The Dangers of Blogging

I've long told people "I'm not a 'blogger'." Instead, I'm a political guy with a blog.

Like any phenomenon, there are some people who actually derive their entire identity from blogging. To me, that's sort of like putting the medium before the message. And the ones who are wildly successful at it tend to remind me of Paris Hilton (they are famous for being famous.)

Today's National Journal's Blogometer makes a good point about the different kinds of bloggers...

"The voices we feature in Blogometer are a mix of the expert who blogs part-time as an extra outlet, and the amateur whose blog is his/her only way of being heard. Some of the latter, perhaps, become successful beyond their ability..."

I'm a fan of the written word. And I enjoy the medium of blogging. I see it as one venue to communicate, but not as a means unto itself. (Note: I am referring now to part-time bloggers. If you are a journalist, then this doesn't apply to you. It is your job to write).

The lesson to be learned from this whole blogger controversy is that we all have to be very careful what we post. The pen is mightier than the sword -- and it cuts both ways.

Unlike writing a column, blogging allows you to post something instantly. Of course, the danger is that you don't have a lot of time to revise and moderate your thoughts.

This is the world-wide web, folks -- and everything you write can (and will) and will be used against you.