2.) Response to Sullivan

Sullivan’s essay, “Why I Blog,” is an interesting take on the online community that has developed due to the creation of the web log. To him, blogging is an entire world away from the structured form of writing published in newspapers and magazines; there is no editing or final draft, there is just one draft of all the writer’s thoughts. Because of this, he sees blogging as the most personal form of writing out there. There is no editor to watch your back, if you screw up or say something wrong, it’s all on you. This is why I think Andrew Sullivan blogs, the personality that goes along with it.
A blog is like a log of all the thoughts and writings of a single author. For this reason a blog is a completely personal endeavor, which is why Andrew Sullivan enjoys keeping one. He likes that it is instantaneous, and thoughts are not planned out. Readers will see the first draft of the paper, instead of a final copy after multiple revisions. The writer is completely responsible for any mistakes; there is no editor to watch his back. He likes the criticism received and the praise when the audience enjoys his writing. The feedback is instant because there is no need to write a letter to an editor, readers simply add comments to tell how they feel. As he said in his essay, “The feedback is instant, personal, and brutal.”
I believe Andrew Sullivan’s take on blogs is an explanation of why they are so popular. Blogging is the most personal form of writing and has more of a voice than academic papers, as well as published writing. Writers can express emotions on a minute-by-minute basis, and publishing it involves just the click of a mouse. It is truly like the extreme sport in the writhing community due to all the risk involved. However, the thrill of the written word will always allure those in the writing community to the blog.