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Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Do You Blog?

Last night I met with our wedding coordinator for drinks, and at one point during our conversation (when we were talking about how computer-savvy most people are these days in the context of our email save the dates and online RSVPs), she asked me the question I never know how to answer: Do you blog?

Obviously, the honest answer is, "Yes." Duh.

But... I do not think I have ever answered that question straightfowardly and honestly in person. Sometimes I flat out lie. Other times I sort of artfully dodge the question (such as when it's phrased, "Would you ever blog?"). Then there are times, like last night, when I stammer out an incomprehensible answer, such as "Uh... well, I had one in law school, but I don't really anymore, but sometimes I still blog on it, but not really."

And then, of course, she says, "I love reading blogs." And I felt like an idiot for semi-lying to her. Maybe she'll forget and I'll be able to casually mention it sometime in the future. (And then maybe she'll read this! Hi awesome coordinator! I had a great time hanging out last night!) But then... I worry people I know in real life will find out.*

See, I'm still stuck in the days of yore (yesteryear?), you know, five years ago... back when blogging was lame and something that was made fun of by pretty much everyone I knew (who didn't know I had a blog, and then maybe they still did it, but not to my face). I kept it a secret from so many people because they'd all talk about how dorky it was, and why would anyone out there care out anyone else's life or what they had for lunch, and how people need to make real-life friends and not live in some online world. So, I don't tell people I blog. I've been keeping it a secret from so many "IRL" people for so long, I feel like they'd get offended if I suddenly was like, oh yeah, I have a blog and have since 2003. (Seriously, my seven year blogiversary is coming up... that's insane.) I feel like blogging didn't really become "acceptable" or "mainstream" or "cool" until the past year or two, and by then, I'd already been blogging for what feels like forever.

Obviously, if you are reading this, you are either (a) a reader of blogs, (b) a blogger yourself, (c) a friend of mine from back in the day that I actually told about the blog when I started it (and didn't yet realize how "lame" it was), or (d) some combination of the above. If you're a blogger, how do you handle the question, "Do you blog?" Are you out, or are you a closeted blogger? And how do you handle the big reveal if you do decide to come out of the blogging closet?

*This is not an unfounded fear. One of my close friends works for a catering company and runs in the same circles as her... in fact, a "non-working" happy hour for the three of us is in the works.



Comments:

I've been blogging for 4 years and I am just now comfortable with telling people about it. Some people. Not all. Definitely not work.

Posted by: jodifur | June 23, 2010 9:34 AM




I don't mention my blog at work and I don't blog about things that can be tied back to work -it isn't appropriate in my profession. I typically tell people I blog when asked. I don't hide it, but I also don't advertise it. I do seem to draw an line between work and outside of work in terms of mentioning my blog. I link to in in facebook and twitter, but not on linkedin.

Posted by: Corey Feldman | June 23, 2010 9:39 AM




I tell everyone but I'm a loud mouth so... :)

Posted by: Beth @ Beth's Journey to Thin | June 23, 2010 1:12 PM




I may be a little biased because I teach writing for a living, but I think blogs have changed (mostly) for the better over the last decade, and completely transformed the meaning of the word "writer." I don't think anyone should feel ashamed for writing a blog in 2010, because at this point, if you're on the internet as much as most people are these days, there comes a time when you have to ask yourself: "Am I just going to be a blind consumer of the internet and digital media, or am I ever going to start creating or producing something?". Then again, the only topic I blog about is sports, and rarely my personal life, so I don't know how much I'm "creating" content rather than just ranting or regurgitating the opinions of others. Additionally, I don't have so much at stake in my professionial/personal life if others were to "dicover" my blog....

A lot of critics look at the Social Media/Social Networking phenomena as just this whole navel-gazing, self-absorbed, self-indulgent schlock - blogs included. One of my favorite sports writers, Buzz Bissinger (he won the Pulitzer Prize for Friday Night Lights)goes out of his way to bash bloggers as incompetent hacks who can't string together a sentence properly. But I disagree. I consider myself very well read -- a person who still regularly reads novels, keeps multiple magazine subscriptions, enjoys nonfiction, teaches for a living. But I have to admit, I read an overwhelming majority of words every week off of a computer screen. And a lot of them are blogs or websites that have co-opted the blog format (reverse chronological order, blog rolls, etc). And some of the "authors" of these blogs are the exact definition of "amateur" in that they dont get paid a dime for their content. Yet they share it freely and willingly with the world, and a lot of the time, it's great stuff (your's included, Stephanie!).

I just met another blog author (I've stopped calling you "bloggers" - you're "authors" or "writers") close to a year ago in one of my graduate writing classes, and his blog has become his Master's thesis. He's even in talks to format it into a book. This guy can just plain out WRITE - no ifs, ands, or buts about it. His blog is alternately funny, poignant, passionate, silly, serious, snarky, sarcastic, deep, trivial - and it's all written by an "amateur". Frankly, if I had to, I'd PAY this guy to let me read his stuff....check out Chin Musik by Randy Howard if you get a minute. He makes me chuckle at work at least once a week....

http://randyhoward.info/

The point is, keep on writing. Writer's write - that's what they do.

- Dan

Posted by: Daniel O'Leary | June 23, 2010 2:51 PM




I picture blog. Does that count? I might have just made that term up.

Posted by: Sarah | July 6, 2010 3:07 AM



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