Kieran responding to Fabio's post, "why i blog."
My primary reason for blogging is not on Fabio's list. I blog because writing for an audience forces me to think more critically about the information that I consume. Pre-blogging, I was a huge consumer of information, but an intermittent analyzer. Analysis takes time and energy, and I was so busy consuming, after all ...
So when I tell people that blogging has changed my life, I mean it in a very fundamental way. A few days ago, I ramped up my blogging because I decided while I was away at various conferences and speaking engagements -- reflecting on my habits and routines -- that I needed to incorporate blogging more fully into my life as a scholar and teacher. I was thinking exactly along the lines expressed by Ann (here and here) earlier today, in a somewhat surprising take on Rush Limbaugh:
I think he knows that doing things day-by-day keeps the show alive and makes it work. It's what works in blogging too. If you have a whole planned agenda and you just crank out the propaganda, people will get sick of you. It's when you are talking/writing to figure out what you think, to find out what you want to say, that you are interesting. (They didn't do that on Air America.)
By the way, most of you know that Ann is a former colleague. Her office was directly across the hall from mine at the University of Wisconsin Law School, and we started blogging at roughly the same time. I never told her this while I was there, but perhaps it's deserves saying publicly that I have learned and continue to learn more about blogging from Ann than from any other source. We each have our own styles, but I believe that we both love blogging for the same core reason: because of what she calls concisely "thinking by writing."
Why do you blog, if you do? If you don't, why don't you blog?
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8345157d569e200e5539f2b158834
Links to weblogs that reference "I blog to forget. No, wait. Never mind.":
1. Posted by the Rising Jurist on July 3, 2008 @ 10:59 | Permalink
I started blogging simply because I was attending law school away from family and friends, and I figured it to be an efficient way to keep everyone posted on what I was doing.
But then it evolved more into a place for me to rant, what I see people are calling "thesis-driven" blogging. I think I now straddle a line between thesis blogging and new reporting.
I must say, I am intrigued by this idea of focusing on "thinking through writing." I have done that before but have been turned off by the unusually high number of con satellites I have attracted. I may have to give it more consideration, though, because it honestly sounds like a more rewarding way to blog.
2. Posted by paper writing service on July 6, 2011 @ 6:26 | Permalink
A good blog always comes-up with new and exciting information and while reading I have feel that this blog is really have all those quality that qualify a blog to be a good one.
3. Posted by Bonnie on December 27, 2011 @ 1:36 | Permalink
I have to admit I am very impressed with the quality of your blog. It is certainly a pleasure to read as I do enjoy your posts.
4. Posted by Tom Nyasa on February 4, 2012 @ 4:49 | Permalink
Very important topic and you just did an amazing job presenting it in a simple and clear manner.
www.genericlanoxin.com/
5. Posted by Stella Devista on February 6, 2012 @ 2:00 | Permalink
This is really great post. Just in time, I've just run my new blog. and I really appreciate your time for writing this post.
http://www.shopeastwest.com/med/health-wellness/Tadalafil-Tabs/345.html
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
