Who are you calling a niche blog?

MxR_Niche_BlogOne of my favorite remarks from the reviews of Deep Sea News over the years was “… gotta love them niche blogs”. I don’t see it in our current reviews, but trust me its been said, and it runs through my mind every time I see a new and fascinating blog.

Consider Through the Sandglass, for example (my favorite story on the Sandfish here). The blog by Michael Welland offers “musings on sand grains.” The author writes brief essays on news related to the biology, geology, and climatology of sand, with subjective insights from a knowledgeable expert. I like it. Its seems to be the epitomy of a niche blog. Subjective information from a knowledgeable expert… hmm. Its practically the opposite of mainstream media.

Can we really call Through the Sandglass a niche blog? Silicon is the second most abundant element on Earth. The warm desert is the largest terrestrial biome on Earth. Add sand from the world’s beaches, rivers, and continental shelves, and pretty soon you will find that Sandglass covers a good part of Earth (even other planets). The oceans cover a large part of Earth, too, most of which  is deep-sea. Like our motto says “we bring you all the news on the Earth’s largest environment.” Hardly a day goes by without something happening in the desert or the deep blue sea.

So, who are you calling niche blog, Mr. Reviewer Person? All you do is reviews? Compare the scope of the deep-sea or sand to the scope of the New York Times or the Washington Post. Their stories are just … all humans, all the time.  If you’re looking for the full story, niche blogs provide a good complement to contemporary media.

4 Replies to “Who are you calling a niche blog?”

  1. Thanks – much appreciated!

    Niches (and a talent for adaptation)are what has kept life going for 4 billion years or so – the tradition must be kept up.

  2. I love “niche” blogs, they really expand my perception of the world. It’s really heartening that subjects I barely consider in my day-to-day life are the object of meticulous research, fascinating. (And I guess I’m guilty of the niche blogging myself!)

  3. Thanks for commenting, I love your niche blog topic too btw! I’ve worked with cnidarians since 2001 :)

  4. On the topic of sandfish, there is a family of fish – the Gonorynchidae -that dive into the sand to eitehr rest up during the day or escape if danger threatens. I see then on night dives over sandy beaches…way cool wee fishes. Blink & they’re gone!

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