10 Questions with Niall Kennedy on Blogging
Hmmm, I’m running a little behind this morning. Today I have part 2 of my interview with Niall Kennedy and it is all about blogging. Hope you enjoy.
How long ago did you start blogging and why did you start?
I started blogging in 1994 as a way to share my interests with friends. My first blog was about movie reviews and was powered by the FirstClass publishing system. I wanted more people to understand my jokes and movie quotes, and the blog allowed me to make recommendations and engage my readers.
When did you first hear the word blog and what was your first impression of the idea behind it?
I first heard the word “blog” in 1999 or 2000. It’s really just another word to describe what people have already been doing online or in a paper diary for years. The term “blog” to me relates a certain data format or layout, possibly powered by a specialized tool.
Why do you think blogging is so disruptive?
Blogging lowers the barrier to entry for individuals to express their opinions and passions to a large group of people. Modern bloggers don’t have to know anything about HTML or markup; they simply type their thoughts into a browser window and send it off to the world. We all have something to say, and everyone wants to have at least one more person listen to their point of view, so blogging is a great worldwide connector. My blog is read in Ireland and in Japan by people I cannot reach in my everyday life, even if I knew how to reach them! I am able to publish my thoughts and have people of similar interests join in the conversation and build upon my ideas.
What is the most important aspect of a person’s blog to you? What keeps you coming back?
I like to see original reporting from a unique point of view. I like to learn something new every day and enjoy reading blogs that introduce me to new ideas and ways of thinking. I do most of my reading in a feed aggregator, so full feeds are important. I appreciate blogs that are free of conflicts of interest and who do not skew their content for sponsors or employers.
In the coming years and decades it will be increasingly hard to get a person’s attention. How can we as blogger and journalist help the consumer with this aspect?
I think variety is a good thing. The increased availability of content across various subject areas will allow each reader to choose their favorite topics. Someone may not subscribe to a general sports blog, but they will subscribe to a blog on the business of soccer for example.
A challenge developers and business leaders need to rise to is the management of all of these choices of information to allow end-users to discover and interact with the content they care about. If we know someone watched the season finale of Survivor last night, we might be able to suggest timely and topical content such as blog posts about the episodes, or reactions from the latest person booted off the island. You could also encourage the creation of content by helping the user create a list of the top 5 things they would bring with them to a deserted island or what food they might crave the most.
Journalists will produce more in-depth stories and analysis using the resources at their disposal and their reputation in the industry. The reputation of a publication or a reporter will have increased attention as individuals look to the wisdom of the crowds to help establish trust. Personalization and social network filters built-in to tools will help more bloggers and publications reach audiences not possible with today’s ranking methods.
Where do you see blogging in 5 years?
I think blogging will spread to multiple methods of input within the next 5 years. You might type a blog post on your laptop or mobile phone, write a message from a tablet device, or submit audio and video posts from a phone or home recording station. The same tools we use to connect people over long distances such as video conferencing, gaming devices, computers, and cell phones, will become better equipped for easy content creation such as blogging.
Network bandwidth and ubiquity will continue to increase, allowing blogging from more locations. Using a wireless data network you could upload your latest photograph with an audio annotation right when inspiration hits.
We will also see more collaboration in blogs as some features of wikis work their way into blog posts.
Who do you think some of the most influential bloggers are and why?
I think the most influential bloggers are acting as connectors and helping others get started with new blogs or a new approach to business. Also important and influential are the bloggers building the tools that help other people create new things. There are so many things people are interested in learning about that influence really varies by topic.
Jeffrey Zeldman is an influential blogger among the design community. Joel Spolsky and Paul Graham influence small business leaders. Tim Bray, Dave Winer, and Adam Bosworth influence the technology bloggers.
Why is ‘Conversation King’?
Conversation is king because anyone can contribute in a meritocracy of information and opinion. Conversations allow you to admit you might not have all the answers and you are willing to listen to what another person has to say. People like to be heard, and the best ideas don’t necessarily already exist within the confines of your company or your own mind.
What would you tell a blogger who is trying to figure out the journalism world?
I recommend finding a niche market to cover better than anyone else. Become the online expert on the latest MP3 players, baby strollers, or whatever you feel you are in a position to cover well. Seek out new stories in those areas and find other bloggers and journalists covering similar stories so you can learn from their work.
How has blogging affected your life?
Blogging has allowed me to connect with a larger group of people than I ever thought was possible. Last month I was sitting in a San Francisco cafe when someone visiting from South Africa recognized me from my blog and we started talking about the topics of my latest entries. My blog has led to new jobs, new conversations, and new reasons to seek out new information and explore emerging technologies.
How can we educate the average user about blogging?
The first step is to help remove the intimidation involved with publishing online. I ask people questions about things I know they are passionate about and then encourage them to share their opinions and insights with the world through a blog. Once people realize they have something to say and they are eager to share it with the world the rest is easy.
Blogging for the average user may not involve a broad worldwide audience. My mother’s instant messaging buddy list contains only family and relatives spread across the world. She might start a blog to deliver the latest news from home to my brother serving in Iraq or my relatives in Ireland and be very happy with informing that audience.
What advice would you give someone who is just starting to blog and what do you the pros/cons of blogging are?
Blog for yourself. If you get caught up in expected posting volume, subscriber counts, and why no one is leaving comments on your blog you will never get anywhere.
Your blog will be a part of your personal online identity. Consider integrating your blog with a personal domain name instead of a generic service to build a better brand.
Download a desktop feed aggregator to stay on top of the latest news from around the Web. Start tracking your favorite sites and add your opinion to the conversation by commenting on those stories.