It’s already been linked to death - yes I’m late to the party. But this really is a must read for anyone working in social/participant/citizen media. gapingvoid: random notes on blogging. My faves:

16. The day you can write as compellingly and consistently as say, Kathy Sierra, Jeff Jarvis, Guy Kawasaki or Michael Arrington, will be the day I start taking your complaints of low traffic seriously.

I know what he means about Kathy and Jeff - I’ve not read enough of Guy and Michael to know.

20. Blogging will never be a mainstream activity so long as being able to write [A] well, [B] often and [C] about stuff THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT remain the main barriers to entry.

23. Another way to know you’ve arrived: When you realize that every business relationship you’ve established in the last twelve months was a direct result of blogging.

Related to that latter point - I’m simply amazed at how much communication between musicians in the Sydney music scene is done via Myspace. If you don’t have a Myspace profile and you want to play, you still can, but it’s a lot easier if you’re on Myspace…

39. If a blog doesn’t allow comments, then yes, it’s still a blog. People who say otherwise are just getting in touch with their ‘Inner Idealistic Wanker’.

I so want to use that line in real life: “Inner Idealistic Wanker”. Love it!