Saturday, March 25, 2006

Who do you blog for..? A five part quiz


In the past week or so the question 'who do you blog for?' has been recurring in my mind. Hell, who do I blog for?

I guess it began with the announcement that my good internet friend L. met with a number of my regular reads. In keeping with my comment on the blogging baby announcement of the engagement it made me wonder...

1. Do I blog to make friends with people I will eventually meet in real life?

My answer, NO.

Then one of the seminal blogs for me exploded into controversy. Blog, begot, blog, begot, blog. I started reconsidering my longstanding opinion... Oh, this is why people blog. My reason for blogging: because the medium facilitates and creates the option to mediate thoughts both individually and in connection. In other words, the medium is the message.

2. Do I blog for the sake of the B? Do we log thought organically and then, when indulged in the luxury of our new technology, do we exponentially promote our natural tendencies? Is it inevitable behaviour in our culture to create connections to participate, sustain and reinvent the weB daily and momentarily?? Mr McLuhan?.. The question, do you blog for yourself as a sanity-seeking form of journaling?

My answer, well hell yes! of course.. and also, checkout how old I am that I still use the phrase 'new technology' Ha!

But then YUCKville ensued. My centre was shaken.. It got ugly all over - the online diary/reader exchange and connectivity was not a purely pretty, happy thing. Reassess.

Then I noticed a bunch of commentary around agreement. Aye that's the rub. This is where I started getting confused last week. Great.

3. Do I blog to share my opinions with like-minded persons?

NAAAHHHHH!

And, what about readership? What about the community on our blogs? The neighbourhoods of readers which exist?

I think my sitemeter is a month old now and it has been a real trip to find out how many whack jobs from god knows are finding me and with what disturbing search strings. I think I was just as happy checkin' in on our regular commentors for the week. Not that I am getting rid of sitemeter. Nooooooo way.

Still, there seems to be reported some distinct difference between regular readers and visitors from another blogour-hood. A lot of what seemed go down on MIM's post has now been summed up in some part due to the distinctions of understanding among regular readers and drive-by's.

By the way has anyone checked out the return of the comment to dooce? I have always been, on some level, intimidated by the blog of dooce. But once I checked out the comments this week I buried all the anxiety. The readership there, uhm, really surprised me.

4. Do I blog to attract readers? Do I have an expectation of what sort of readers I will have?

We would be liars to pretend we do not write to be read around the Wo family. We don't have many readers but we have an unreserved adoration for the core of really excellent people who read our blog although we do not in anyway understand them or have expectations of the sort of people they are. It is great!

Finally, I have happened upon this... the genrefication of blogs, breaking down even the egalitarian term "parents". Thanks for the heads up Stef!! I am at times so glad p-man has joined me on the Internet front so I can effortlessly deflect this crazy argument.

5. Do I blog to distinguish myself -- or envelope myself -- in the stereotype of, I'll say, parenthood?

If you are a parent blogger did you join blogging before or after parenthood? Is it why you blog?

I must be honest. Yes, I blog because I am a parent. Blogging is a great social outlet for parents. It is an asynchronous social interaction that is completely respectful of my daughter's nap schedule, or lack of nap schedule... along with it being all sympatico with my desire to consider the lives and views of others sometime in the evenings from the comfort of my pajamas. But do I hold high my banner as mommy blogger or parent tag team, even. On that score... naaaah. I am waaaay too vapid for that! Though, I do think blogging is cool.

So to recap. Here's the Mother Woman, who do you blog for quiz:

1. Do you blog to make friends with people you will eventually meet in real life?

2. Do you blog for the sake of the B? Do you blog for yourself as a sanity-seeking form of online diary that is really neat cause it can link to all kinds of other things on the fancy Interweb?

3. Do you blog to discover people with whom you share a number of opinions about a topic?

4. Do you blog to attract readers? And, do you have an expectation of what sort of readers you have? Would you still blog if nobody read your blog?

5. Do you blog to distinguish yourself .. because you think blogging is cool and you think it makes you cool(er)?

GIVE US YOUR ANSWERS!

15 Comments:

Blogger Granny said...

Yours is much more articulate but I wrote about the same general topics yesterday and added a little more today as part of another post.

I'll see what I can do with the quiz.

Interesting; until lately I hadn't given it too much thought.

10:33 p.m.  
Blogger L. said...

1. Do you blog to make friends with people you will eventually meet in real life? NO - THIS WAS AN ADDED BONUS.

2. Do you blog for the sake of the B? Do you blog for yourself as a sanity-seeking form of online diary that is really neat cause it can link to all kinds of other things on the fancy Interweb? I WAS AN INTERNET JOURNALIST, SO I TOOK ALL THE NET STUFF FOR GRANTED. THE SANITY-SEEKING STUFF IS ANOTHER BONUS -- I`VE FOUND I LOVE TO THINK THINGS THROUGH IN WRITING -- THIS HAS HELPED ME MORE THAN I EXPECTED.

