Monday, February 18, 2008

Press Clippings II


Photo by Chris Hamby (The Oberlin Review
Who is that hottie? It's me! Wow! I'm so surprised you found me here at this computer, considering this article is about me blogging!

Here is the full text of that article written about me, here.


Opinionated Obie with a Blog to Match

By Laurel Fuson

When Conservatory junior John West started his blog, Ich Bin Ein Oberliner, he didn’t want to create his own personal Oberlin Confessional. Hence his first post, “Five Reasons Why This Blog Is a Bad Idea.” But now, despite initial a year later, he finds himself tethered fast to the keyboard.

“I’m in constant need of outside validation,” said West, when asked why he started the blog.

Oberliner is a blog focused on West’s interests, mainly books and art. At times it mirrors the professional blogs that have become so popular in the last few years, such as the Times’ ArtsBeat, and comes complete with links to items of interest and photos.

“The wonderful — and horrific — thing about blogging is that all you need is an opinion, a computer and a few spare minutes,” said West.

West’s statement is a tribute to the newly born blog culture that has invaded the lives of many avid readers while leaving newspapers and other publications worried that they might become next year’s eight track. Many, such as the New York Times, have employed the “if you can’t beat them, join them” camp and weather the threats by featuring links to company-sponsored blogs on their websites.

Obies will know that the recent internet rage on campus is not necessarily the personal blog, but the more participation-friendly Oberlin Confessional. This site allows users to post anonymous threads without a threat of being discovered. But bloggers like West have a quite different aim; if the Confessional is a diary, Oberliner is a series of essays.

While the idea of a blog is still shiny and new — Microsoft Word refuses to validate the word “blog” as dictionary-definable — the phenomenon has already infiltrated the ranks of the everyman, namely students and other people who have a lot to say.

“I can tell what I don’t want Oberliner to be: a place where I detail and bitch about the minutiae of my life,” said West. “My guess is that 90 percent of the internet is porn and the vast majority of the rest is lonely people writing...” And if you’re looking to blogs for more than just entertainment, West provides you with a reading list, detailing all he has read and offering thoughts on selected material.

The episodic nature of a blog makes it easy to hook readers. Once they’ve enjoyed a post, they’ll often come back. For West, the creation of his blog is a hobby, and for his readers, making their way through his often self-deprecating and caustic prose can become as natural as tuning in to the latest episode of Lost — and hopefully with a more substantial result.

Despite West’s dedication, amateur blogging hasn’t quite reached its stride in Oberlin. When asked about similar sites on campus, West said that there were, “none that are still active. Every once in a while one or two will pop up only to shut down again in a couple of months. Amateur blogs (like mine) have short life cycles.”

If that isn't enough about me for you, here is the complete interview:

Review: When did you create this blog?
Oberliner: About a year ago, but I only started updating regularly about six months ago.

Review: Why?
Oberliner: I'm in constant need of outside validation.

Review: What kinds of topics do you aim to discuss?
Oberliner: I write about books I'm reading, art I'm looking at, and things I'd like to do. Basically, I'll write about anything that makes me look smarter than I actually am.

I can tell what I don't want Oberliner to be: a place where I detail and bitch (can I say "bitch"?) about the minutiae of my life. It might be fun for the writer, but, as a reader, I can't stand reading that shit (I can say "shit", right?). My guess is that 90 percent of the Internet is porn and the vast majority of the rest is lonely people writing about what they eat and who'd they'd like to fuck (how about "fuck"?) but can't because they're too busy drooling over Syliva Plath or Jack Kerouac like they're the first directionless, upper-middle class white guy to discover Dharma Bums and realize he should get Zen and hitchhike somewhere.

That last bit was probably unfair, but I say it only to distract from the fact that I'm and upper-middle class white guy who "discovered" Dharma Bums and wanted to hitchhike across the country.

Review: What are your plans after college--do you see yourself doing and kind of writing/blogging then?
Oberliner: The wonderful--and horrific--thing about blogging is that all you need is an opinion, a computer, and a few spare minutes. So yeah, I'll probably keep doing it.

As for my plans, when I know, I'll tell you. Or you can read about them.
On my blog.
It's called Ich Bin Ein Oberliner, I hear it's pretty good.

Review: Are there other Oberlin sites like yours that you know about?
Oberliner: None that are still active. Every once in a while one or two will pop up only to shut down again in a couple of months. Amateur blogs (like mine) have short life cycles. But look around, if someone has a blog, it's probably on their Facebook profile. Mine is.

Review: What do you think about the Oberlin Confessional?
Oberliner: I've been away from Oberlin for the last year and people stopped writing about me. I think Oberlin Confessional would be well served by writing about me. I do have a blog, you know.

Review: Do you read it?
Oberliner: I'll answer your question with a question: top ten hottest freshmen girls? go. boobs.