Bloodhound is an astounding blog. Now before I’m accused of buttering up to Greg, let me explain I’m not that type. What I find astounding about Bloodhound is the consistent quality of the work here. It’s amazing a real estate blog can generate such rich material for the imagination, and one reason I think it does is that it transcends, on many occasions, the limits of basic real estate information.
That’s not to say that all types of RE blogs don’t have their place among the RE blogosphere and much valuable information is transmitted all over. Bloodhound itself transmits valuable nuts and bolts information. Along with other sites, Bloodhound transmits good technology tips and is in the loop of the latest news going on in the industry. I think, though, what raises it above other efforts is the transcending part.
I like the fast, informative style some sites have, with a few pithy words, neat pictures and links to good information, but they lack the substance that I think makes a place like Bloodhound stand out. That’s what I’m getting at – rich content, substance, mind food, sparks to fire the imagination. We often praise the informative aspect of Bloodhound, but seldom do I see the content given appropriate praise.
In order to stand out among a field of writers, substantive content is critical in my estimation. Allan Bloom, the great literature critic, feels that being “strange” is what sets great writers apart and makes them immortal. By “strange” he meant that writers like Kafka, Shakespeare, Pynchon and Cervante are different, on the edge, that their content fires the imagination. Not that I’m comparing Bloodhound to canonical writers, but relatively speaking, the concept is the same – in the arena of RE blogs, Bloodhound has the “strange” factor which sets it apart, makes it noticeable, whether you agree with Greg and the contributors and like them or not.
This powerful form of branding is what all businesses, and other efforts to be seen and heard, search for, yet few fully succeed in finding. I think it entails taking a risk, having the courage to express opinions, being transparent even when it makes you vulnerable to attack and ridicule. In a safe, radically moderate environment tough issues never get addressed, but Bloodhound is not afraid of tough issues, and I think people given a safe and moderate diet long enough begin craving the spice of controversy, the tough issues hammered out in honesty. Being a little on the edge and taking risks can be hazardous, but it has its rewards when integrity is maintained and courage upheld.
In spite of recent criticisms of blocked comments, I know there are reasons for protecting a site where many participate from utter chaos and petty squabbling that can create noise but no quality reasoning, and I have come to trust the greater openness of the contributors here and think a valuable form of communication, education and entertainment has been created.
So, my hat is off to Greg and my fellow contributors and all the commenters who make this a special place. May it continue to walk the edge and inform — may it keep and nurture its “strangeness”. I’m hoping the marketing conference will be a huge success. I know it will be.
Eric Blackwell says:
As one of the “strange” contributors– I could not agree more. Once again, this is not idle praise. I read a ton of stuff and admire lots of it, but the reality is, i am drawn to stuff that makes me think, is above my normal intellectual conversation level, and challenges me even when I disagree.
While I am trying to carve time in my schedule to be at Unchained…I DO hope it goes great and launches the start of bigger things in years to come.
March 16, 2008 — 10:54 am
Cathleen Collins says:
Unique. Exotic. Foreign. All adjectives the flower-child-me delighted in when weaving my grandmother’s fur collars into my hand-made poncho or turning my dad’s 40’s ties into a skirt. At least in some point in our lives I think we each like to believe there’s something special, defiantly individual about ourselves. But most everyone will draw the line at being so distinct as to stand out from the crowd — maybe just distinct enough as to rise as a leader to the more vocal, more visible, more popular of the crowd — but gawd-no, not so distinct as to be considered strange. Thank you, Mike, for reminding us that strange can be delicious. So glad you’re strange, too!
March 16, 2008 — 12:55 pm
Mike Farmer says:
LOL — yes, God forbid we come across as fully unique and different — it might make us psychologically visible, blushing at our nakedness, looking for the mask that helps us blend.
March 16, 2008 — 1:41 pm
Mike Farmer says:
After reading Cathleen’s and Erc’s response another word came to mind that I don’t hear very often — Iconolast.
March 16, 2008 — 3:32 pm
Greg Swann says:
> Iconolast.
One of my favorite words. From the Greek, we say “image breaker,” but I think a better, more imagic translation is “idol smasher.” I really like the feel of that idea…
March 16, 2008 — 4:06 pm