Have a slice of life - more about citizen publishing

Having access to the world of weblogs is like sampling an inexhaustible buffet table of living culture.

With a click of the mouse, I can read inspiring essays, earthy humor, poignant tales of struggle against all odds, and wry commentaries on life in every location on the planet. Furthermore, I can enjoy the talent of photographers, artists, and musicians the world over.

If my taste is for stronger fare, I can read firsthand accounts of injustice, crime, corruption, and barbarity from people who are on the scene. I can get enough information about the veniality and corruption of UN oficials and their families to convince me that change is long overdue.

There is no subject too gross and bizarre for exhumation on the internet.

Fortunately, there are many who share their delight in nature's treasures, love of home, and love of life. These sites never fail to soothe and uplift our spirits. For example, our computers here at home constantly glow with scenes captured by one of our favorite photographers.

I wish there was a way to display a continuing slide show of the works of at least a hundred other photographers. They could be arranged in channels like cable TV: people, places, horses, children, flowers.... There are galleries on the web, but they take more time and effort than I have to spare. I would like these to come up like a screen saver when the computer was idle.

The blogs I frequent are consistently interesting, to me at least, but occasionally they write an outstanding essay or series of essays. When this happens, I get a glimpse of the incredible potential of this citizen publishing movement we are so privileged to share.

When inspiration strikes, the author can share it with the world immediately, whether it is a bite-sized morsel of philosophy or a full exposition of an upcoming paradigm shift with significant economic repercussions. Nuggets of outrageous humor circle the planet daily at the speed of light. No institution or individual is safe from scrutiny or ridicule. The Emperor's New Clothes are a matter of daily discussion.

Few bloggers may care to wrap their thoughts in a book, but it really doesn't matter. The daily output of millions of writers is beginning to flood the world with freshly minted ideas. I feel this tide will overwhelm and transform the world of publishing as we knew it.

Even as raindrops carve canyons into solid rock, this unstoppable tide of prose, poetry and inspired ranting will create new channels in an old publishing landscape. It won't take long.

Comments

[Sallie]

What a beautiful post.... Bravo!

[vikk]

Nicely done and a great offering of new sites to visit.

[Andreas Duess]

The wonderful thing is that napsterising knowledge does not mean the person sharing incurs a loss. A candle doesn't lose any light itself by lighting another candle.

The vast creation and publishing of content we're seeing right now is slowly and subtly changing society as we know it. Exciting times.

[Denita TwoDragons]

Thanks for the link, dear! You have such a beautiful way of writing. Every post is a joy to behold! :-)

--TwoDragons

[Harini Calamur]

Hi,
don't quite know how I ended up on your page - was just ambling through the WWW. and then i found your page. really enjoyed both this post and other essays.
thank you

Harini

[Beth W.]

I agree with you, David, and thanks for associating my blog with love of life. That nice linkage fits perfectly with Gretchen and you, too.

[Beth W.]

Oh -- and p.s. Very cleverly done!

[David]

Told you I would visit often. "Citizen Publisher" indeed is turning the publishing world upside down. This technolgy (and later iterations) will be turning lots of things upside down.