Why Blog?

At a conference recently I met a woman who works for a well-known consulting firm.  She was a speaker at the event and quite evidently an expert in the field of ethnography.  She knew of me and recognized that I was a blogger.  Her question to me was - "Why blog?".  To be honest, I was completely flabbergasted.

I blog because I have a real interest in doing things more productively.  I hope that some of you who read this stuff will put my thoughts into use.  I hope that we can establish a dialog and maybe some of you who read this stuff will tell me if my ideas are right - or wrong.  Some of the comments I get definitely tell me where some readers think I am wrong.  But that's a lot of the goal right there - creating a community of people who care about a topic or subject and who are interested in learning more, discussing ideas, suggesting new concepts and so much more.  In fact if I have a complaint with blogging, it's that it is too much a one-way street.  Me talking and you reading, and not enough the other way.

The speaker went on to say that she didn't think that people would read her stuff.  Well, number one, I can assure you that Clayton Christensen and David Allen get more readers than I do, because they are well known and recognized in their fields.  In her case, she would get readers just because of her expertise and subject matter.  But more to the point, compelling information and good writing will attract people and build a community.  I told her that bloggers who shared her interests would seek her out and find her and link to her writing.

Blogging opens up a whole new virtual world.  I have a number of "friends" that I have not met, but look forward to meeting.  Many of those friends are other bloggers who've met me through my blogs.  Renee Callahan, who writes IdeaFlow and Jeff DeCagna who writes Principled Innovation are people I've had the opportunity to meet in real time as well as over the web. 

Blogging also allows you to create your own soapbox and tell the whole world what you think.  That's what the DailyKos and other blogs of its ilk are all about.  Think anyone cares about what one person says about politics?  That site has ballooned with visitors.  You too can create your own channel and talk to people with the same interests.  And with the magic of feeds and tagging and blog search, people who have the same interests will find you.

The oft-maligned Main Stream Media is waking up to the power of blogs.  I remember when we were labelled as the pajama media.  The old line media is alive and well - and will get better because it has a powerful new competitor in the blogosphere.  People who care deeply about their subjects and are, in many cases, excellent amateurs. 

Why blog?  For heaven's sake, why not? 

Comments

[Josh Hinds]

Jeffrey, great post with some excellent ideas that should be shared with anyone that might ask, 'why blog?' ... I especially appreciated your point about "blogging opening up a new virtual world". So true... All the best, Josh

[Kent Blumberg]

I blog for all these reasons, plus a couple more. 1) Blogging helps me improve my writing - and thus my thinking. Trying to say something useful in less than 500 words is great exercise for my mental focusing muscles. 2) Blogging is a great way to document my experience, and to enhance that experience with the experience of others - through comments.

In the end though, I do it for much the same reason as you - for the dialogue around interesting ideas and for the community that comes with that dialogue.

[Becky]

Good question - why blog? "Why not blog?" is what I usually find myself saying. I find that blogging helps me to become a better writer, a better COMMUNICATOR.

Also, we're in a different world than we were 20 or 30 years ago. Whereas as a child I had pen pals in far away states, today I have friends who I've never met in person, but I share my life with them and vice versa. In fact, I'd say some of my best friends are the imaginary internet ones I converse with on a daily basis through blogging.

So again, I say - why not?