Geoff Manaugh, author of the brilliant architectural/design site BLDGBLOG, shares the following thoughts on blogging in the introduction to The BLDGBLOG Book, released in 2009. His attitude is in essence mine:

“I’ve often joked that BLDGBLOG is organized around one thing only: the pleasure principle. It’s not theoretically rigorous or disciplinarily loyal or beholden to one particular style of design—even one historical era—but that’s the point. […] 

“In other words, forget academic rigor. Never take the appropriate next step. […] Most importantly, follow your lines of interest.

“With BLDGBLOG, the fundamental motivation has always been to write about things—ideas, buildings, books, landscapes, cities—that excite me, that make me want to keep writing, keep thinking, to go out right away and talk to friends. After all, why not remindmyself—and others—of all the interesting things that actually exist in the world? Even if those things don’t exist; even if they’re just speculations and plans. Why not concentrate only on them?”

While this notion of following one’s blogging bliss may not sound particularly revolutionary, I believe it is key to the prospect of internet writing as a path beyond the self-immolating irrelevance of academic discourse and the wanton idiocy of consumer culture. Only joyful knowledge can enlighten the world.

August 22, 2011, 9:14pm