December 28, 2004
Cogito Ergo Blog
So my dad asked me an interesting question today: Why do people blog?
Well, I replied, there are probably a lot of different reasons. Some seek notoriety. Some are looking for a way to lever themselves into other more traditional fields of writing. Some are just crackpots. Some are political operatives. The majority, however, write purely for the pleasure of writing and for the opportunity to sound off on whatever issues they feel are important.
YIPS from Steve: And some have found that an effective self-treatment for schizophrenia is to give the voices their own, um, forum.YIPS from Lord Worfin, "Steve's" dominant personality: Yeah, what HE said, beeeatch!
Then my dad asked me another interesting question: What are the benefits that you derive from blogging?
Well, I replied, I can't answer for everyone else, but what I find most gratifying is the community or communities I've established with other bloggers which give me the ability to discuss whatever I like, to bounce ideas off of other people and to respond in turn to their ideas. Sure, I said, if someone from TechCentralStation of the Weekly Standard emailed in and asked me to write an article for them, I'd be thrilled. But in the meantime, I am quite content with this pixel-driven salon that is the Blogsphere.
YIPS from Steve: Well, the main one would be that I've gone a whole year now without aiming (let alone firing) a large caliber handgun at the tee-vee set, screaming "take that, Rather!" which to be perfectly honest has done wonderful things for my marriage. That, and standing in front of a crowded room of professional colleagues to ask Ana Maria Cox if Wonkette.com is the long-feared nexus between online political commentary and online amateur porn. That was definitely a career booster.
Then my dad asked me yet another interesting question: What is the future of the Blogsphere?
Well, I replied, beats the holy hell out of me.
YIPS from Steve: I think Hugh Hewitt has nailed it. Unfortunately, Wonkette has nailed it too.
Friends, it's late and I'm due to get back to my ongoing Age of Empires II struggle between the Britons and the Vikings. I invite you to help yourselves to these questions and answer them, hopefully with more style and substance than I can generate at this point. Remember, Dad is almost sure to follow the links back to your sites.
YIPS from Steve:
Rob, I think the readers are ready for the long awaited-LLamabutcher Intramural Age of Empires Tournament. My Teutonic Knights will crush your measley archers into the mud!
YIPS! back from Robbo:
Buddy, I've got one word in response to your claim that your knights will crush my archers: Agincourt.
Bring in on!
Posted by Robert at December 28, 2004 09:36 PMI'd be one of the crackpots...
Posted by: McGehee at December 28, 2004 10:34 PMThe chicks, the chicks, and more chicks. In that order.
Oh yeah.
Posted by: Joe R. the Unabrewer at December 28, 2004 10:59 PMHi Robbo's Dad!
1. So I wouldn't yell at the TV.
2. Main benefit: not yelling at the TV set anymore. I'm less twitchy when dealing with the moonbats who live around me, too.
Blogging: It's better for you than massive quantities of thorazine!
3. Who knows? It could be an information revolution. I would like to think that, but I know better. The MSM is already coopting the medium of blogs and it's changing as a result. We'll just have to see who wins:)
Posted by: Kathy at December 28, 2004 11:05 PMBoy, for a man from Fort Lee, NJ your Dad sure asks a lot of questions.
Posted by: Richard Feder at December 29, 2004 12:59 AMIt's always something ;p
Posted by: jeff at December 29, 2004 01:09 AM1. I got into it because my husband is a full-time student, and instead of talking to myself I thought I'd write it down, and perhaps get some feedback. 2. The bennies would be lower blood pressure, less stress, and keeping my mind sharp, and 3. The future of the blogosphere is probably the same as anything else. A lot of people will get into it as a fad, then they'll drop out one by one; the remainder will be lifers who will become one giant community.
Now, answer a question for me: Does your dad blog, and if not, why not?
Posted by: Denise at December 29, 2004 04:42 AMI blog as an outlet. I was hoping the benefits would be riches and fame (in that order), but at present I'm getting to know some incredible people, and getting to read some insightful writing&msash;and, unlike the situation with columnists in the Legacy Media, I don't have to wait until the end of the week (or the end of the month, or the next month) to read 'em.
Posted by: Attila Girl at December 29, 2004 05:29 AMI blog because I spend a good part of the day enduring complete, utter fools who orbit my life in the guise of family, friends and clients, which means I have to be nice to them, and if I didn't sit down in front of a keyboard and just rage, baby! every once in a while the pressure would become too great and the shotguns would come out from under the desk, couch or bed (depending on which finally flipped my switch) and I'd be cooling my heels in Attica.
Oh, yeah, and the chicks. Musn't forget the chicks.
