Metaphase

CodeBlueBlog is hosting this week's Grand Rounds. He advances the notion that the growth of medical blogging isn't simply geometric, but rather...

...A sort of medical blog meiosis that assures the mixing of information, the distribution of characteristics, and the spontaneity provided by point mutations.

There are not just clones budding throughout the medical blogosphere; rather, we are watching unique individuals produced with information crossed, passed, and punctuated by individuals who live all throughout the map of modern healthcare.

Well said. But then later he dubs me the progenitor, which probably has more to do with my name than anything else. The first medical weblogger is Dr. Jacob Reider, who continues to advance the field with his academic approach to blogging, and his useful medlogs.com aggregator. Medical blogging would simply not be where it is today without him, and his colleague David Ross.

As for where it's going, well, beats me. The weekly linkfest continues to feature a nice mix of established writers and newbies, with interesting and different perspectives. Compared to automated aggregators, or year-end Web awards, I think the format of Grand Rounds -- with its rotating host / editors -- is most likely to bring good writing to the attention of regular readers.

But I might be biased.

Tune in next week when Codeblog: Tales of A Nurse gets a turn.