In the next few days, I will have my new website up and running, complete with a blog. I am unsure whether this blog will continue and be a link from the website, or whether I will create a new blog for the website. For me, the jury is still out on blogging. It can become a tremendously self-serving thing - and can create the illusion that you are connecting with people when in fact it would be easier to connect by email or, heaven forbid, face to face contact. When I count up the time that I spend in front of this screen as opposed to getting out and being with people, I begin to realize the danger of the computer. I'm a marginal Facebook user. I mostly use it to connect with college friends I haven't seen in twenty years, and friends who live far away. So I discipline myself not to hang out on it when I could be out doing some much more productive. Blogging often feels the same way. I've heard plenty of anti-blog people give very good arguments against them, and I am almost convinced. The problem is, in my blogroll I have blogs listed that I read. Most of my blogroll friends are like me, and only blog about once a week, but I love to read their once-a-week posts, and I would be sad if they cut me off from their lives and dumped their blogs. So I'll keep a blog in some form, perhaps without the comments because I really hate that part of blogging. As a writer, It's sort of like asking for a critique of your writing every time you publish something - with the negative critique simply being the lovely little "0 comment" flashing at the bottom of your post for four straight days. Actually it's worse because you're never really certain if someone has read it and just didn't get it or like it - or if no one has read it at all. Anyway, most of that sounds like whining, and this post is starting to sound like a rambling blogger who has nothing more to do than sit at her computer and blab to no one in particular.
So - I'll take my uncertainty about blogging and keep turning it around in my mind for a while. Care to comment?
5 comments:
Have not a blog, do I. Comment on a blog, I do. Aristotle spoke of the "golden mean," which is the ideal mean between two extremes. I would personally characterize blogging (and most other activities) as an activity that in and of itself is not bad. Indeed, I think it is undeniable that good things have happened and inspirational ideas have been shared as a result of blogging. However, I would agree that too much blogging can have undeniable negative effects. Although I do not myself blog, it seems to me that the ultimate motivation for blogging has got to be personal satisfaction in memorializing an idea. The merit of that idea or the way in which it is articulated, however, should not be determined by the number or contents of comments. As my grandfather (also a wise philosopher) used to say, "opinions are like a$$holes; everybody has one and most of them stink." Ultimately, when I work out it has to be for me and my personal physical well-being and not so that I can hear the admiring summer pool crowd go on about my six pack abs. Okay, despite my working out, I don't even have a one pack. Still, it's a little thing I do for my well-being. If I obsessively worked out, then I would be out of balance, and the admiring summer pool crowd would probably still comment more on my missing hair than sculpted body. What's my point? I'm not sure. But, maybe there's some merit in blogging as an activity that benefits you, even if it doesn't cause the admiring summer pool crowd to comment on your six pack abs.
When you took your comments section off for a while - I missed the opportunity to be able to comment on something that you had written or just to have the easy way to say hi.
On the other hand, when I look at my comments on my blog - and it has a big "0" there - I feel that Im speaking to the wind - no one is listening. I know thats not true, but it feels like it.
Im going to keep my blog going at least through a big trip we have in May (Yes, we are going to the big "D", but I havent told the girls yet). Im going to try that "slurp" from a blog to a book thats on Flickr.
After that - Ill keep it up, but if the book turns out well Ill use the blog for mostly for personal posting and less about the "strange" things I found out and around the internet.
I hope you do keep it up, I like reading what you write. Are you putting up a Mac web page?
Well, for people like me, who live way too far from everything and everyone I know, your blog is a Godsend. Believe me, whether I comment or not, I read every last one and enjoy them all. You're right that I could be emailing you (or you me) instead, but the sad fact is, I wouldn't. And if we did email, it would be quick hellos and howareyous without the deeper thoughts of life. So I say, blog on! Your thoughts are important to me. Because you're my friend, and because you challenge me to think about things I wouldn't, otherwise.
I would ditto everything that Erica said, except that I am in Tulsa. . . . and maybe that is your point. However, I enjoy the connection that I feel from reading your stories. You write about things that I might not otherwise hear, even if we did sit down and chat. For instance, I would be really suprised if your stained glass window came up in a discussion. I also think that reading good writing helps me improve my writing. One question for me is, "Who are you blogging for?"
Now that I'm going to have time to read your blog....you can't stop now!
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