“Blogging. BLOGGING!” says the technologically empowered hausfrau on the TV ad as she boasts of her recent achievements on the web (with the help of one of her sprouts). We heard you the first time, dear; blogging is less of a mystery these days to most people with at least some kind of awareness of the internet and its manifold wonders.
So here I am, writing my first entry, as online editor, for the Mail & Guardian Online‘s new Thought Leader blogging service. It’s meant to be exclusive — a platform for some of South Africa’s interesting people to share their thoughts and stimulate debate. Hopefully it will act as a counter-balance to the many thousands of blogs that comprise inane natter and pictures of pets (not that kittens aren’t cute, of course).
In a way, we’re inviting dozens of new columnists to write for the M&G Online. The difference is that length and content is up to each contributor, and we hope that M&G readers will jump into the fray and use the nifty comment facility (which is moderated, by the way) to air their views on our bloggers’ musings.
Why is this my first-ever blog entry? I have resisted the temptation to blog for a long time. An online news site is an ever-hungry beast. I work 1o- to 12-hour days, and the last thing I feel like doing when I get home is to boot up my PC and spend more time behind the keyboard. Besides, I’m a reader of actual books and would much rather do that than stare at a monitor.
However, Thought Leader now crosses neatly from blogging into work, hence my cooperation. Here’s to hoping that I will soon be joined by many more fine minds and sharp observers. A blog a day is still too much to ask, I think, but hey, every third day should be easy, right?
A prince with dignity and determination
Prince Ngarambe’s goals are to become Rwanda’s first transgender model and to uplift the country’s youth
The EFF’s principles are unshakeable
Unlike the ANC, the core values of the freedom fighters do not change with each leader it elects
