Friday, May 30, 2003
Quality does matter
Here's an interesting article by Tom Coates that analyses discussion lists and weblogs in terms of the quality of discussion each promotes. Tom argues that weblogs promote much better discussion than do discussion lists, and suggests that discussion in the blogosphere works along the same lines as academic citations:
"I've been working in similar directions as this - in an attempt to resolve the questions, 'Can you have good discussion across the blogosphere?', 'What is the nature of that discussion?' and "How does it differ from message-board conversation?'. And I think the answer lies - yet again - in going back to the beginning and looking at the way the web in general (and weblogs in particular) operate like an academic citation network."
He's produced some really interesting and persuasive diagrams to support his argument as well.
Here's an interesting article by Tom Coates that analyses discussion lists and weblogs in terms of the quality of discussion each promotes. Tom argues that weblogs promote much better discussion than do discussion lists, and suggests that discussion in the blogosphere works along the same lines as academic citations:
"I've been working in similar directions as this - in an attempt to resolve the questions, 'Can you have good discussion across the blogosphere?', 'What is the nature of that discussion?' and "How does it differ from message-board conversation?'. And I think the answer lies - yet again - in going back to the beginning and looking at the way the web in general (and weblogs in particular) operate like an academic citation network."
He's produced some really interesting and persuasive diagrams to support his argument as well.
