I completely get Twitter - 140 characters to pass on tidbits of information -- in my case genealogical information... websites, research tips, that sort of thing. Most anything like that can be said in 140 characters or less. No problem.
But blogging? The purpose has escaped me so far. Sure, I enjoy reading other people's blogs from time to time (genealogy-related ones of course), but for the most part I figure they could have easily been pared down to -- you guessed it -- 140 characters or less.
I don't know why, but yesterday the little light bulb went off in my head. I LOVE to talk about genealogy, but rarely have the opportunity because those nearest and dearest to me, and even those just in my general vicinity, don't have the slightest interest in hearing what I have to say. And I certainly don't want to be one of THOSE genealogists, who goes on and on and on and nobody really is interested in the exact relationship between the fifth cousin on my mother's side and her aunt's mother-in-law's great grand-niece... blah, blah, blah. You know how that sounds...
But blogging... BLOGGING!!! I can rant for hours on end and it doesn't matter. Let my fingers do the talking, and I can post as much as I want and yap about every minute facet of my research and get it out of my system. And, since nobody reads my blogs anyway, I don't run the risk of boring the snot out of anyone -- and if by some strange reason someone does stumble onto my ramblings, its their choice to read or not to read!
So now I get it. While its blatant self-promotion, ego-building, and quite often pointless and uninteresting blatherings, its also a mind-clearing exercise that leaves you fresh and ready for polite conversation with friends, without the need to talk genealogy!
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2 comments:
What a great explanation for blogging.I always wonder why I do it, too. I like talking about genealogy but even my sister who shares my ancestors isn't interested. It's not just genealogy, of course. There are lots of things other people aren't interested in but it does somehow seem alright to blog about them. (I hate that word "blog" also.) You know who likes to read my blog---me! I think it's kind of like a diary that you can look back at and see what you did last week. On the other hand - isn't it thrilling when someone actually leaves a comment? By the way I did enjoy your blog and will be back.
What a great explanation for blogging.I always wonder why I do it, too. I like talking about genealogy but even my sister who shares my ancestors isn't interested. It's not just genealogy, of course. There are lots of things other people aren't interested in but it does somehow seem alright to blog about them. (I hate that word "blog" also.) You know who likes to read my blog---me! I think it's kind of like a diary that you can look back at and see what you did last week. On the other hand - isn't it thrilling when someone actually leaves a comment?
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