Citizen journalism is one thing. A good thing, even. But institutionalized regurgitation of other blog posts and (worse yet) press releases?

It’s bad… and not in a bad/good way.

Time to coin yet another new word:

Regurgiblog, /reeg-URGE-ehh-BLOG/ noun: a blog post that wraps a mere handful of somewhat original sentences around multiple paragraphs of the widely popular work of other parties.

We are overloaded with information. This problem is amplified by the empty echo of regurgiblogs that wrap a couple of somewhat original sentences around multiple paragraphs of the work of other parties. The reverb is turned all the way up, the speaker is torn, and the distortion box can’t hide a hack’s work.

Just (don’t) do it.

Now I know that I’ve been guilty of a regurgiblog post from time to time in my raconteurian ramblings, but that’s in the past. I’ve seen the light. It’s not like I’m suggesting a tweak to the code of ethics. I’m just laying it out, sharing where I’m at.

From here on in, when I quote, I quote lightly.

I’ve unplugged my regurgiblog blender and tossed it in the dumpster.

There is no diving.

There is no going back.

There may be no place like home (tap tap tap), but death or glory, that’s just another story.

Tags: citizen journalism