Fine Art of Blogging Meme
“Diogenes” has asked me to respond to the following questions. Now, I don’t know who the questioner is but his or her questions are interesting enough that I thought I would answer them.
What is a blog to you?
Blogs are for me all about conversation. This is why I get so annoyed at fantastic bloggers who turn off comments. You put your thoughts out there, people respond and your initial ideas are shaped and polished. I have gone on record enough with my usual answer that I fear repeating myself. My theory is blogging is on a spectrum from less blog to more blog, there are three dimensions of blogging, aspects that make a website more or less of a blog. These include regularly updated content, syndication and conversation.
How you blog, why?
On occasion I plan posts ahead of time, most of the time I have a thought, wip out firefox and pump words into PFF ScribeFire (I still can’t get used to that name). That’s with this blog where there isn’t usually any research, just brain to blog, on others I will read my feeds and such for inspiration or search and visit the library for research. On longer posts I lay the whole thing out in bullet form then fill in the gaps.
Why I blog has changed over the years. My first blog around 10 years ago was a journal, my personal blog serves as an aide memoire. Now it is both my business, my job and my hobby.
Some personal high blogging points in blog life
Hmm. I have gotten so much from blogging, where to start? Blogging gave me my opportunity to leave the 9-5 (heh, I would be so lucky) rat-race JOB that I hated so much. Through blogging I have met some brilliant people (I would list them but I fear missing someone out). My knowledge has grown and been enhanced far more than if I had ignored blogs. Really the question in my mind is “why would someone not?” 
How do you make money by blogging (if you do)?
Indirectly. Blogging your opinion and expertise is a wonderful way to network and build credibility.
Summary
My blogging philosphy can be summed up in this phrase; “you get what you give”.
Posted on April 16th, 2007 by Chris Garrett in Blogging
Thank for this quick and informed response.
You are welcome
Yep, I agree. I think the blog framework provides two key elements:
1. Greater interactivity with your audience and 2. A faster, easier way to publish and manage the website.
Makes you wonder why (1) is so overlooked?
I too hate my 9-5. Hopefully I should get out of the rat race within 6-7 months.
hi, Chris, how’re you today?
What /was/ the rat-race job you hated so much?!
daniel
@Ashwin - good luck, I wish you every success, I hope to never go back
@Daniel - I worked for a marketing agency. I can’t really go into detail as it would be unfair, particularly on the good people who are still there and the excellent clients we had. Most of the negativity was actually within me - I hated the commute, I wanted to see more of my daughter, didn’t ever really like having a boss, didn’t like not being appreciated, the usual stuff that causes someone to go off on their own really. The longer I am away the more I see the good that I couldn’t see while I was there but as I say, I hope I never have to go back to that life
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“you get what you give”
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That’s the biggest truth/secret/whatever of blogging. =)