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It’s not a generation, it’s an era

17 comments on It’s not a generation, it’s an era

It’s not a generation, it’s an era

: An NY Times headline writer tries to be hip and with-it today but gets it wrong:

The Blog Generation Takes Up Its Trowels

This tops a story about young people and wacky city gardens and it happens that one of them blogs, too. But the story is hardly if at all about blogging or a blogging generation.

And here’s the problem: There isn’t a “blogging generation.” That belittles this movement, reducing it to a fad with the youngsters.

Well, look at that picture to the right with the gray beard (which, I’ll confess, is even grayer now; so’s the hair). Check out pix of (no offense, friends) Roger Simon or the ailing (well, maybe it should be a young person’s game) Glenn Reynolds or Rex Hammock (who’s just as old as I’m about to be but doesn’t look it). People of all ages are blogging. It’s not a generational moment. It’s a movement. It’s an era. Damnit.

: Rex wishes I’d pointed to Doc instead. I’ll bet Doc will nominate someone else: Pass the old potato.

17 responses to “It’s not a generation, it’s an era”

  1. Steven I. Weiss Avatar
    Steven I. Weiss

    What’s wrong with “a fad with the youngsters”? Far from belittling it, that description elevates it. Think of all the things that were, in many ways, pushed mostly by youth: civil rights, rock ‘n roll, blogging…

  2. I.F. Stoner Avatar
    I.F. Stoner

    Look, what do you expect from the cracktards at the Times? If you *really* want to know what happened in tech six months ago, read Circuits this morning.
    Hey! They just discovered this, um, really cool thing called the Treo 600…

  3. Rex Hammock Avatar
    Rex Hammock

    Gee, Jeff. Thanks for the shout-out. I always enjoy being noted for my AARP membership potential. I’ve been 50 for less than six weeks and already I’m an old fart poster child. As for that picture of me looking younger than you, it’s amazing what having some photoshop gurus on ones staff can do for one.

  4. Steel Magnolia Avatar
    Steel Magnolia

    Ah yes, I remember it well: the day my daughter starting asking me for help with her computer. She’s at University in London now — and still calling home instead of customer service.

  5. Yehudit Avatar
    Yehudit

    “What’s wrong with “a fad with the youngsters”?”
    Well, nothing, except that blogging is being done across all age groups, so it doesn’t “belong” to the young. You can’t even say that young people started it. Hip-hop? that’s another story.
    (I’m 51, BTW.)

  6. Chan S. Avatar
    Chan S.

    As a tail-end baby boom blogging gardener, I could not agree with you more. Blecch.

  7. Dr. Kate Avatar
    Dr. Kate

    Maybe all the cool kids will quit knitting now? One can hope.

  8. hugh macleod Avatar
    hugh macleod

    Well, “generation” and “era” are often mixed up- maybe it’s bad English more than bad journalism…
    Secondly, is blogging a “movement”? That implies political agendae and whatnot.
    I’m what you’d call a non-Utopian blogger. I do it for my own reasons (mainly self-benefitting), not because I think it’ll make the world a better place (even though that’s probably what eventually will happen).
    PS: Jeff, you’re now the #1 Google search for “how to make money blogging”. Well done!

  9. Dave Schuler Avatar
    Dave Schuler

    Secondly, is blogging a “movement”? That implies political agendae and whatnot.
    Actually it’s more a zeitgeist. Sort of like Heinlein’s comment: “When it’s time to railroad everybody railroads”.

  10. triticale Avatar
    triticale

    At 53-1/2 I am as of writing this the oldest fogey in the discussion. Doesn’t seem to have any bearing on blogging as far as I’m concerned. I started out in the days of RCP/Ms, and passed thru Usenet and email lists, but see no reason for either “good old days” crap or “the snows were deeper” crap.
    On the other hand, I’ve been trying to avoid being part of a zeitgeist since at least the Summer of Love.

  11. Dave Schuler Avatar
    Dave Schuler

    triticale:
    At 53-1/2 I am as of writing this the oldest fogey in the discussion.
    And what makes you think that, hmmmm?

  12. Yehudit Avatar
    Yehudit

    “On the other hand, I’ve been trying to avoid being part of a zeitgeist since at least the Summer of Love.”
    Tell me about it. Dodging them zeitgeists is hard work.

  13. hugh macleod Avatar
    hugh macleod

    I agree. It’s more of a zeitgeist thing.

  14. Jim G. Avatar
    Jim G.

    I agree with you 100%. I don’t think the blogging movement has yet been seen for what it really is. It’s the REAL grassroots movements ongoing in our society today. Woe to the fool who fails to recognize this fact.
    The silent majority is becoming not so silent.

  15. roxanne Avatar
    roxanne

    I hate it when mainstream media tries to be cool!

  16. xian Avatar
    xian

    Have we lost the concepts of contemporaries? Jeff, you and I may be half a generation apart but we are con-temporaneous, no?

  17. Jennie Taliaferro Avatar
    Jennie Taliaferro

    Middle-aged Baby Boomers rule, Jeff!
    In our case, you can teach some older dogs new tricks!
    And I’m always amazed when young people find me “hip!”
    This is why I chose the name I did for my blog, however.
    We’re all in the new Greatest Generation and I believe with all my heart that Americans of all ages can rise to the occasion of this war and that we will prevail, just like the Greatest Generation of our parents and grandparents.