valid criticism that one isn’t prepared to recognize. Oh, and look! It seems that one of my very first blog posts was on this topic! Good God, I’m starting to repeat myself already. [...] [...] I tend to post rants about useless and unnecessary blog posts, and still I do these things myself. Links to supposedly cool stuff, small comments that no one else finds interesting and so on. I think that I’m aware of this though. If there’s one thing I hate it’s when people claim that you must be perfect yourself in order to complain about others’ behaviours. Screw that. It’s small-minded schoolboy behaviour – a weak defense against valid criticism that one isn’t prepared to recognize. Oh, and look! It seems that one of my very first blog posts was on this topic! Good God, I’m starting to repeat myself already. [...]

]]> By: Karja http://www.cynicalstuff.com/why-do-people-post-useless-and-uninteresting-information/comment-page-1#comment-421 Karja Thu, 16 Nov 2006 20:15:27 +0000 http://www.cynicalstuff.com/why-do-people-post-useless-and-uninteresting-information#comment-421 I think you assume that I'm referring to obviously personal blogs. Of course I don't expect a blog where the writer has chosen to only use it as a means of communicating with his or her friends to be of general interest. What irks me is when people try to promote blogs like that; or when they have a blog that places itself in-between that they feel the urge to invite people to read. Note my references to the intended reader base. The last question may or may not be rethorical, but the obvious response is: if a person doesn't want the general public to read something, he or she shouldn't post it on the web for public access. I think you assume that I’m referring to obviously personal blogs. Of course I don’t expect a blog where the writer has chosen to only use it as a means of communicating with his or her friends to be of general interest. What irks me is when people try to promote blogs like that; or when they have a blog that places itself in-between that they feel the urge to invite people to read. Note my references to the intended reader base.

The last question may or may not be rethorical, but the obvious response is: if a person doesn’t want the general public to read something, he or she shouldn’t post it on the web for public access.

]]> By: Anders Ivarsson http://www.cynicalstuff.com/why-do-people-post-useless-and-uninteresting-information/comment-page-1#comment-420 Anders Ivarsson Thu, 16 Nov 2006 12:53:44 +0000 http://www.cynicalstuff.com/why-do-people-post-useless-and-uninteresting-information#comment-420 I think the general problem behind your reasoning is the assumption that all blogs are public. Of course they are, but that is not the point. The point is that they are not intended as public blogs. They are not intended to be read by anyone - even though it's possible for anyone to read it. They are not aimed at being even mildly interesting to the generic person visiting by chance. They are meant as a way of communication, a handy way of broadcasting your diary, personal thoughts or just stray comments to anyone interested enough to visit, instead of having to have the very same conversation a dozen of times on ICQ/MSN/Skype/e-mail/snail-mail/phone or what not. Having said that, I agree with you. Most blogs are simply not interesting. Most of the time I figure that this is because I don't know them good enough or is interested enough about them to read anything they might feel like saying at the moment. Instead I choose the other forms of communication I mentioned above, where I can talk to them about things that I do find interesting about them and where I can steer them away from subjects that I don't find interesting. In the end it's your choice. If you find that a specific blog or post is not interesting, then why are you reading it? I think the general problem behind your reasoning is the assumption that all blogs are public. Of course they are, but that is not the point. The point is that they are not intended as public blogs. They are not intended to be read by anyone – even though it’s possible for anyone to read it. They are not aimed at being even mildly interesting to the generic person visiting by chance. They are meant as a way of communication, a handy way of broadcasting your diary, personal thoughts or just stray comments to anyone interested enough to visit, instead of having to have the very same conversation a dozen of times on ICQ/MSN/Skype/e-mail/snail-mail/phone or what not.

Having said that, I agree with you. Most blogs are simply not interesting. Most of the time I figure that this is because I don’t know them good enough or is interested enough about them to read anything they might feel like saying at the moment. Instead I choose the other forms of communication I mentioned above, where I can talk to them about things that I do find interesting about them and where I can steer them away from subjects that I don’t find interesting.

In the end it’s your choice. If you find that a specific blog or post is not interesting, then why are you reading it?

]]> By: Karja http://www.cynicalstuff.com/why-do-people-post-useless-and-uninteresting-information/comment-page-1#comment-418 Karja Tue, 14 Nov 2006 23:15:18 +0000 http://www.cynicalstuff.com/why-do-people-post-useless-and-uninteresting-information#comment-418 True, true. I really don't know what the original purpose of blogs was, to be honest - I just view the lack of personal additions and reflections as...not using the blog's full potential. Or something like that. As an example, I visit a few link-related pages that specialize in spreading cool stuff: games, pictures, internet fads and so on. I love pages like that, but I don't really see the point of using a versatile medium like a blog for the same purpose. True, true. I really don’t know what the original purpose of blogs was, to be honest – I just view the lack of personal additions and reflections as…not using the blog’s full potential. Or something like that. As an example, I visit a few link-related pages that specialize in spreading cool stuff: games, pictures, internet fads and so on. I love pages like that, but I don’t really see the point of using a versatile medium like a blog for the same purpose.

]]> By: GBGames http://www.cynicalstuff.com/why-do-people-post-useless-and-uninteresting-information/comment-page-1#comment-417 GBGames Tue, 14 Nov 2006 22:41:03 +0000 http://www.cynicalstuff.com/why-do-people-post-useless-and-uninteresting-information#comment-417 *** I see a lot of posts that quote articles or other blogs or post a cool link somewhere, without adding anything to the original post. *** Well, while I agree that there are some really pointless self-publishing going on, you have to keep in mind that the original purpose of a blog was to link to cool stuff. Originally, blogs were just a log of cool and interesting sites found on the web, which allowed people to go straight to the interesting things and bypass the junk. But it would be nice if "this is interesting" would be followed with explanations of why. Maybe it is interesting to you because you're a hobbyist dentist who is also a fan of the Three Stooges, but what does it have to do with ME? ***
I see a lot of posts that quote articles or other blogs or post a cool link somewhere, without adding anything to the original post.
***

Well, while I agree that there are some really pointless self-publishing going on, you have to keep in mind that the original purpose of a blog was to link to cool stuff. Originally, blogs were just a log of cool and interesting sites found on the web, which allowed people to go straight to the interesting things and bypass the junk.

But it would be nice if “this is interesting” would be followed with explanations of why. Maybe it is interesting to you because you’re a hobbyist dentist who is also a fan of the Three Stooges, but what does it have to do with ME?

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