I’ve been wondering.
Posted: March 29, 2006 Filed under: Uncategorized 14 Comments »There are millions of blogs. Sure, a boatload of them are spam blogs, but there are still a slew of people like us – people who sit at our computers and write about stuff. Work stuff. Life stuff. Useless stuff.
I read a lot of blogs most every day. I found a lot of them through other blogs I like and some by chance and some… I don’t even remember. But I found some people that I really connect to. People who I (do I dare?) consider friends. People who I miss when they’re not posting regularly and who I actually feel that I know.
So what I wonder is this. Are we just more available this way? Are we more open minded and less judgmental and make friends easier in the blogosphere? Or is the reality that we find people through people that we’re already predisposed to like or have things in common with or such? Or do we just get lucky and find the blog equivalent of soulmates by happenstance?
There are blogs I’ve read that I never go back to and blogs that I’ve read where I felt disconnected from the writer. And those people have not infiltrated my world. While others have.
Ugh. The grammar in this is just awful, but I am thinking – not really writing. Is it just me? Or do you wonder about this, too?
Maybe I should just go supervise the shredding. All this thinking is making my head hurt.
Wendy, I wonder about that too. Sometimes I can’t remember how I come to someones blog, but I just connect. Like with you…I just like your humor, your take on life, the things you share. Would we be friends in “real life”? Who knows. On blogs, we only reveal what we want to reveal. It’s kind of like the actor on a talk show, who seems like “a great guy”. He shows us what he wants us to see…the guy could be horrible in “real life”. (not saying you’re horrible, by the way!). But, I come back each day, to see what certain people are saying, miss them when they aren’t there posting, it’s such a strange, inexplicable connection.
I only know, I really enjoy reading about other’s lives, adventures, humor, etc. Not sure if I answered one thing here!
I love to read yours each day. I believe I found yours on a link from jennethink, which I found on Risley Ranch. This medium is just so accessible and easy to weed out the ones you don’t connect with. If I read someone I like I add them to my Blog folder in my favorites and each day I sit down and open them all up to see “what’s happening.” I love it.
I posted on why I blog awhile back
http://opjohnstons68.blogspot.com/2006/02/why-do-i-blog.html
Count ME in with the list of people who feel connected with you, somehow, through reading your blog. I think the medium is fascinating!
I don’t comment much but I AM out here — reading when I can!
Keep up the good work, Wendy!
Janet
(lordcelery.blogspot.com)
I think the blogosphere connects us all. It gives us insight into others’ lives, in a gentle, yet voyeuristic way.
I also find bloggers that I feel a connection to (or blogs that I just like to read), but only certain facets of a person come out through their blog…so you can never know if you would like the blogger in Real Life (unless, of course, you meet them).
Happy shredding.
I would also like to add that reading other peoples’ blogs gives us insights into lives that are very different from our own.
And sometimes, very much the same.
I agree with cruisin-mom, on a blog, we can guard the part of ourselves we feel conscientous about. And I agree with FSAM about learning from blogs. I’ve already learned lots from reading blogs.
For me, it also serves as a light-hearted soap opera, I think, ok, this guy was going on vacation, did he have a good trip?, this woman’s kid was sick, what did he have and did he get better?
My husband said last weekend, “but there are so many blogs! How can people have time to read all these blogs?” I explained to him most people have a favorites list that they read regularly, but if you’re really bored you can hit “next blog” and get a random blog. I’ve found good blogs (plus alot of porn and advertising blogs) that way. I’ve also found good blogs by clicking on a name of someone who posted a comment on a blog I read regularly.
I’ve only found one good blog by using the ‘next blog’ button. there’s too many abandoned or corporate blogs out there.
I think clicking on someone elses link is a good bet because it’s like they are ‘pre-screened’. Those people I’m willing to read more than just their top article. God knows what people think when they see some of my top articles.
Even so, sometimes i find out that i dont like someone, merely because they dont use paragraph breaks or they have chosen a woefully horrible colorscheme. Ironically I’m compelled to go weeks without capilizing anything.
I think everyone here assumes correctly that you arent seeing the real person, but the facet they choose to show. People who are good at ‘Presentation’ will be more successful in this medium. Suddenly the dork with the Art Degree appears to have his shit together….
You all have interesting POVs. I agree that hitting “next blog” doesn’t typically yield fascination for me! I, too, follow links from the blogs I like. In fact, I think that’s how I found most of the blogs I like. I suppose I owe Jeff Risley bigtime – he seems to be a big referrer (or referrer to referrer!) for a lot of my favs.
Sometimes I forget how I found someone & then I see a comment from a “friend” and realize the connections! It’s a wacky world we live in!
I agree with Fancy Schmancy Anxiety Maven. It’s interesting to peek into other peoples lives.
I do wonder about that myself. I find it especially interesting that I sometimes find a “bond” with someone living a very different life than mine, or who has a belief system different. There are bloggers who I love, but have a feeling that if they lived across the street from me, I would not be friends with. But then again, many bloggers do become friends — I’ve made some myself — so maybe we are relating to the real person behind the words, and not just the words.
Very thought-provoking question. Here’s my 2-cents worth:
I think I have “basically” the same criteria for the connections I make with blog/internet friends as I do any new person I’m introduced to.
I know who intrigues me pretty much immediately, but I reserve judgment until I hear more. I can usually tell who I will “end up” being friends with here, but as in real life, I develop my friendships slowly and cautiously, and thus end up with solid, trustworthy friendships.
People reveal themselves, here and in real life. If we’re tuned in, we can *usually* sense red flag situations and avoid them. [Please forget about meeting doctors in your underwear. We all have flaws in our judgment!]
Would I *really* like everyone that I care about in Blogworld? I’d venture to say 99% of them.
And some amuse and fascinate me, but I know we’d never be crazy great friends in person–as it is on the street. I’m acquainted with a lot of amazing people that, for one reason or another, I know I wouldn’t hang with.
And I link from one blog to another also; I figure if I like you, and your writings, I’m bound to be drawn to others drawn to you, and that you like also.
I do love that this internet stuff allows us to connect with more people that share our interests; how would we have found each other before?!
It’s my turn to shred. This is hard!
You’re my friend. That’s easy.
In a blog we control our image.
Most of us are much more likeable without the warts.
without feathers
It’s good to know I’m not the only whacko who has “real” connections! I do agree that our warts are less evident online – but I do believe they peak through if we’re really looking. What did Popeye say? I yam what I yam?