So I’ve been thinking…
What is the purpose of blogging? Now that I am blogging again, I have to ask myself the question. Is it an exercise in self-expression? Narcissism? Generosity–sharing the wealth of one’s wisdom? Okay, definitely not that last one. But I hope it is more than screaming into the desert or flashing passersby in Central Park. I hope my blog is a seed that germinates thought. Perhaps a post will encourage someone to look at something differently. Perhaps it will inspire someone to rekindle his or her passion for writing.
Oh who am I kidding? A blog is the grown up version of shouting “look at me!’
When my nephew Ryan was little, whenever I would ask him how he was doing at some new hobby, he’d always reply with the same answer: “I’m AWESOME at it!” Maybe that’s what all of us bloggers are doing. We’re out here in the web-o-verse declaring, “I’m AWESOME at writing.” But I’ve read enough blogs to know that we all are not.
However knowing this, I still find it worth doing. Would I still do it if I thought no one would ever read what I wrote? Wouldn’t that just be a regular old journal or diary? If no one was ever going to read this, would I be more honest? Perhaps not more honest, but more, shall we say, comprehensive. There is a line you can’t cross in blogging. Okay, a line you shouldn’t cross. Because someday you’ll need a new job. Or you’ll need to keep the job you have. Or you’ll be nominated for an academy award and True Hollywood Stories will want to do a special on you.
What? It could happen.
Stuff I'm Thinking About 
You have hit on my main issue with the entire realm of “blogosphere”, which goes doubly for Facebook. Why do I need to know that my friend (or even acquaintance!) ate a ham & cheese sandwich for lunch today. Why does that need to be published to the world? I see some valid reasons for blogging – a blog topic tied to one’s business field could drive sales/customers and increase someone’s profile. I can also envision some sort of cathartic benefit to taking the thoughts and musings in one’s head and “getting it out there”. Unfortunately, there is a growing universe of essentially pointless e-postings. For those on blogs, Facebook, twitter, etc. who have nothing better to say than “I ate a ham & cheese sandwich for lunch”, I wish that they would just turn off the computer and eat the darn sandwich quitely!
Comment by Lindsay — August 13, 2009 @ 3:40 pm |
Bill Gates gave us the “Window,” Al Gore gave us the Internet (LOL!) and with the two, you can open the window to share what you’re thinking, where you’re heading–or, if you wanna–what you’re eating.
Comment by Tracy Clement — August 13, 2009 @ 10:50 pm |