Posted by: TC@LeatherPenguin at December 29, 2004 07:57 AMWell, here's the perspective from the soon-to-blog. Why do it? Well, so I don't suck up all the comment space on other peoples' blogs, since they're the ones paying for it and not me.... well, that'd be a reason to comment, not start your own blog >:) But, some blogs don't have comment sections - so how'm I to rant there?
But, why put your thoughts on paper, electrons, or whatever? Many reasons, both the personal catharsis for being able to do an unadulterated bi... rant (heh. some unadulteration ;) ) without worrying if you're "on topic" for the particular blog post you're commenting on. You can give a longer space to the thoughts, go back and suplement them, and invite other people's thoughts on what you're thinking. You don't necessarily need your own blog to do this, but it appears easier to accomplish if you have one.
Then there's the journaling aspect. Most of the blogs I read, from here, LGF, Shape of Days, INDC, Little Miss Atilla, etc (if I didn't mention you, I didn't mean to say I don't read your blog - just who came to mind and who I got to before I posted this. No slight was intended.) post personal comments as well as pithy socio-political commentary. While some want hard commentary all the time, I think the personal glimpses give more of an insight to where the blogger's coming from - as well as give the blogger a release for frustration or simply a "Hey, I thought this was funny/sad/important, what do y'all think?"
And, finally, since I've rambled enough... AoEII?? Been a (long) while since I played it (Stuck back to CivIII when I do play), but (at some future, undefined date)... online challenge? ;) Teams? No.Va. vs X? Thoughts?
Posted by: Lysander at December 29, 2004 11:23 AMThe future of the blogosphere is that it fragments. The teenage girls who use it as a weight loss diary will use lightweight software and freebie accounts to keep in touch with their friends and keep the phone bill down. The top bloggers will become new MSM outlets much in the same way that Drudge has become with crossover promotion, book deals, and an infrastructure to keep those millions of eyeballs coming.
The mid-list bloggers will continue to entertain, inform, break important stories, occasionally drop to the level of personal diary, occasionally rise to the level of the bigs. The people using blogs as writing practice and a sort of living writers CV/portfolio will get picked off by people searching for cheap, good talent (as I have just been) and make a bit of money that way.
Anybody want to buy a newsletter subscription?
Posted by: TM Lutas at December 29, 2004 12:15 PM
I just like to give something back to all the little people, I guess. :-)
I recently told a friend of mine from college that I was blogging, and he said "You've been blogging your whole life."
I've always liked to write short, humorous pieces of satire; the blog is the perfect vehicle for it. It also has the advantage of being graphical, so you can plug in a picture to highlight or illustrate a point.
Plus, all the crazy blog money. I mean, other than playing left field for the Boston Red Sox, where else could I make an eight figure income? Movable Type been berry berry good to me.
People blog for lots o reasons [besides the chicks], I blog because there are times that I just need to rant and times that I find something that's thoughtprovoking/ amusing/ disturbing that I want to share with everyone. I think the future will see a convergence between print news, TV news, and the blogosphere - face it, wouldn't you like your news individualized to you, with pictures, video, and commentary?
Other thoughts here: http://owlishmutterings.blogspot.com/2004/12/why-people-blog.html
Posted by: owlish at December 29, 2004 04:02 PMHello. I am new here. It is very interesting.
nylon legs pictures http://yrtey.ostax.com/ crotchless panties http://yrtey.ostax.com/crotchlesspanties.html panty videos http://yrtey.ostax.com/pantyvideos.html asians in pantyhose http://yrtey.ostax.com/asiansinpantyhose.html women in nylons http://yrtey.ostax.com/womeninnylons.html pantyhose movies http://yrtey.ostax.com/pantyhosemovies.html pantyhose for men http://yrtey.ostax.com/pantyhoseformen.html girls in panties http://yrtey.ostax.com/girlsinpanties.html pantyhose photo-art http://yrtey.ostax.com/pantyhosephoto-art.html panty photos http://yrtey.ostax.com/pantyphotos.html teens in bra panties http://yrtey.ostax.com/teensinbrapanties.html pantyhose mania http://yrtey.ostax.com/pantyhosemania.html teens in stockings http://yrtey.ostax.com/teensinstockings.html pantyhose grand central http://yrtey.ostax.com/pantyhosegrandcentral.html hooters pantyhose http://yrtey.ostax.com/hooterspantyhose.html legs in pantyhose pictures http://yrtey.ostax.com/legsinpantyhosepictures.html seamless pantyhose http://yrtey.ostax.com/seamlesspantyhose.html panty galleries http://yrtey.ostax.com/pantygalleries.html white panties http://yrtey.ostax.com/whitepanties.html young panties http://yrtey.ostax.com/youngpanties.html pantyhose videos http://yrtey.ostax.com/pantyhosevideos.html
