What Is a Blog and Does Sag Hampton Need One?

If you’re reading this online, you most likely already know what a blog is, and probably think this blog is a worthwhile undertaking. However, for my online-only readers I should explain that occasionally The Sag Harbor Express picks up a blog post from here and publishes it as an opinion piece in the print-edition of the paper. Many readers of The Express think of me as an occasional columnist for the paper, and are only marginally aware, if aware at all, that what they read in the paper has a separate life online. This post is for them.

Although you may not know it, Sag Hampton is a blog, not a newspaper column. There word blog is a shortened form of the word weblog. Weblogs are designed to allow someone, anyone, to self-publish their writing, and give voice to their opinions in a public, online forum in a format that makes it possible for readers to comment on and add their own thoughts to what has been written. So, when you read something by me in the Sag Harbor Express, I’ve actually written it for my blog on the Internet, where it has a life of its own separate from the newspaper version. I write lots of stuff online. Sometimes the editor of The Express decides to publish it in the paper, sometimes not.

Sometimes, they publish a version of what I’ve written shortened to fit in the space they have available. Sometimes they capture the essence of what I’ve written in the shorter version, but sometimes it ends up too short to really make the point I’m trying to get across. When that happens, though, you — the reader of the newspaper version — can go to the web and read the full version. You’ll always find a link to my blog at The Express’ web site: http://www.sagharboronline.com.

Now here’s the cool part. Both the editor of the newspaper and I think that it would be great to know what people in the community are thinking about the issues we write about. Sure, you can write a letter to the paper, but that may not be your style. Maybe you’re a bit more spontaneous, or would prefer a less formal way to express your thoughts. Perhaps everything you have to say about an issue can be summed up in one sentence and you think it’s just too short to make a good letter to the editor. If any of that applies to you, or you just like being a part of the online community, then the blog is made to order for you, because blogs, by design, are meant to encourage two-way communications. At the end of each article in Sag Hampton there is a place for you to leave a “comment.” In other words, a spot for you to have your say about the issue, or about what I’ve written. Others can comment too, and one person can comment on another person’s comment, giving us all a chance to have a real dialog online. Everyone can read it, everyone can participate in it. Comments can be signed, or anonymous. You must enter your e-mail address, but it is not published. Again this is different than writing a letter to the editor. When you do that, you have to sign it (even if your name isn’t published). On the blog, you can be completely anonymous if you chose. Even I won’t know who you are.

I blog (yes, it’s a verb too) because I want to start a discussion with other members of my community; so I invite you to visit Sag Hampton online where you can not only read the full text of every article (called blog posts), but also find other posts that were never published in the newspaper. And best of all, you can add your two cents (or more) to the discussion.

By the way, for those of you who do read Sag Hampton online, I would love it if instead of stopping me on the street to discuss what I’ve written (or in addition to that), you would add a comment to the blog. Even if it’s only to say that you agree (or disagree). It’s great  for me to know what you think, but not so great that you’re depriving the rest of the community of the benefit of you opinion. Please share your thoughts with the rest of the community on Sag Hampton.