Reading an email from a friend and fellow blogger, I got fired up. He complimented me on editing some of my old posts. In part I am doing that because they will be obliterated when I drop the old blog hosting service in mid-June. Since the old and new sites won't easily switch the old posts to the new, I must use brute force, which in fact is fun.
But I was worried about alienating readers. Would they think it was cheating to recycle old stuff? Actually, some probably do, but so what? Why do amateur bloggers like me think they need to be popular? Why do we think it's our job to give readers a free morning newspaper to read, full of Breaking News? A blogger should write for his own benefit, mostly.
Comments
I understand the point of writing for one's one benefit and I understand what you are saying about not writing to please your readers, but what purpose is served to put it on the internet?
Which is the same question I have in trying to figure out why I read other people's blogs and put my two cents in. If the purpose is truly just your own personal purpose, whatever that may be, why put it on the net?
And I guess I have one more question. Do you think you are more willing and comfortable putting thoughts and feelings in this format than in a one-to-one? You are one of the more anonymous bloggers out there. So that is what makes me wonder.
bp
As usual you are asking a tough question. "Why put it on the net?": believe me, there are times of comment-drought when I feel like quitting. I suppose it's best to answer this question with another question: why do humans have sexual intercourse instead of just settling for masturbation?
"...why I read other people's blogs and put my two cents in?" No doubt commenters feel disappointed not to get feedback from other commenters, or just a perfunctory response from the blogger himself. (Particularly true of commercial blogs.)
"...one-to-one format." I like one-on-one email too, but I guess I prefer comments on the blog itself in order to keep things more lively. Since my blog aims at ideas and issues rather than personal issues, I see no drawback in commenting "publicly", which can still be anonymous.
When it comes to your readers.....
Do you see your blog more as masturbation or intercourse ?
As usual you are asking a tough question. "Why put it on the net?": believe me, there are times of comment-drought when I feel like quitting. I suppose it's best to answer this question with another question: why do humans have sexual intercourse instead of just settling for masturbation?