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Blogging, the Legal Addiction

I began blogging in December 2005 after my sister sent me a link to her Yahoo 360 page. Thinking this would be a great way to stay in touch with my family, who all live out of town, I took a few minutes to upload some pictures, set up a profile and write an entry. After a few days of having some readers actually respond to things I wrote, I figured I'd expand a little and invite some close friends to read my daily journal as well.

All it took was for me to get a comment from friend of a friend or to hear that a colleague at my mom's work was checking my page every day - and I got bitten by the bug. I began to dash out of bed in the morning to update my page, I began to fret over adding little icons and links, I started to spend way too much time trying to figure out HTML. Eventually my Yahoo page became too limited and I decided to set up a Blogger page. That's when things really started to take off. I began to meet cyber-friends, I started looking forward to seeing who would visit my site so that I could visit theirs and I became acquainted with other people who blogged.

I've pondered over what it is that gives me the impulse to blog every day, and I think these are some of the reasons:
--I've always been a web surfer, so I feel at home when I'm blogging.
--I like to write in a journalist style, and blogging is the perfect forum. I'm not a fiction writer at all and I never keep up with a paper journal.
--I love connecting with people of similar interest, and I especially like being able to keep a steady flow of communication with far away family and friends.
--I love typing and working on the computer and I enjoy figuring out how to make new things work, so my site is the perfect place to experiment.
--Although I have a lot of friends, I tend to be private about personal things, so it's easier for me to let my personality come through in writing than face to face.
--There's something addicting about knowing people are going to be "checking in on you" every day. It's probably a little like performing, but the stage fright isn't nearly as bad.

So, there you have it--that's my habit. It keeps me awake just about as well as the coffee.

Comments

Anna Venger said…
Hey, are you sure you're a recovering Type A? Sounds like you still suffer from it with the need to update first thing in the morning and all. I know because it takes one to know one! (and I dont think it's a bad thing at all.) :)
8/06/2006 8:18 AM
Pamela said…
wow. we must be cyber sisters. I'm in that mode write now. (spelled that way on purpose)

I rush home from work to see if anyone has stopped by. I think about what I want to write all day long. I wish I was 20 again (except for the monthly cycle..... glad thats over)

You go girl.... E N J O Y !!!
8/06/2006 9:14 AM
Anonymous said…
Great post JenLo. I have learned much from other bloggers, if is my faith-walk or even HTML coding.
8/06/2006 12:21 PM
PandaMom said…
OK~you know that I just got initiated into my new blogging arena two weeks ago. I had a hard time just getting links on my page for the first 10 days. Then I got it! Most of my friends around me say they don't have "time" to blog. Anybody has time to do whatever it is they want to do. After discovering how one link goes to another and another and another and......so on, I found that I could easily become addicted to this sort of voyerism. I had to "just say no" ; ) and limit myself to only a few links. Then I found YOU and made a new cyber friend! I now can claim a few cyber buddies who have joined me. This is fun, exciting, revealing in a non-threatening way and for me, it's like having a scrapbook online. I am truly addicted to scrapbooking, so my blog is just a new form of it to learn. Thanks for your commitment to checking everyday. I personally LOVE looking to see if others have added something new and HOPE that others have seen my life even if they don't comment. Keep up the blogging!
8/06/2006 3:39 PM
CyberCelt said…
Addicting, yes. Since starting to blog, I have neglected my two websites. I like the interactivity of blogging. Instant gratification.

Here from the BC Carnival.
8/06/2006 4:46 PM
Karmyn R said…
And now I start feeling bad when I haven't "visited" a friend for a day or two!
8/06/2006 7:34 PM
Anonymous said…
I have NO Idea how to start blogging, so I will just keep up with your site!
I have learned alot about you! I know you personally too, but I am the same, sometimes it's easier to write things down than say stuff face to face!
Love reading your blog....when I love getting caught up!
~Sue
8/07/2006 8:06 AM
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