# Who here keeps a blog? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 10, 2006, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-keeps-a-blog/352063 "2006-04-10T12:50:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-keeps-a-blog/352063/21 "2006-04-11T18:55:59Z")
I have three… My Live Journal which I started when I moved to LA. MySpace blog. And my sketch troupe maintains a group blog. ---
**Author:** ![Tortuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@Tortuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tortuga)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-keeps-a-blog/352063/22 "2006-04-11T23:52:30Z")
I have a blog-- I started it to document a project but it ballooned into something bigger. I also have a blog attached to my business. I do post a fair amount of personal stuff, but it’s more like public eavesdropper level & conversation with friends kind of stuff. My mom reads it and it would be easy enough for anyone who knows me to find it so there are some things I wouldn’t talk about–some people seem to use blogs to blow off emotional steam and end up really hurting people’s feelings. I’m a lover not a fighter so I try to remember to put things in perspective–I might be able to delete a hurtful thing I’ve said but it wouldn’t erase the hurt I caused (and Google and some of these RSS feed readers could’ve cached it, you never know). I’m probably a bit heavy on the dick and fart jokes, but my Mom’s used to it. Anyway, with being able to post pics and links and commenting features I’ve found it a fabulous way to meet and communicate with people with similar interests. After a while sometimes the circle of acqaintances/imaginary friends expands to a level that’s hard to maintain contact with, but “real life” can do that too. Some people blog every day, I blog about once or twice a week. I started it at a free host because I figured I wouldn’t keep it up. I’ve since bought a domain name and installed a wordpress blog, but haven’t bothered to import it and start over there yet so here it is in its boring blogger template if you’re curious. keywords are knitting, spinning, dogs, running, reading [spaazlicious](http://spaazlicious.blogspot.com) ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-keeps-a-blog/352063/23 "2006-04-12T00:56:33Z")
Not really the same thing, but I started writing long emails to people back home when I first moved to Japan. I was never very regular about keeping it up, but I’d do everything from what was happening in my life, to weird crap I encountered in Japan, to my take on political events. I’m particularly proud of an early denouncement of the Patriot Act, an essay on the social rebellion of the ganguro, and a piece where I compared homosexuality to left-handedness in order to get the reader to look at sexual orientation more objectively. I’m a late adopter when it comes to social trends (if I adopt them at all) and I think blogs started to become really popular around the same time I came here. The last year of university kept me pretty busy, I had no internet access for months when I moved and was on an expensive dial-up for a year or so thereafter, so I was out of the loop anyway. I didn’t really even know what the term “blog” meant for a while when I heard it sometime in 2001. I have since thought of starting a blog, but a few things hold me back. I’m not sure what I have to say would be entertaining enough (I wouldn’t do something so public just for personal reasons). I have too wide of a range of interests to be really appealing; most of the well-known blogs have a niche. If I did become popular, I’d have to deal with lots of people. I feel guilty if I don’t give personal attention and would probably get completely overwhelmed pretty quickly. That, and I’m lazy. Like a lot of other people who responded to this thread, I don’t think I’d ever write about really private things online. I think the things I would write should have a broader appeal than for people who just like learning others’ secrets. If I couldn’t write something entertaining that didn’t require me to metaphorically flash the world, then I would think I’d been doing it wrong. I can see why a professional writer would write a blog. Yes, the time they spend on writing the blog could probably be better used in writing something that pays, but there are probably often thoughts they have that wouldn’t make a good story, or essay, or novel, but which they still want to share. Writing is often described by writers as a compulsion. A blog would let them work off that compulsion without having to expand or rework an idea, plus it lets them have a more intimate and immediate connection with the people who read their work. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-keeps-a-blog/352063/24 "2006-04-12T01:13:35Z")
I have a LiveJournal, if that counts. But more to the point, I just created a new blog, [Blogaria](http://blogaria.wordpress.com/) for my upcoming tour in the Peace Corps. It’s pretty empty at the moment, but I expect to update it from time to time when I actually…you know, _get_ to Bulgaria. (Five days to go!) ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-keeps-a-blog/352063/25 "2006-04-12T01:38:21Z")
I recently went over to the dark side and started a MySpace page–and I’m finding I kinda like the blog part. It’s good discipline to write something every day and make it interesting-ish… Stuff that happens at work, random thoughts and musings, great restaurant finds, amusing links, whatever. It’s interesting to see that people are reading it but mostly it’s just that I like writing messages to put into metaphorical bottles to toss into hypothetical seas… Something zen about it, I guess… If you’re interested, the url is [lynn chidester (smartaleq) on Myspace](http://www.myspace.com/smartaleq) and don’t I just wish that was me in the picture… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-keeps-a-blog/352063/26 "2006-04-12T02:53:49Z")
[Yes](http://juliecarter.blogspot.com). I’ve been blogging since December. I get way way more traffic than I expected, which keeps me enthusiastic. Poetry, life, rambles, links, baseball. That’s about it! ---
**Author:** ![Treviathan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/838e76/32.png) [@Treviathan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treviathan)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-keeps-a-blog/352063/27 "2006-04-12T03:06:17Z")
I started one in September 2005, which coincided with my move to Toronto. It’s about 50% photography, 50% smart-assery. Since not only did I spent two hours figuring out how to create a header graphic yesterday, but because it turned out just the way I wanted it to, I’m feeling generous/egotistical enough today to link to it. [Alcohol and Irony](http://tcp909.blogspot.com) ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-keeps-a-blog/352063/28 "2006-04-12T04:15:22Z")
