Dr. Bombay Crushes Aspiring Blogger

Posted on April 4, 2005

Dr. Bombay runs a computer column for the Charlotte Observer, but don't ask him for advice about starting a blog. In his latest advice piece Dr. Bombay ruthlessly crushes a hapless would-be blogger. A person who was curious about blogging wrote to the good doctor: "I want to set up a site for blogging, mainly because I have a lot of opinions I want to share. I don't even know how to get started. Does it cost money to set up a site? Can you help?" Dr. Bombay, who apparently has some major issues with blogging, snarkily replied:

This Internet stuff has gotten out of hand, and just because widely available, simple-to-use technology makes it possible to share your goofy opinions with billions of people doesn't mean you should. Blogs -- Web logs -- are sources of rumor, innuendo and downright lies, and there's no control over what goes into one. Doofs too naive to discern ravings from reportage cite them as if they were factual. There are enough misinformed people already, thank you. Blogs are also a lot of work. Oh sure, it sounds fun, ragging on Ryan Seacrest one day and posting your plan for Mideast peace the next. But then you realize that if you don't keep updating the blog, the pack of dimwits hanging on your every word will dwindle.

Dr. Bombay sounds a lot like Michael Gorman, the president-elect of the American Library Association, who lashed out at bloggers for having bad grammar, being unable to write well and having questionable reading habits.