"Why does one blog? What compels those of us who sit down and type out our little vignettes about the things that effect us to do so? I guess the simplest answer would be to tell a story. But that just raises another why: why a blog? Why not a diary? Why record the events and influences on one’s life at all? It reflects a certain degree of navel-gazing tendencies in one’s personality, a more than passing interest in the why of the self. Our experiences change us, little by little, like erosion, each moment wearing us down a little bit more. Only one interested in the development of the self through experience would feel compelled to keep a record of said experiences. The choice of blog as a medium adds yet another layer to the analysis of the blogger. It’s public, usually, which points to a level of exhibitionism. It also suggests a view of the self as important, as having a point of view that should be read by others. The blogger must believe that he or she has something unique to add to the world, or else why bother expressing oneself?
So why does one follow blogs? This, too, I believe says something about the individual who does it. It reflects a curiosity about others, and how their experiences shape them. A desire to understand where someone else is coming from, and why. There must be at least a moderate degree of open-mindedness, to be willing to invest the time and energy to hear what others have to say. It’s a wide world out there."
repost from mittenstategirl.
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