Thursday, October 11, 2012

Why LH?


Why the hell are we doing this?

This is a question that has been asked a quite few times during our back channel discussions.  It seems like week after week we are beating our heads against a wall of stupidity. And every time we make a crack or knock out a block, theists slap up the same brick of idiocy and adhere it with the mortar of repetition.  Not to mention all of the ridiculous bullshit that has been going on in the Atheosphere.  We’re a small blog.  Our readership is mostly a handful of regulars (and we thank you, one and all).  Even on Facebook and G+ we only have a few hundred followers, while pages that do nothing but re-post the same tired memes get tens of thousands.  We’re lucky to get one comment compared to the hundreds that “Global Secular Humanist Movement” or an FtB post gets, even though we’re sometimes weeks ahead in getting a story out.  And admittedly, one of us does the majority of the heavy lifting around here (It’s not me), which has to be tiring for him.  So why are we still doing this?  

I’d like to think that we’re helping to stem the tide, but I don’t know, because we don’t get the feedback.  We don’t even have theocracy-promoting trolls to use as a gauge.  And I’m not sure why.   Is it the layout?  Our writing?  Is it the quagmire that is Blogspot? 

Despite all this, we do continue on.  We've even expanded by starting to do a podcast, which I think is going pretty well.  I got to interview Taylor Muse of Quiet Company, and participate as a member of the press at Rock Beyond Belief.  I hope to do more like that.    

The mainstream media only picks up the stuff that appeals to our community when it can be spun into some sensationalist pap in support of the status quo, or to warn them of the “atheist threat” (The Black Hand is coming!).  This is the main reason why bloggers, vloggers, public speakers and authors are so vital to the secular community.  As Jello Biafra once said, “Don’t hate the media, become the media!”  So, for me, that’s why I do this.  That’s why I want to continue to do this. 

We live in a society that is still dancing to the beat of an imaginary drum; and without those voices, however small, to bring attention to that fact, the creeps organizing the conga line win. 

4 comments:

Andrew Hall said...

Well, I have a few thoughts, and they probably are not going to make anyone feel better. On the other hand, I'm not drinking rum, so they will make sense.
1a. From what I understand the we (including myself) missed the blog-boom when everyone was interested in blogs. People who started back then were able to stake-out their turf.
1b Find someone who all ready has a bigger blog than yours, and who likes your stuff. They may support you by allowing guest posts, etc.
2a. There is a common line of thought amongst entertainers: It takes 10 years to make it. Over night successes like Louis CK have been slaving (slaving) away for +10 years before making it big.
2b. Just because you've been toiling away for 10 years does not guarantee for success. Far from it. There are many "road comics" who end up burned out at the end of their careers.
Some of the other stuff I've figured out is more secret-squirrel like. I'll contact you.

@blamer said...

Google Scholar suggests "Bloggers are driven to document their lives, provide commentary and opinions, express deeply felt emotions, articulate ideas through writing, and form and maintain community forums."

http://lefthemispheres.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/why-lh.html

I suppose my point (if I have to have one) is this; those documenting the godless (counter) movement so energetically reacting to the 21st century Religious Right are VERY good at producing original content and VERY average at using methods proven by the social sciences to be good for communicating consequential rhetoric to an appropriate audience for driving the social changes we are repetitively insisting on; ie, wealthy lobbiests, influential political parties, established organisations with similar views and large memberships, retired folks with substantial free time, hyper-active social networks in meatspace like student protestors, inspirational leaders with followers who aren't herded cats, etc. /rant

Sorry. I have opinions. Who knew. ;)

@b said...

*oops, source is http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1035163

Unknown said...

Yeah, comments! Oh, it's just Andy and blamer.

Kidding! Thanks for the feedback. Definitely worth taking into consideration.