Wednesday, March 14, 2007
News / Chicagoland Chicago bloggers: paying respect to those who came before me
Posted by Whet Moser on Wed, Mar 14, 2007 at 12:54 PM
Killer fact!*: The term "web log," which has popularly been shortened to "blog," comes from a Chicagoan by the name of Jorn Barger, proprietor of the blogs Robot Wisdom and Robot Wisdom Auxiliary.
Actually, I'm not exactly sure of Barger's whereabouts; when his popular and still active Robot Wisdom made Barger something of an early Internet celebrity, he was living in Rogers Park; later he moved on to New Mexico and then the Bay Area (where he carried a panhandling sign that read Coined the term 'weblog,' never made a dime).
Barger's real gift to the Internet was helping to establish the concept of a blog as a 21st-century Wunderkammer, or cabinet of curiosities, an observation made by pioneering cyberjournalist Julian Dibbell in a wonderful essay from the late, lamented Feed magazine, an influence that can be seen in essential blogs like kottke and BoingBoing. Barger's approach to mining the Internet arises from his studies in artificial intelligence as well as his love of James Joyce, whose later work, particularly Finnegan's Wake, was itself an assemblage of cultural errata. One of Barger's most well-known projects is an "online shorter Finnegan's Wake." Inevitably, Barger also developed a fine Pynchon resource page.
Incidentally, Barger was not the first blogger; tough to say who it is, but Chicago native Justin Hall is one of the names mentioned. The Reader's own Harold Henderson has staked a claim to the title, although if you're feeling adventurous you could go back as far as Martin Luther or Walter Benjamin's uncompleted Arcades Project; locally, let me suggest Ben Hecht's 1001 Afternoons as an influence.
*"Killer Fact!" concept shamelessly stolen from Chase me ladies, I'm in the cavalry.
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Most of the references you make to original weblogs - are missing the web part, making them nothing more than daily articles. Also a great article, but go easy on all the links!
glad you like, but i'm a bit confused about "missing the web part."
Reading back through your blogs I was surprised to find this entry. Jorn was a friend of mine for several years until we had an unfortunate falling-out. I still feel bad about it. I don't know where he is now, but if he ever does a vanity search and finds this: Jorn, I will always cherish the good times we had. You helped us move, and you helped me get more Happy Rhodes fans, and I still deeply appreciate those things and more. I will always remember you fondly. Thanks for letting me pass that on Whet. I'll understand if you decide not to keep it but I hope you do. This may be the only chance I'll ever get to tell Jorn how I feel. Vickie
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