I have a lot of friends that blog simply for the sake of blogging. Some will post one a day – sometimes several – giving trivial updates, comments on their mood, or recounting how the foam on their double latte this morning looked like a kangaroo, with little or no relevance to their lives, what's really happening with them, or any deeper philosophical meaning whatsoever.
I read it anyway. I can't help it. I'm a lurker and a blog whore. I readily devour any blog postings from anyone I know or find remotely interesting. If you're on my friends list and have more than, say, 3 entries in your blog, I've likely subscribed to it and read (damn near) every word. I comment frequently when I have the time, and enjoy feeling somewhat connected to those I don't get much of a chance to talk to regularly. I have no life of my own to speak of outside my family, work, and the couple geek hobbies I indulge in, so I live vicariously through the lives of others.
There are people that get annoyed with 2-line blogs that say pithy things like, "this is a rough day and I'm pissed. That is all…" like it was a huge waste of their time to click 2 links and read 11 words. As if they were distracted from negotiating peace in the Middle East to say, "Excuse me Prime Mister, 'cutiebear369' just posted a blog and it MUST be Earth shattering news!"
Pfft. I love it. I know a few bloggers that write so well that they can convey volumes in just a few short words (whereas I get so verbose as to turn, "I have a cold - it sucks," into an epic length tome rivaling War & Peace)
Blogs mean different things to different people. To some, they are an online diary, recounting the minutes of the day, personal triumphs and woes, milestones, and a way to keep track of their own thoughts. To others, blogs are a way to spark discussion on topics dear to them. Some write just as an exercise to hone their prose – usually professional writers wishing for (and some with) a column of their own needing an outlet without the editorial limitations of a genuine publication. Some just use it as a way to vent their personal frustrations (which, by the way, can be a bit dangerous if not carefully worded). Still others use it as a communication tool; a passive way to keep friends and family updated with goings on in their lives without the intrusion into their e-mail inbox.
Blogs are written for the benefit of the writer. Depending on the topic, I blog for any or all of the aforementioned reasons. I usually write my blogs first to get my own thoughts down for my own edification and posterity, THEN for anyone that for some odd reason or morbid curiosity may want to creep into my brain for a few (usually too many) paragraphs. Yes, I try to write blogs that are coherent, well worded, and if possible, thought provoking, in the hope that I might get a couple of 'kudos', inspire someone, and maybe get a comment or two. However, given that I usually write about such personal or geek-related topics that only a select few of my friends and I could possibly find interesting, I rarely expect such recognition.
I try to avoid blogs of a sensitive nature or ones I should set to "private". That's what personal journals are for, and a wise mentor of mine once said, "don't put anything on the internet you don't want someone to find someday". However, if I think it's just going to be boring or irrelevant for others to read, I post it anyway and the reader can decide whether to bother with it or not.
"Hey, I ain't selling it or making money off it. Don't like it? Skip it."
This blog is a perfect example, as I sat down with no particular agenda or purpose.
- I'm writing this blog for several reasons:
- I'm bored, woke up too early and couldn't get back to sleep
- As an exercise to keep up my literary 'chops
- It's been 10 days and I'm suffering 'blog withdrawal'.
- To spark discussion
Why do or don't you blog?
What'd your pet blog peeve?
Who's blogs do you read and/or find most interesting and why?
Drop some comments…
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