3. Do you blog to discover people with whom you share a number of opinions about a topic? NO -- I FOUND THIS AT BLOGGING BABY LONG BEFORE I STARTED MY OWN BLOG.

4. Do you blog to attract readers? And, do you have an expectation of what sort of readers you have? Would you still blog if nobody read your blog? NO - I STARTED MY BLOG MAINLY BECAUSE I GOT SICK OF DESCRIBING OUR NEW LIFE TO FRIENDS BACK IN TOKYO IN LONG, RAMBLING EMAILS ABOUT OUR DAY-TO-DAY LIVES. IT`S EASIER TO BLOG IT ALL, AND LET MY FRIENDS CHECK IN WHEN THEY CAN.

5. Do you blog to distinguish yourself .. because you think blogging is cool and you think it makes you cool(er)?
BLOGGING IS ONLY COOL TO OTHER BLOGGERS. EVERYONE ELSE THINKS WE`RE A BUNCH OF NERDS. DIDN`T YOU KNOW THAT?

10:39 p.m.  
Blogger Granny said...

Glad you liked the strange looking cat.

I was going to answer the quiz on granny and link back to you. Would you rather I do it here or does it matter?

If I do it here, I'll try to be brief. It will be difficult but I'll try.

11:00 p.m.  
Blogger Granny said...

I have two blogs. The answers pertain to rocrebelgranny. isamericaburning is very different and not what you're addressing in your post. It's strictly political.

1. Do you blog to make friends with people you will eventually meet in real life?

No, I blog because some friends from Blogging Baby "encouraged" me by saying "get a blog, Ann". Two years ago I couldn't have told you what a blog was. The real life meetings were, for me, a wonderful fringe benefit but not one I expected.

2. Do you blog for the sake of the B? Do you blog for yourself as a sanity-seeking form of online diary that is really neat cause it can link to all kinds of other things on the fancy Interweb?

If this means did I try to develop and maintain a writing style, no. I never know where I'm going when I start writing. Sanity-seeking, probably. I was feeling quite isolated when I left San Francisco and an office job for retirement (lol) in Merced. Blogging Baby changed that and my own blog changed it even more.

3. Do you blog to discover people with whom you share a number of opinions about a topic?

I'd discovered them at Blogging Baby and several came over here and become regular visitors. It mushroomed from there. No one was more suprised than I. Now I read blogs that I find interesting, leave a comment, and some respond by showing up here.

4. Do you blog to attract readers? And, do you have an expectation of what sort of readers you have? Would you still blog if nobody read your blog?

No but I do try to write so as not to drive them off. I have two blogs so I can be the "family" Ann on one and the extremely political Ann on the other. Most, but not all, of the readers are parents, grandparents, or caretakers because that's what I am. I'd probably continue the blog because I see it as a continuation of family history; an online photo album and journal that may interest the girls when they're older. Much of it is about them.

5. Do you blog to distinguish yourself .. because you think blogging is cool and you think it makes you cool(er)?

Giggle.

11:37 p.m.  
Blogger Andrea said...

1. no
2. yes
3. sorta, not at first but now it is wild the people I have 'met'
4. at
first no, and even now I dont really care toooo much.but would i blog if no one read? no the whole reason originally was for family contact.
5. no i just enjoy it.

2:26 a.m.  
Blogger the stefanie formerly known as stefanierj said...

1. Do you blog to make friends with people you will eventually meet in real life?

No, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't love to meet them.

2. Do you blog for the sake of the B? Do you blog for yourself as a sanity-seeking form of online diary that is really neat cause it can link to all kinds of other things on the fancy Interweb?

I, like L, blog mostly so that people can keep up with D without long emails. I don't do deep self-exploration there, as I'm sure you've noticed. Any depth-plumbing there is purely accidental.

3. Do you blog to discover people with whom you share a number of opinions about a topic?

No...like I said, I started out blogging so that folks I know would be able to keep up with D and my journey as a mama. Having people read is a side benefit. I feel a sense of community with my regular readers--we read each others' stuff and even if we don't always agree, we bat ideas and opinions around and really think things through.

4. Do you blog to attract readers? And, do you have an expectation of what sort of readers you have? Would you still blog if nobody read your blog?

I blogged for freaking ever with no one reading, but I love getting comments. I don't think I create posts to elicit comments--it's more like I keep them in mind when I do. I know, for instance, if I talk academics, you're there to back me up. If big-box retailers are part of the story, I imagine Dutch rolling his eyes at my unhipness, etc.

5. Do you blog to distinguish yourself .. because you think blogging is cool and you think it makes you cool(er)

I couldn't be less cool, but hey, if blogging gives me some kind of bragging rights, that'd be swell. But that's not why I do it.

5:52 p.m.  
Blogger mo-wo said...

