From 66f71ce477fa18dcfa5ba6eea7e672123949b233 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Brandon Rozek Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2026 11:59:02 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] New post --- .../blog/blogging-as-dialogue-invitation.md | 34 +++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 34 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/blog/blogging-as-dialogue-invitation.md diff --git a/content/blog/blogging-as-dialogue-invitation.md b/content/blog/blogging-as-dialogue-invitation.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ea1de28 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/blog/blogging-as-dialogue-invitation.md @@ -0,0 +1,34 @@ +--- +title: "Blogging as an Invitation for Dialogue" +date: 2026-01-15T11:21:29-05:00 +draft: false +tags: [] +math: false +medium_enabled: false +--- + +We have many ways to share ideas today. We can: + +- Text +- Email +- Pen a letter +- Post on a microblog (Mastodon/X/Pixelfed/etc.) +- Write a blog post + +But not all of these methods inherently create a conversation or dialogue. When I write a technical blog post, I don't expect a reply. Similarly, when I toot on Mastodon, I'm fine if no one favorited the post. As such, (micro-)blogging differs greatly from texting and calling someone and is instead much closer to recording a postcast or uploading a video -- a one-way transmission of information. + +Ploum wrote about how he views the [ActivityPub protocol as a conversation](https://ploum.net/2025-12-15-communication-entertainment.html), and as such servers should not filter posts based on [whether they have a picture](https://ploum.net/2025-12-04-pixelfed-against-fediverse.html). Now I'm not on Pixelfed, so I do not have a stake in this issue. However since I view Pixelfed as a microblogging platform, I tend to see it as more of a one-way transmission of information rather than soliciting a response from my friends. This view would put me in the category of folks that view AcitvityPub as a "content consumption platform." Though I find that term derogative[^1]. + +[^1]: The idea that folks are doom-scrolling and are only consuming empty calories misses how communities are formed on these platforms -- complete with their own social norms. + +Now should Pixelfed filter posts based on whether it contains a picture? I'm not sure. But if I was on Mastodon and I specifically @'d someone on Pixelfed, then I would sure hope that either they received that message or I was shown an error. + +So if we're not having a conversation with these (micro-)blog posts, what are we doing? Some of us are trying to teach, keep a public journal, or share our perspectives. Some of us don't even want responses[^2]. Though I find that many of us do: +[^2]: Every so often I get sad when I want to reply to someone, but I don't see an email to reach out to. + +> Blog posts become invitations that never expire +> \- [Dries](https://dri.es/20-years-of-blogging) + +When I send a postcard to a loved one, they don't need to reply. However, I send it because it's an acknowledgement of our relationship and it's an invitation to reach out. + +Similarly when I write a blog post, by default I'm only transmitting information. However, any of you readers can choose to promote this from a transmission to an exchange. From a communication to a dialogue.