Sunday, January 04, 2009

About the Topics that Make It On My Blog

A commentator left this off-topic comment on an earlier post:

I can understand a completely-Torah related site deciding to make no comment on what is going on in Israel right now. But on a site which records your various interests and notes the various things that catch your attention, your lack of any comment having to do with anything but tracking silly antics in the world of black hat Orthodoxy and your photography hobby leads to the impression that it just doesn't mean anything to you.

Personally, I feel that if someone has a complaint about my blog that is not related to a specific post, it would be better to send the complaint via email. But be that as it may, I'll respond publicly to my anonymous critic.

You are correct that I have not (as of yet) posted on the Gaza War. However, the fact that I have not done so does not mean that I do not care about it. There are a number of reasons why a topic might not make it on to my blog. One reason might be that it's a topic that I simply like to avoid, such as Israeli politics. Another reason might be that it has nothing to do with this blog, like American politics. A third reason is that I might simply not have anything new or different to say about it. The Gaza War is in this category. Yes, I hope for a quick end to the war. I hope and pray with all my heart that Israel wins a decisive victory and that the danger to the Jewish people in Israel be ended as quickly as possible. But aside from that, I really have nothing new to add to the debate. I don't blog just for the sake of "hearing myself talk." If I'm going to put up a post, it's usually because I feel that I might have a point to make that hasn't been made yet, or I might have a new insight into the situation. But if I have nothing new to add, I'm not going to post just to say "It's terrible that there's a war and I hope we win." There are plenty of bloggers who are closer to the situation, there are plenty of bloggers who are more well-informed and plenty of bloggers who are more capable of giving an intelligent analysis of the situation than I can.

Trust me, if I have something new or unique to say about the Gaza War, I will. But please don't automatically assume that the lack of statement on my part means I don't care.

The Wolf

9 comments:

Ezzie said...

Well put. I periodically get similar emails or more rarely comments that ask why I haven't (or have) covered a specific topic. The "nothing to add" is the most common feeling.

Jacob Da Jew said...

Ditto. I follow Jameel and Israelly Cool for my gaza feed. They do a great job covering the issues, why should I blog?

G6 said...

Bravo!
Very, very well said.
I was worried about just such feedback on my own blog, and now, if any comes, I will send them directly to your post!

Anonymous said...

Perhaps you're being entirely too modest. It is apparent that by having a poplular blog you are, willy-nilly, already in the sphere in which, when such a major development takes place, your comment is relevant.

By analogy, if you happened to be in a house where a sheva brachos was taking place, would you decide not to congratulate the couple because other people have done so much better than you can, and you have nothing to add? In a hospital, would you refrain from wishing a sick person a refuah shleimah because there is already a squad of people reciting Tehillim?

Besides which, don't you *want* to say something, an expression of the feelings of your heart?

Anonymous said...

I think the post says how Wolf feels about the war. What more would you have him do or say.

BrooklynWolf said...

Anon,

Your analogies are faulty. My personal greetings and well-wishing to a couple in sheva berachos, or my visiting a sick person in a hospital are private affairs between myself and the person with whom I'm talking. My blog, OTOH, is a public forum. What's more, it's my forum for me to discuss the issues that I would prefer to speak about in the manner in which I prefer to speak about them -- and in my case, I prefer not to speak when what I have to say will offer no new insight or be substantially different than what others are saying. Firstly, it's just not the way I like to write and secondly, it doesn't offer my readers any real reason to come to my blog. I want them to come here because they feel that they are getting something different here. If all I'm offering is some bland "I hope we win" or the same thing that everyone else is saying, then there is no reason to come here.

In addition, I think you may be overestimating the popularity of my blog. There are blogs out there that are far more popular than mine. :)

As for what I *want* to say -- there are plenty of things I want to say on a variety of different topics -- but, as mentioned above, not all topics get on my blog. I'm highly interested in economics and board game design too -- but I choose not to discuss them here. Heck, it took me over two years to bring up photography -- a hobby that I've had for longer than this blog!


The Wolf

-suitepotato- said...

Go ahead, bring up economics and board game design. I dare you. I double dare you. Muhahahaha!

Not everyone needs to wants to talk about it. Some need to but don't want to. Some don't need to but want to. Either way, it's a matter of choice. So no big deal.

(Insert clever photoshopped picture of Alan Greenspan playing Monopoly with Mohamma Taha here.)

Anonymous said...

Goo response. What is game board design?

BrooklynWolf said...

Board game design is the design and creation of board games. Serious nerds and geeks only need apply.

The Wolf