Last night, as I circulated around the HoCo Blogs party, it
occurred to me that this would best be described as a writer’s party. The term “blog”
is often viewed with somewhat less cachet than “writer,” as if blogging were
some lower form of written expression.
I don’t believe that it is. After talking with at least eight different
blog authors I realized that the common thread is a joy of writing. A few even
readily admitted that they would write their blog even if nobody read it. That’s
what writers do.
That’s not say that they don’t welcome readers. That’s what
separates writing a blog from keeping a journal. People write blogs because
they feel the urge to share their thoughts and observations with the world. The
blog is the conduit and when something written in a blog compels a reader to
comment, it makes the experience all the more satisfying.
Comments are like currency for those who write blogs, even
though it is understood that only a small percentage of readers will post
comments. According to this article by Paul Grabowicz from the UC Berkley Graduate
School of Journalism, “a very small percentage of readers usually will comment
on any given news story or blog posting, and most comments will be made by a
relative handful of frequent posters who may not be representative of general
readership.”
“This has been referred to as the 90-9-1 rule, which means
90 percent of people won't post any comments, 9 percent will post infrequently,
and 1 percent will account for the vast majority of the postings.”
That one percent was well represented last night too. I
spoke with someone who comments regularly on HoCo Rising and another who
comments regularly here. Both individuals were well versed in local affairs and
genuinely invested in the community. One I knew quite well, the other I met for
the first time.
These gatherings of writers are unique to HoCo. I know of
no other community where local blog authors come together regularly to socialize. It’s
just one more thing I love about this place.