Mormon Blogs Get Recognized

In a recent SL Trib article about Dialogue's 40-year anniversary dinner, the current editor of Dialogue was quoted as follows about the "graying" of the Dialogue audience:

"Mormon blogs are where young people have gone," Peterson said from his home in Washington. "It's where they get their intellectual stimulation."

Well, on a good day there's some intellectual stimulation. Still, I feel bad that so many of us are wasting our time blogging around but not pitching in to keep Dialogue afloat. I felt bad enough last year to kick in for a 3-year subscription. If you feel bad too, click here to ease your pain. You can't put the Bloggernacle on your coffee table to impress the home teachers.

Comments

[Dave]

And I'm still waiting for some of that inescapable "liberalizing" to kick in. I still see religious conservatives and liberals; feminists and traditionalists. Maybe it appears differently to someone who isn't a regular participant.

[Ronan]

You didn't mention which blog was specifically mentioned...!

Dave, I'm with you that blogging ain't scholarly (per se). I hope the young Mormon intellectuals who waste their days on the blogs also devote some attention to real scholarship!

[Jared E.]

Is Dialogue really in financial trouble? If Dialogue left, what would we be left with? The Bloggernackle is nice, but it ain't no Dialogue.

[Jacob]

I agree with Jared, the Bloggernackle cannot replace Dialogue. If Dialogue were to die because the next generation is blogging that would be sad. Actually, I am surprised the 'nackle doesn't provide a lot of good advertisement for Dialogue. It seems to me that lots of average people like me are exposed to a more scholarly approach on many of the blogs.

[Clark Goble]

"Actually, I am surprised the 'nackle doesn't provide a lot of good advertisement for Dialogue."

Umm. BCC is the online version of Dialogue.

I'd disagree somewhat. While a lot, definitely the majority, of blogging is kind of fluffy, I also think a lot of people partially develop their ideas for papers here. Blogging helps develop that dialogical nature that is so helpful.

The downside to blogs is the expectation of a few posts a week which, in hindsight, helps contribute to the superficial nature of blogs. But there have been some excellent posts.

The other problem is that not every idea really deserves a full paper. Blogs are excellent for that.

[Ronan]

Clark's right. I've tested some ideas on the blogs that are now becoming articles.

[Steve EM]

Does this mean I'm a Sunstone guy?

[Jacob]

Clark,

Exactly my point. The quote from Peterson seems to be implying that people are going to the blogs instead of to Dialogue. I would think that BCC, along with many other blogs, would increase the interest in the paper version of Dialogue, rather than detracting from it.