Not entirely comfortable with this. My blog is called leading from the heart, what I do is from the heart and I am passionate about what I write and comment on.

I think that any media focusing on either logic OR emotion – either head OR heart – is 1/2 of a good thing at best.

Perhaps I misunderstand and what you mean is that ANY time we allow our egos to take control of our emotional response we will end up with disconnected ramblings? And that some people are allowing this to happen as they post and comment on their blogs?

Or, perhaps it is sometimes letting emotions run ahead of productive discourse. This is a big mistake via email and when this is the case, I am suggesting to leave the comments off of the blog and pick up the telephone. Although one can leave a comment and then hang up the phone (not entirely uncommon), it is less likely when the speed of response makes conversation more efficient and perhaps productive in such circumstances.

Great comment, Chris. Thanks.

But the purpose of blogging has always been different than that of the telephone. They aren’t really comparable. Telephones in the beginning were used to set up meetings, as is shown on reruns of The Andy Griffith Show, Andy would pick up the phone and (after some small talk with the operator) confirm a meeting place with a friend for later in the day. Telephone conversations are more like e-mails than webblogs. quick little heads up notes, personal conversations, and talking to friends whom you don’t normally see; that’s what they’re good for.

Webblogs, I feel, are more like Ancient Greek forums. It’s a place where the great thinkers (and sometimes the not so great) meet to discuss ideas about the world they live in and all the happenings of the time. Webblogs are a place, like the forums, where emotion is left out and logic prevails; a Socratic life of sorts. We can see based on your points of view where your emotions and feelings lay on subjects, unless of course you are just plaing devil’s advocate, but then if you do that, it’s probably not your webblog anyway.

I know you understand this based on the first couple paragraphs, but maybe it’s just as simple as the vultures not knowing.

Steve, how do you think this can be changed? Or does it need to? Do we need norms as edubloggers?

My belief about blogs is that I post about something I care about, that I need to work through in some cases, with the hopes that others will join in and help me think about it. That is my belief, but not necessarily everyone’s I guess.

What I do know is that I enjoy and have learned from conversations with other bloggers (you being up there on that list for sure) and have been frustrated in others. Just like in some f2f conversations! The difference here is that when it happens with text, the text stays around as a reminder. It frustrates me to no end when I check in on the blogs I read and see conversations in mid thread that don’t seem to get resolved. I know I have been guilty of doing that in the past as well. I become swept up in some sort of business and the next thing I know I notice a comment from a week or more before on one of my posts. I also feel frustrated when I see a comment list that looks like the one you described above…

And so I tend to gravitate towards those blogs where I find conversation that is interesting to follow.

On your point about blogging… I am confused about whether you are saying that Gary Stager was blogging to impress the blogosphere in regards to this video. In conversations with Gary, I have learned that he feels the very same as you, if gets to that point, he’s out. I’m wondering in what capacity we, as connected individuals, might accomplish through raising awareness and educating those around us through our blogs (or other websites).