A Blogging Examination

Why do you blog?

Did you begin your blog as a public journal? To keep in touch with family and friends? Because there was a writer inside you screaming to get out?

And then, six to twelve months down the track, why did you keep going? Did you become addicted to every-man-and-his-dog's social networking system of choice? Burned a feed? Started subscribing to other feeds? Categorized your Google Reader page to reflect your sixteen neatly segmented 'blogging genres'? (Ahem).

Did you join forums to learn more about blogging? Have you ever moderated a forum specifically geared toward blogging?

Do you sign every email - even those to co-workers - with your blog's URL? Make up funny names for your kids to protect their safety online?

Were you hesitant to tell any 'real life' people about your deep, dark, blogging secret? Ever keep a folder in your Favourites entitled Stuff To Blog About? Ever have other folders called Interesting Stuff To Read Later, Link Love and Pending Comments/Tags/Memes?

Ever dream in HTML code?

Ever accidentally type in <br/> instead of hitting the return key when you're typing a letter in Word?

Have you ever tried to explain the appeal of blogging to a non-blogging spouse? Had them roll their eyes or make funny gagging sounds?

Have you ever spent more than twelve seconds looking for a blog template?

Have you stopped being surprised when you learn the other classroom mums have blogs as well? Have you ever asked for their URLs? Ever given yours out?

Have you ever agonized over the issue of blog advertising? Set up a review blog so it wouldn't clash with advertising you have on your main blog?

Ever come across a purist who is dead-against advertising?

Ever gone through a massive feed reader clean out? And felt guilty doing it?

Ever come across a situation online where you've felt bullied? 'Outed' from the clique?

Ever secretly wished you could nail a spot on a Top 100 list? Ever wondered how on earth the current top bloggers managed to get their spots?

Ever had unrealistic BFF daydreams about a Big Name Blogger? Ever idolized her/him?

Ever had to ask what an Alexa rank is?

Have you ever not done a '100 Things About Me' post?

Ever hosted a meme? Posted a Mr Linky?

Ever hosted a giveaway? Ever given yourself RSI? Ever cleaned out your bank account posting four pound books airmail clear across the globe?

Do you harbour covetous thoughts about a blogging neighbour's fantastically-groovy custom made template?

Do you turn on the computer even before the coffee is made in the mornings?

Does your heart sink when you notice your Feedburner widget thingamy indicates your subcribers dropped by more than a quarter overnight?

Do you check your page stats every single day, including chasing up unknown 'came froms' and keeping an eye on your 'popular posts'?

Ever decided the whole shebang has gotten out of hand? Ever contemplated removing your stat counter?

Ever contemplated a blog move? Ever registered your domain name? Ever decided that blogging is leisure and therefore the cost of web hosting should technically come out of the Leisure section of the household budget?

Do you get anxious when you can't be near a computer?

Ever worked out that there are better things in life to be worried about than how many comments your post did, or didn't get?

Ever felt that freedom?

Blogging is a nifty little activity. You make friends. You might even meet some fellow bloggers. You've probably got at least twenty fellow bloggers on your blog roll, right?

But blogging isn't the be-all and end-all. Take me, for example. I haven't got a clue what an Alexa rank is. I'm only very vaguely aware of how Technorati works. And while I'd like to be in a Top 100 list, I'm not holding my breath. I'd like to think folks come on over to Lizzie's Home to visit without pressure. Lots of flashy widgets in the sidebars distract me (okay, so I have a small flash thing linking to DH's photography, but hey - if we can't plug our own husbands, what's the point in blogging at all, LOL). And to be honest, I'm not a huge fan of blog advertising. Most of the time, I have no idea what I'm doing.

And that's plenty okay with me.

* originally posted February 24th, 2008