Why a Team Blog Is Not a Discussion List or Forum

Same questions have been swarming around in my nearly vacant brain lately too about this animal we call a Team Blog. Every time I've joined a discussion group, I've felt more limited than I do in this blog. Perhaps it's that here on our team blog, we are publishing in addition to discussing? It's not just simple text we are sharing. We include pictures and meme-graphics, and blogstickers, photos of ourselves, bios and background (I'm getting there...) and links.

That we are hyperlinking here among our blogs, spawning new conversations on topics unrelated but just as important to us as our original topics, is significant and goes beyond the limitations of discussion groups or email digests. You get slammed for being "off topic" if you do that, say, on slashdot, where in blogland, it's encouraged. It's the unwiritten rule. We're supposed to vibe off of one another's posts and see how far we can take the discussion, see who else on what other blogs will join in (i.e. link to us), and daypop rewards us for that.

At least, that's what I'm doing.

Here, the goal is not to beat a single topic to death, but to use a given topic as a springboard into self and other exploration, sharing, learining, and caring. That is why (so far) I think blogging attracts and captivates a more interesting (to me) ilk of people than discussion groups do. When I post on a discussion list, my posts are usually simplistic, posing short questions or answers, and are more or less to the point. When I post on my blog--team or individual--I'm free to explore with anyone who wants to watch me, walk with me, talk with me. We all feel ownership of our team blog. I don't think any of us feel that way when we participate in a forum, chat, discussion group, or the like.

There's more, but I'm sleepy. Let's not let this one die. Someone tell David Weinberger what we're talking about over here. Seems like it would interest him. I think I fixed the link-dealybob, so it should work now when someone links to an individual post. Woo ho.

nighty.