How To Dissuade Yourself From Becoming A Blogger
For those of you who blog, you should check this out. The title pretty much says it all: How To Dissuade Yourself from Becoming a Blogger
I thought about all of these before I started this blog. If it wasn't for the insistence of an old high school friend, I probably wouldn't have. I guess you can blame him for this whole mess that is my blog.
I'd like to comment on a few of the points from this how-to.
Criticism #1- If you create a blog, it will be as boring as 5 randomly chosen blogs.
Response - Most blogs aren't for random people. They are for people that person knows. Yes, it is boring to read about John Doe's latest problems with his untrained dog, but if you know the person you want to stay up to date on their life and thoughts. Blogs help.
Criticism #2 - Your 1 voice makes no difference.
Response - If you are trying to start a revolution, that may be true. Don't rely on a single blog to start large political unrest.
Criticism #3 - Write into WordPad for a few weeks, see if you hate it.
Response - The reason this doesn't get old is because people read it. People give feedback, people care, or at least pretend to care. Blogs aren't writing for the sake of writing. They are writing for the sake of communicating.
Criticism #4 - Wouldn't you rather do other stuff with your time?
Response - Sure I would! I'd also rather do other stuff than cleaning the toilet, but likewise this serves a purpose. It keeps me connected to people I may not otherwise be able to keep in contact with or update on a semi-regular basis. Most of the people I know who visit the site don't post replies.
Now, I'm aware this article was written partially in jest and is more a joke at the blogger culture than anything, but I've heard these same arguments from some of my friends who think it is nuts that I maintain a blog. I'm sure you bloggers out there have heard the same.
For you bloggers, do you blog for different reasons? For you non bloggers, is this why you don't?
I thought about all of these before I started this blog. If it wasn't for the insistence of an old high school friend, I probably wouldn't have. I guess you can blame him for this whole mess that is my blog.
I'd like to comment on a few of the points from this how-to.
Criticism #1- If you create a blog, it will be as boring as 5 randomly chosen blogs.
Response - Most blogs aren't for random people. They are for people that person knows. Yes, it is boring to read about John Doe's latest problems with his untrained dog, but if you know the person you want to stay up to date on their life and thoughts. Blogs help.
Criticism #2 - Your 1 voice makes no difference.
Response - If you are trying to start a revolution, that may be true. Don't rely on a single blog to start large political unrest.
Criticism #3 - Write into WordPad for a few weeks, see if you hate it.
Response - The reason this doesn't get old is because people read it. People give feedback, people care, or at least pretend to care. Blogs aren't writing for the sake of writing. They are writing for the sake of communicating.
Criticism #4 - Wouldn't you rather do other stuff with your time?
Response - Sure I would! I'd also rather do other stuff than cleaning the toilet, but likewise this serves a purpose. It keeps me connected to people I may not otherwise be able to keep in contact with or update on a semi-regular basis. Most of the people I know who visit the site don't post replies.
Now, I'm aware this article was written partially in jest and is more a joke at the blogger culture than anything, but I've heard these same arguments from some of my friends who think it is nuts that I maintain a blog. I'm sure you bloggers out there have heard the same.
For you bloggers, do you blog for different reasons? For you non bloggers, is this why you don't?
posted by david at Wednesday, September 13, 2006
4 Comments:
Yeah, that is one of the reasons I started mine too. I also enjoy reading what others (of people I know) have written. Reading about a stranger wouldn't be fun.
Same here. Our family and friends are so spread out that this is the best way to stay connected without the dreaded mass emails. Plus I like that it's convenient. People can read when they want rather than when the email notification pops up. I'm with Karin on keeping it PG. My family reads it and since it is online, technically anyone can read it. I don't want to run the risk of something coming back to haunt me and an inopportune time.
I've never really read blogs of random people and I suppose it would be quite boring unless they live extremely exciting lives or the blog has a specific purpose (political debates, technology, etc.). I pity the random person who stumbles on my boring ramblings. However, knowing the person makes all the difference.
I used to blog because I liked to write funny things, and I enjoyed it when other people laughed at my stories. Then I got a fiancee to tell all my funny stories to, and have trouble finding the energy to re-tell them to the world. I'm trying to change, though. I started blogging more, again.
Now I blog for a little bit of the former reason, but also so that I can remember what went on in my life in the years to come. Sure, a paper diary would do the same job without the sharing, but man... a diary? That's lame.
It sounds like we are all on the same page for our blogging reasons and methodologies. Glad to hear I'm not crazy because I'm a blogger, or at least not crazy by the opinions of those that comment.
Jeff makes a good point about the diary. What good is writing if it is never read? It may help your own thought process, but living is interacting with people and having people know who you are. I don't get too deep in this blog since it is public, but it is still a means to share myself with everyone. Wait a sec, that sounds kinda dirty...
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