Greenbelt

whyblog? ii

A dozen people responded to my earlier article asking for thoughts on blogging. Their comments were wonderful stimuli that fed two great blogging workshops last weekend.

I was intrigued and amused that of those who responded, it was the total strangers who responded first. Those who know me best took longest, or didn't reply at all. (Does this reflect my website's readship?)

Here then, is a flavour of the responses:

whyblog?

Because I need to reflect
It's a reflective practice: learn about life and people
To offer others my life and experience
So people understand me
To communicate with friends
Having an audience makes me think carefully through my opinions before publishing
Writing stretches me
It serves as a journal - somehow it's easier to keep a journal when you know others are reading
I love writing

whatblog?

Blogs can be fascinating and wonderfully unpredictable
I share links here and there
The little things that are occupying my thoughts
Blogs help keep me connected to the Greenbelt vibe
I blog on uninteresting matters as and when they occur
Blogs remind me the world's bigger than this office
I use a blog to manage a "latest news" website for my youth club

Respondents generally seemed to favour blogs with a focus or theme that are updated regularly (not necessarily frequently).

Also of interest were the questions raised:

• Does it matter who or how many people read your blog?
• Do you always have to tell the truth? Can you write a fictional blog?
• Does your audience affect what you write?
• Would you be worried about certain people finding your blog?
• Is it geekier to write a blog or to read other people's?
• Can a luddite like me have a blog?

I can only answer the last question: yes, it's easy and you should.

Places to go to set up a blog (it's really very easy) include Blogger, Wibsite, LiveJournal and TypePad. If you're unsure where to start, go to Blogger.

At least two people in the workshop suggested they'd start to blog so I achieved my goal. I really don't think blogging's a passing fad, although the term may be. The web makes everyone a publisher and that's a revolution I think can't be stopped.