Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Why We Blog

Picking up the meme as generated by Prairie Mary, and expanded by Darko, I'll give the theme of Why We Blog a light twist and articulate three instances of how blogging has added value to my life:

1) It's made me funnier. I won't vouch for any improvement in my personality, but my wife recently commented that my writing has become funnier since blogging.

2) I've been introduced to the best books, thanks to blogging. People have left some terrific, and decidely off-beat reading suggestions in the comments. I've also picked up a few unexpected literary treasures by following links to this blog and reading blogged reviews of books the mainstream press can't be bothered with.

3) It has expanded my conversational range.
Again: where would we be without blogger comments? I've had no lack of thought (and even action) provoking dialogue with people who were absolute strangers just three years ago. When it comes to friendships, we do what we can with what we have -- and blogging has opened up the range of possibilities in personally beneficial ways.

So why do you blog?

9 comments:

DarkoV said...

Three's a fine number. Religious in nature. Two is close; three's a constant clash of wills. Besides, three's easier to re-meme-ber.

Appreciation for the linkage is being sent your way.

Joel Swagman said...

I love reading other people's blogs because it gives me a sense of all the different directions life can take people. I enjoy writing blogs for the same reason

Colin A. Lamm said...

Blogging gives me the opportunity to interact with the outside world. Currently due to certain health issues I am housebound, unless some poor soul attempts to supervise me out of doors.

Also my family is sick and tired of my thoughts and opinions so I now have the ability to inflict them upon a wider audience.

Cowtown Pattie said...

Well, now that's food for blog...er, thought!

I am, therefore I blog...

Andrew said...

My excuse is here (with a tip o' the hat to you, natch).

AC

Whisky Prajer said...

kewl! Say, if this keeps rolling, the blogosphere just might become A Clean, Well-Lighted Place!

paul bowman said...

I'd say something close to your number 3 there — although I've experienced it in a different way. I might say among other things that I've become more aware of myself, worthy tendencies & poor, as a conversationalist — or as a would-be conversationalist. Or I might say that my appreciation for conversational range has been expanded, if not my capacity for varied &/or fruitful conversation. There's a good deal to think about, in that.

DarkoV said...

O.K., then. We're all such Positive Pauls & Paulas here.

Now, a turn toward the Dark Side.

How has blogging negatively affected your life's value?

Sorry, just showing that deep-rooted Slavic vigilance for that one black cloud that will soon douse my party.

I'll start with this.

On the Introvert/Extrovert Meter, I've gotten lazier in pushing the arrow out of the I range and into the E range. I've deluded myself into thinking that by writing about my opinions, thoughts, blah, blah, & blah I've become more extroverted.

Ha! I knew things were bad when my ever-loving wife quipped something to the effect of, "So, I guess I'll have to read your blog so we can talk."

Ouch. I confess to using blogging to avoid some instant face-to-face exchanges. I'm so ashamed of myself; I think I'll have to go blog about it.....

Whisky Prajer said...

DV - I am here to offer you delivery from your marital dilemma: read your blog entries aloud to your wife. Such is the program I've established with my wife. Every Sunday night, as the girls are watching a movie and my wife is working on the Sunday Night Pizza, I pour her a glass of wine and read my last weeks' entries. The wine is probably quite necessary, but what can I say? It works.

Still, confession is good for the soul. My daughter commented, after seeing me return to check for comments on a particularly personal posting - again - "Dad, I think you're addicted to the computer."

Ouch, indeed.