> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.lorcandempsey.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Blogging
- URL: https://www.lorcandempsey.net/blogging-3/
- Published: 2009-07-26T22:49:12.000Z
- Updated: 2020-10-28T09:14:09.000Z
- Author: Lorcan Dempsey
- Tags: Books

\[I am on vacation the latter couple of weeks in July, so not much blogging happening.\]  
I was not registered for ALA at Chicago and only dipped in briefly to present on one panel. Afterwards, I continued congenial conversation in the bar in the Hilton, Kitty O’Shea’s (see the [entry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katharine%5FO'Shea?ref=lorcandempsey.net) in Wikipedia for some background on the various names of Kitty O’Shea).  
This meant that I turned up late for the OCLC Blog Saloon, er, I mean Salon, which was winding down as I arrived. I was interested to see [Meredith’s note](https://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2009/07/22/whither-blogging-and-the-library-blogosphere/?ref=lorcandempsey.net) about the Salon, and about the state of blogging in general. I agree about the volume of interesting blog material, and have made [similar comments](https://blog.oclc.org/lorcand/archives/001948.html?ref=lorcandempsey.net) in these pages recently, although I am less sure about what an ideal state would be like.  
A while ago, I noted that I would be slowing down on the blogging front. This was largely because of the time commitment, the opportunity cost was a bit too high. However, as I did this, I also sensed that some of the heat had gone out of the blogosphere in general, and the library blogosphere in particular. The lists in my aggregator have visibly contracted.  
Why? [Walt](https://scienceblogs.com/waltatrandom/?ref=lorcandempsey.net), whom I was pleased to bump into at the salon, is probably right to suggest in the comments that some energy around notifications etc has moved to Twitter: “Twitter et al … have, in a way, strengthened essay-length blogging while weakening short-form blogging (maybe)-and essays have always been harder to do than quick notes”. I think that there has also been some professionalization, generally and to a limited extent in the library world, where some blogging activity is aligned with publishing or professional venues, or with a particular job (see the HBR set of ‘blogs’ for e.g. or blogs like TechCrunch or Ars Technica which are effectively magazines). Some of the more active Twitterers – and bloggers – have positions that make it easier to contribute.  
Incidentally, as we wound up in Kitty O’Shea’s and my cheque arrived, I signed with my room number. The waiter returned. There was a problem: he was courteously concerned that a different name than mine was showing up when he entered the details, and again when he rechecked. I went out to the front desk to sort things out. The same thing happened, and furthermore they had no record of my even being at the hotel. Was I sure I was actually staying at the hotel, the patient staff member asked? I huffed and puffed about having already signed for a meal and having been there since the day before. Suddenly, I realized that no, I was not at this hotel, I was staying in the Hyatt down at the conference center. My companions in Kitty O’Shea’s kindly said that they would not spread my embarrassment, but I would not want to spoil a good story for them 😉  
Hey – when you are only there for a day or two, moving between hotels, … anybody could make a mistake 😉  
Related entry:

- [Blogging ](https://blog.oclc.org/lorcand/archives/001948.html?ref=lorcandempsey.net)