Sunday, November 24, 2013

When I Write the Book

One Dr. Spo  has made a MEME about blogging.  These questions are a conglomerate of questions bloggers and non-bloggers have asked him over the years.  The answers, however, are mine. 


What you like most about being a blogger?
Just because of my OCD, I like the consistency of writing it. I don't have a life-changing blog in terms of politics of gay culture. Hell, my subtitle is 'stuff & nonsense' - though it is mostly just 'stuff'. 
How many bloggers have you met?
13 known bloggers. Either people I follow, or have followed in the past. There might be one or two more that have stopped blogging a while back, but for the most part, I'm going with a baker's dozen. 
Do you ever go back and read your old entries?
Sometimes. I shouldn't, but I do.

If I look at my stats to see what is trending and can't remember what a post was, I might hit it and read it. Or if I need to find a post to link to a current on, I search for it. The problem is if then you start reading a succession of older or newer posts from that one. I catch things i could have said more clearly or see a typo that I want to fix - but I resist the urge to go down that rabbit hole. 
Do you share your job skills here?
I really don't. You get something of my travel or work frustration, but no real specifics about my job, my company or things of that nature. Besides being another rabbit hole to avoid, why get the work g-ds mad at me? 
Have you changed your views about anything thanks to blogging?
Yes, but not in the way most would think. Reading gay political blogs, I find I don't always agree with the majority. Case in point: I found the high praise of Dan Choi to be mostly because he's gay and a soldier - and not just the fame whore he wants to be. and g-d fucking forbid if you commented anything that didn't see him as the next gay hero. I find many gay political blogs hate the intolerance of many straight people toward gays, but are the first to be EXTREMELY intolerant of our own kind if you're not on their bandwagon. 

Do your coworkers know about your blog?
Not that I know of. Friends have posted links to some of my posts on their Facebook page and sometimes have "tagged" me in the process. It is possible some of those co-workers / Facebook friends have seen the tag, clicked and then found the blog. But since I don't share things about work, I don't foresee trouble - though they'd have to scour 3000+ posts to know I don't talk about work. 
What advice would you give for successful blogging?
It would be to consistently post. If you do one or two a month - or a full week and then nothing for a period of time, you'll never gain a following, if that is what you want. If you're blog is too specific (i mean, there a knitting blogs!!!), you're going for a core audience that you'll never expand upon - and that's fine, if that's all you are going to talk about. 
What is your opinion of aardvarks?
They have kept our ant problem under control!  Though they do look an awful lot like Renee Zellweger (or vice versa).

Do you publish everything you write ?
Almost everything. I've drafted a few things that never went anywhere and I deleted them. It could be argued I shouldn't publish half the things I write. 
If you could make ‘three rules’ for blogging, what would they be?
1# Have your own voice. I appreciate (somewhat) original content. I'm not big on bloggers who copy media stories and while not crediting as their own, certainly don't recognize the actual source. They don't even put in their own thoughts most of the time in regards to their copied post. 
2# Have a sense of humour. Not everyone is going to agree with what you post, so don't get your nose out of joint when someone disagrees - at least if they have a semi-logical "argument". 
3# It's nice to ask a person if you can blogroll them and not just do it. Not only do you know someone is reading you, but appreciating you enough that they want to acknowledge your publications. It's nice to know where some the sources of your readership too. And it might turn you on to that person's blog and their own blogroll of folks.  (Don't ask assuming they will blogroll you back.)
Do people help you write your blog?
Now and again, someone (a cousin or friend) will provide a link to a topic they think I would find funny - knowing I might blog about it. Do they actually write it or get to provide feedback on my draft? No.  
But many people (a cousin or friend) will be the inspiration for an entry - or 10. 
Who are your blogger super-heroes?
You know this can go nowhere good, right? Someone is bound to be hurt or left out, and that is not my intention. But I have a few: 
Mike's Short Attention Span Theater (when he writes / wrote it) always made me smile. He was clever with his words and though he'd loathe to admit it, has the same sense of humour as myself. 
Erik, over at gambrinous with griffonage comes closest to my taste in music. But he seems like a nice guy and one of the bloggers I truly want to meet. ...and if I ever got a tattoo, he might be the guy I'd let do it. Though I truly do NOT understand his fascination with Dr. Who, but........  
Patrick over at Pac's Pad.  He's a great writer. He is clever and always comes full circle with his posts and always makes me want to comment on them. That is high praise. 
And Chris from the Mangina Monologues - because he has the right amount of wrong in him that makes me smile. 
Final question (if you dare!) :
Have you slept with any of your fellow bloggers?
Define: sleep


Song by: Rockpile

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is totally cool, and great answers to boot. Is it cool if I do this, too?

anne marie in philly said...

I posted my answers this morning. and yes, there ARE knitting blogs; I read several of them, since I am a knitter.

Ur-spo said...

thank you for playing along: I enjoyed your responses. I hadn't seen the aardvark connection until now - scary!

Mike said...

Wow! Blobby's super-hero blogger! I am touched...and now ashamed that i have fallen off the blogging bandwagon (and i can't get up). Many thanks to you, Blobby. I'd like to say that i taught you everything you know about blogging, but well, that would be a bit, fat lie. If you're not careful, you may coerce me into starting to blog again. Be careful what you wish for! Happy thanksgiving.

rebecca said...

I envy your ocd (in this one case)

Erik Rubright said...

It's "Doctor Who". ;-)

And if it's any consolation, I can't even get my Husbear to watch it either.

Oh, and when are you going to start posting some "nonsense"?

Erik Rubright said...

And I look forward to the day we get to meet in real life as well!

Hoa Phat said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.