Great! I think it is official. I will start a web ring for us .... Blogs with nothin' to prove!

7:28 p.m.  
Blogger oceansmiles said...

I blog to just write on a semi-regular basis. It's a slight form of accountability. I also blog to let my long-distance boyfriend know what's really on my mind- apart from the lovey emails he gets. :-)

9:54 p.m.  
Blogger Heather Bea said...

I took your quiz challenge and used it for a post on my site. With all of the controversary going around on MIM's post I think it is really important to go back and remember why we started these blogs in the first place. We should be able to just say what we want but there is a danger to allowing anyone to comment, I mean you get a crazy like me on your site.

11:32 p.m.  
Blogger kittenpie said...

Big questions, big answer:

Do you blog to make friends with people you will eventually meet in real life? Not really, although there are a few bloggers I would love to meet, and I was quite excited to discover one in my city.

Do you blog for the sake of the B? Not a diary, really, just thoughts and opions. Fun to have somewhere to put that stuff.

Do you blog to discover people with whom you share a number of opinions about a topic? I do think it's nice to know you're not alone out there, that other peopel have the same thoughts and experiences. I find myself saying in comments, "That is so me." But I also like reading other people's opinions. I love a post that generates debate, so I can see the range of responses. I don't even mind the trolls, because they just show it hit a nerve. viva los open discussions forums!

4. Do you blog to attract readers? And, do you have an expectation of what sort of readers you have? Would you still blog if nobody read your blog? I would love to have readers, as it could create discussion and sharing, not just me and my blahbitty-blah, however I think I only have one, and I'm still blogging, so apparently it's not required.

5. Do you blog to distinguish yourself .. because you think blogging is cool and you think it makes you cool(er)? I think blogging if fun, but no one I know is aware of my blog, so apparently, it's just for me. And I like that, since I don't have to filter myself like I would if people I knew were reading.

10:16 a.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Shit, is the test starting already? Does anyone have a pencil I can borrow?

So to recap. Here's the Mother Woman, who do you blog for quiz:

1. I definitely do not blog to make friends with people that I will eventually meet in real life. For the most part, I would like my friends to stay inside the little computer.

2. I blog as a form of verbal diarrhea and mental incontinence.

3. I don't blog to discover people with whom I share a number of opinions. Quite the opposite. I enjoy hearing different perspectives. Like p-man's!

4. I don't think I blog to attract readers. I blogged for many months before I think I even had a single one. Now? I'm not so sure. All I know is that when I feel like I HAVE to blog something? That's when I'll probably stop blogging.

5. Actually, if anything, I think blogging only makes me geekier.

Did I pass the test? Do I get a cookie?

1:25 p.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

1. No...I've never met anyone in real life that I know from the internet.

2. I blog for myself as a venting session about things I can't complain about to "real people"...and I blog as a record of my life because I have a (sometimes disturbingly) terrible memory and I don't want the special moments of life and parenting to slip away unnoticed and unrecorded.

3. Yes. I enjoy discussions and find blogs to be a good way to be informed...but it really bugs me when people fail to be logical and rational and resort to personal attacks.

4. Of course readers are nice, especially when they leave comments because you get some feedback and indication that someone is listening and sharing with you. Generally, I expect my readers to be somewhat similar to me, otherwise I doubt they would find my blog interesting. Blogging is a lot more fun with (nice) readers, but I would still do it without any.

5. No, I don't think that's my motivation. I do have a high opinion of some bloggers but I don't think that just blogging makes you "cool."

1:32 p.m.  
Blogger jdg said...

1. Do you blog to make friends with people you will eventually meet in real life?

No. But I am not averse to it.

2. Do you blog for the sake of the B? Do you blog for yourself as a sanity-seeking form of online diary that is really neat cause it can link to all kinds of other things on the fancy Interweb?

I blog because I believe introspection leads to a more fulfilling life.

3. Do you blog to discover people with whom you share a number of opinions about a topic?

No. But I find that unless someone is personally offended by something you wrote, you don't get challenged for what you say. The blogosphere is still very much people looking for reflections of themselves or their own experiences. So even when people disagree they often find a way to agree. Except for p-man.

4. Do you blog to attract readers? And, do you have an expectation of what sort of readers you have? Would you still blog if nobody read your blog?

Probably. None. No. It's a strange thing, occupying real estate in strangers' brains; dooce has the luxury of knowing that 70,000 strangers want to know what she is doing and thinking without having to expend the energy to know a damn thing about any of them. That is one of the privileges of fame.

5. Do you blog to distinguish yourself .. because you think blogging is cool and you think it makes you cool(er)?

If anything, blogging has completely severed my relationships with real-life "cool" friends because it is an inherently uncool activity, particularly parent blogging. In that way, it makes me much less cool. Plus there are always cooler cats trying to cut you down for everything you write.

2:41 p.m.  
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