The Value of "Why I Blog" Posts
Rex Hammock has a great post that explains why he blogs. It demonstrates that many blogs often are not confined to finite boxes the way media is. Someone can blog about their cat having a hairball and in the next post come up with an idea that solves global warming. Fred Wilson's blog seems to cover everything.
This could be the start of a valuable meme. What if we all did short FAQ posts like this one and tagged them? Then they can be archived and it would take on new value. It would help the PR community better target our approach while also making it easy for birds of a feather to flock together. Then again, there are already some services that do this like MyBlogLog.
I also like how Rex traces his lineage back to Dave Winer. I am part of the same tree. Robert Scoble, who Dave mentored, really gave my blog a boost when he granted me this interview back when I started three years ago. The whole blog tree is eerily similar to the famous Bill Parcells and Bill Walsh coaching trees.
Suggest a tag Steve, and lets try it.
Posted by: Colin Henderson | Thursday, March 29, 2007 at 05:16 PM
Great idea. Have you seen CK's 'why I blog' collage?
http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/NXTbook/ckvibloggingv2/index.php
But I'm so intrigued by why people start blogging and what drives them to keep doing it, that I look forward to seeing this meme take off.
G
Posted by: Greg Verdino | Thursday, March 29, 2007 at 09:32 PM
Mr. Rubel,
There are a lot of people who feel the same way. Check out Blogger Stories (http://www.bloggerstories.com/).
I've added mine (http://www.bloggerstories.com/2006/06/blogger_stories_5.html) and there are tons more to view to get that great feeling about blogging. :-)
L8r,
JD
Posted by: Jonathan Danylko | Thursday, March 29, 2007 at 10:32 PM
Do we have to call you Mr. Rubel?
I came across this post today after visiting your site for the first time. I think bloggers write posts about why they blog because so many people don't understand the sense of self-satisfaction that can come along with it. My wife looks at me like I'm crazy when I would rather blog than watch TV or read a book. Producing a product that you are proud of and other people in turn read and give feedback is a great feeling.
Posted by: Jeremy | Friday, March 30, 2007 at 03:35 AM
Start the meme, Steve. While we're talking about self-referential content, I find it funny that so many bloggers (including me) leave their About page untouched for months or even years at a time. Time to sweep through and refresh!
Posted by: Easton Ellsworth | Friday, March 30, 2007 at 10:27 AM
Here is a video that tells the truth about global warming
http://www.gorelied.notlong.com
Posted by: Ted | Sunday, April 01, 2007 at 03:28 AM
The value is simple. To answer the question people are asking me often "why do you blog?" Here is why I blog http://megabluewave.com/blog/archives/132
Best regards. I really enjoy your blog.
Marek
Posted by: Marek Wawrzyniak | Wednesday, April 04, 2007 at 03:16 PM