Is Blogging Wrong?
by Steven Rossi on February 4, 2010 in Blogging
Something else I’ve been thinking about lately: what does having a blog say to the world?
Think about this. In starting a personal blog, I’m basically asserting that I have something to say, that you should listen to what I’m telling you for some reason or another. Seems sorta arrogant, doesn’t it?
I sat down and listed off some potential messages that I could be communicating in deciding to have my own blog:
- “I have something to say, you should listen.”
- “I want people to listen to what I’m saying and to actively engage in the conversations I initiate.”
- “I want to have a large audience, to grow a fan-base which will frequently choose to be influenced by me.”
- “I want to continue to grow my market share. I want my website’s usage statistics to beat others’.”
Those are just a few quick thoughts. Of course, I haven’t ever consciously listed those or similar ideas as motivations for blogging, but can’t you see how I could be subtly communicating that those are my intentions? I’ve certainly had conversations with people who think that blogging is nothing more than an Internet ego trip, and I think I understand their perspective.
What are your thoughts on this? Are there good motivations for blogging? Is all blogging primarily a chase for validation? I’d like to be convinced one way or the other.
Image Credit: rick
by Steven Rossi
On February 6, 2010 at 4:00 am
Care to go into any more detail about that? What kinds of things have you experienced since creating your blog? It'd be sweet to hear your thoughts!
by Joseph Condron
On February 6, 2010 at 12:24 pm
I think it depends on your personality type and of course what you write. I would view it as being very open-ended.
My recent post About The Moon: Vital In The Creation And Preservation Of Life On Earth
by Steven Rossi
On February 9, 2010 at 2:07 am
Hm yeah I guess I was mostly thinking in terms of motivations. Like…when I look at blogging do I do it because I legitimately want to start stimulating conversation, or do I do it because I want people to think I'm smart? In reading your response (and I've seen many others say this), it seems like success is more humbling than ego-building. That's sorta my intention in writing this post, that is, to get us (read: myself) to work toward avoiding considering recognition as the main goal of blogging.
I think that that response of being humbled can easily turn to pride, though. Can you relate to that at all?
by Steven Rossi
On February 9, 2010 at 2:09 am
Hm what are you thinking regarding the influence of personality type? Not sure I know what you mean.