blogging meme

1. Do you like the look and the contents of your blog?
   I'm happy with the layout of my blog more or less, although obviously I like to keep changing things around... and as for the contents... some days/weeks, yes, other times, no... just depends on what and how much and what quality of stuff I'm posting.



2. Does your family know about your blog?
   Hell no!



3. Do you tell your friends about your blog? Or do you consider it a private thing?
   I did mention it to a couple of people way back after I'd first started it... but fortunately they're both a little vague, so I don't think either of them ever followed it up. And some people I used to work with discovered it at random (Tip: never link to the blogs of people you used to work with if you don't want them to discover your blog), but I'm pretty sure they stopped reading it long, long ago... these days, yes I would say that I consider it private, and I'm not sure I'd tell anyone new about it.



4. Do you just read the blogs of those who comment on your blog? Or do you try to discover new blogs?
   I always take a look at the blog of a new commentator... I think that's only polite, plus I want to see who's commenting... but no, I don't always end up reading their blogs. I don't always go out of my way to discover new blogs either, although I will sometimes go through other people's blog rolls to see what interesting links they have. And every now and again I follow some of the "unknown" links that are sending people to my blog, just to see who's listing me.



5. Does your blog positively affect your mind?
   Actually I think it does. Helps me sort through all the mental clutter and whatnot and get a handle on certain things sometimes. Although I'm sure on the flipside, the amount of time I spend thinking about what to blog, sometimes while I'm still enjoying the activity in question, is probably less positive.



6. What does the number of visitors to your blog mean to you? Do you use a traffic counter?
   I do use a traffic counter, and I check it every day... I know I'm never going to be one of the top rank gay uberbloggers... my life isn't that interesting, I'm not an ubergay dude, and I don't post half or fully naked pictures of myself, so that pretty much counts me out of the running... but when my visitor numbers improve or start to increase over time (for no obvious reason) I'm pleased.



7. Do you imagine what other bloggers look like?
   Those bloggers who don't provide the world with a photograph (and I'm thinking of one in particular), sure... but then sometimes when previous photoless bloggers post a photo it totally ruins the idea you had in your head about what they looked like. Bit like seeing radio personailities... never quites lives up to the reality.



8. Do you think blogging has any real benefit?
   I don't think it's going to, you know, cause World Peace to break out, or solve the whole Global Warming thing... but I think both the connections between people around the world and the easy access to information and opinions and whatever are definitely plusses.



9. Do you think that the blogosphere is a stand alone community separated from the real world?
   You know, I've never actually thought about that... And honestly, I think the answer is "yes and no"... I know that if I suddenly won the Lottery then there are a list of bloggers both here and overseas that it might be fun (or scary or strange or confronting or whatever) to meet in the flesh... and I know other people do meet, fall in love, connect, hookup, form friendships etc that they wouldn't otherwise have done without the blogosphere. But if the blogosphere is actually just the blogs themselves and not the bloggers, then yes, it is a stand alone community...



10. Do some political blogs scare you? Do you avoid them?
    Scare me? No... they just don't interest me in the slightest, so, yes, I would say that I avoid them.



11. Do you think that criticizing your blog is useful?
    My blog... no... certain other blogs, sure! No, seriously... I think constructive and appropriate criticism is always useful... sniping, hateful comments and bitching are bad.



12. Have you ever thought about what would happen to your blog if you died?
    Strangely, yes... obviously it would stop, but it's more than final "he's dead now" message that I've considered from time to time.



13. Which blogger had made the greatest impression on you?
    Honestly, I would have to say Sunshine, I don't think any other blog or blogger has made me as nuts and amused me as much, provided me with as much pirateable content over time and caused me to roll my eyes as much, fired me up on certain issues (whether I chose to make a comment to that effect or not) and made me a little jealous from time to time... and although there are a core of about three bloggers who I occasionally think about when I'm out in the world away from my blogs and theirs, he possibly tops that list. And that's also the same three bloggers who, if they chose to shut down their blogs for some reason, I would be quite sad about.



14. Which blogger do you think is the most similar to you?
    Probably The Artist Formerly Known as The Love Lemming, Larry. Although I share traits in common with several other folks who's blogs I read regularly.

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