Blogging Arrives 2,000 Years Ahead of Prediction

Posted on October 12, 2005

A Russian Prince named Vladimir Odoevsky predicted blogging back in 1837 in a science fiction novel called Year 4338. The novel discusses a connection that exists between houses that enables people to communicate.

An excerpt from the book reads, "The journals usually provide information about the hosts' good or bad health, family news, various thoughts and comments, small inventions, as well as invitations; in case of a dinner invitation, also the menu. Besides, for communicating in emergency, friends' houses are connected by means of magnetic telegraphs that allow people who live far from each other to talk to each other."

The journals sound very much like blogs and the communication system sounds like the Internet. The excerpt can be found on the Wikipedia entry for Vladimir Odoyevsky.

So, Odoevsky was right but blogging came 2,000 years ahead of his Year 4338 novel prediction. That's good because most of us could not have waited another 2,000 years to blog. Don't forget that Nostradamus also predicted blogging according to some websites. But be very, very skeptical of that particular Nostradamus quatrain -- the Internet has been known to occasionally cough up faux Nostradamus quotes.