some_thoughts_on_blather_styles z after witnessing (and sometimes taking part in) some disagreement about what blather is (and is not) it occurred to me to ask the question "what is blather?" it must be something different to everyone who uses it. indeed it is mostly defined by it's use and so changes each day. i am humbled on some days, disgusted, uninterested, delighted, shocked and warmed on others. indeed i am confronted with such unexpected variety each day that i cannot really say what blather is. i only know that i am grateful for that variety. even what i dislike about it stimulates reaction. sometimes it is: chat community journaling a stage a soapbox graffiti a library experimental writing the corner bar of the global village the analyst's couch art in action witness to history a critical forum a salon group therapy an explosion at the idea factory i do not relish all of these. i am, however, glad that it is both a mirror and a window. 051205 ... z blather, that is. 051205 ... andru235 blather_as_a_public_forum (z ~ i know you feel that "forum" is among the words_that_have_lost_their_meaning, but i feel like here, forum has finally found itself!) (as in "forum" def. 2, n. : a public site for open discussion;) (plus yelling, trading, chanting, babbling, lyricising, exorcising, fantasizing, ranting, teasing, comforting, jesting, bantering, gabbing, recanting, arguing, proselytizing, wondering, asking, answering ... in short, blathering) from_humility_flowereth_blather 051205 ... andru235 * after all, 99% of the other internet forums require one "to pass through a gate" to enter. here, there are no blather_stiles !!! 051205 ... marked . 051207 ... meta meta 051213 ... oren *cough* 051213 ... z yup. meta. yup. 051213 ... purple_mud my_blather is for sale. 051213 ... u24 this_blathe_is_for_sale 051214 ... - - 091215 ... other blather_is_blather & blather_is_an_experiment 091215 what's it to you? who go blather from