When posting photos or links to photos, it’s important to make sure that there are no private photos in that album. If you don’t want people looking through your album, it is important to either give each image a unique name, or insert random characters somewhere in the name of each image. For Example- John Doe includes some photos (hosted at photobucket) in his blog entry about a trip to the shore. There are pictures of the packed parking lot, sandcastles, an ice cream stand, and one of his wife Jane’s sunburn. A few clicks reveal that all pictures are hosted at photobucket\*com/JohnD/Beach/ and that they have no names, just numbers. The parking lot picture is 001. The sunburn picture is 030. By changing the number in the adress, anybody can view all the pictures in the album. This is no problem for most of the pictures as they show generic beach activities. But, the pictures after 030 show that John and Jane drove to another beach after sunset. Jane stripped for the camera, then they photographed themselves having sex. Giving each image a unique name prevents this. Knowing that the posted pictures are titled ‘full-lot’, ‘volleyball’ and ‘burnt’ doesn’t give any idea what the rest of the images are named. Knowing that the pictures are named ‘ab001tsp’, ‘jql020zz’ reveals that wile there are eighteen other images, there is no way to figure out their titles and view them. Blogs allow you to mark entries so that only users you have granted permission to can access them. This keeps your private life private most of the time. Is some one forgets to log out, another person using the same computer can get into your private entries using their account. Occasionally, arguments end with somebody copying another person’s private entries and posting them publicly. This is another reason I use strangeness and metaphor. I can openly discuss private matters, because most people will think I’m distorting them or making them up. If I were dating Ann Coulter, I could post the facts of our relationship and no one would believe a word. ---
**Author:** ![ninevah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/46a35a/32.png) [@ninevah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ninevah)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-keeps-a-blog/352063/29 "2006-04-12T05:56:03Z")
I started a [typepad.com](http://typepad.com) [blog](http://ninevah.typepad.com/) in March, which I’m actually enjoying. My first failed attempt was a livejournal one. My blog is mainly something that O/S friends and family can see where my husband and I are at, through my eyes. It’s also somewhere I can share photos. I have no problems with people viewing it, it’s not terribly interesting anyway (no saucy photos or incriminating pieces of information). ---
**Author:** ![GoKings57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/67e7ee/32.png) [@GoKings57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoKings57)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-keeps-a-blog/352063/30 "2006-04-12T14:49:29Z")
I’ve got a blog. Nothing spectacular, just a place for me to comment on stories I find fascinating, maddening, heartwarming or just plain funny. Not too much personal stuff out there, but every now and then I’ll talk about something that happens to me personally. [Erik with a “K”](http://erikrader.blogspot.com) ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-keeps-a-blog/352063/31 "2006-04-12T19:57:45Z")
Yep, though I never saw the point about posting the boring, mundane, day-to-day aspects of your personal life. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-keeps-a-blog/352063/32 "2006-04-12T20:50:11Z")
I’m jauntily on LiveJournal. So to speak. No mundane observations; it mostly alternates between me venting about stuff, me being amused by stuff, and me attempting to be witty about stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-keeps-a-blog/352063/33 "2006-04-12T20:54:19Z")
I’m on Livejournal, friends-only, on the assumption that only people who like me want to hear about my boring life, but I add people freely upon request. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-keeps-a-blog/352063/34 "2006-04-12T21:17:57Z")
**Telperien** , I know nothing about you, but you should add me. 🙂 I want more friends. I just don’t want to go about it in a completely haphazard manner. When I started my LiveJournal I friended all my real life friends who were on there (mostly from law school). Then I discovered that there were random people out there who shared some of my more curiously phrased interests – like “‘your face’ jokes” or “ironic juxtaposition” – so I friended them too. And all of them friended me back; it was great. But now I think I’ve reached a friend plateau. All of which is to say, you should add me to your friends’ list. And everyone else in this thread who’s got an LJ account, you should add me too. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-keeps-a-blog/352063/35 "2006-04-12T21:22:45Z")
I keep a blog that I am more than happy to let complete strangers read but I would die, absolutley die if anyone I knew ever read it. I use it to publish erotic poetry. _Tasteful_ erotic poetry. mm ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-keeps-a-blog/352063/36 "2006-04-12T21:27:39Z")
> [@Gadarene](#): > > All of which is to say, you should add me to your friends’ list. And everyone else in this thread who’s got an LJ account, you should add me too. 🙂 Done. Feel free to add me: [http://terminusest.livejournal.com](http://terminusest.livejournal.com) ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-keeps-a-blog/352063/37 "2006-04-12T21:34:27Z")
Done and done! Nice taste in music you’ve got there. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2006, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-keeps-a-blog/352063/38 "2006-04-12T21:40:12Z")
Thanks! (Unless you were referring to my prior posting on Barry Manilow, in which case I deny all knowledge.) ---
**Author:** ![pesch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pesch/32/4925_2.png) [@pesch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pesch)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-keeps-a-blog/352063/39 "2006-04-13T01:42:57Z")
I maintain a Web site that has a blog attached. The site holds my book reviews, essays, an annotation of some of Dorothy L. Sayers’ mystery novels, while the blog veers from links to interesting stories, brief essays and other stuff as it occurs to me. In short, it pretty much matches my intellect: wide-ranging, not very deep and as jumpy as an amped-up toddler. ---
**Author:** ![Aangelica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Aangelica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aangelica)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-keeps-a-blog/352063/40 "2006-04-13T14:16:34Z")
I have one - primarily to keep my geographically inconvenienced friends updated with my life and times. I’m a spectacularly bad correspondent and amazingly difficult to reach via telephone (_and_ hideously bad at returning messages). This way they all know that I’m still alive without being reduced to attempting to locate and phone my mother. If I don’t update once a week or so, I start getting snarky emails demanding information (or my mother’s current phone number). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-keeps-a-blog/352063.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-here-keeps-a-blog/352063.md?page=3)