The Anatomy of a Blogger
I am such a loser when it comes to numbers but without going through a numbers crunching game and a thorough audit trail scan on my laptop’s cache, results would probably show that I have surfed into tens and thousands of blogs [across nationalities, countries and continents] in a span of 3 years! Ah, the joys of being a voyeur in these times of internet technology days.
I love to lurk on interesting content meaty sites and I am always on the look out for witty and catchy writers who have a great sense of humor, satirical included, in fact highly recommended, and those that are not afraid to speak their minds out without losing ground on objectivity.
But anywho… what fuels us to blog?
WARNING: VERY LONG ALBEIT THOUGHT PROVOKING POST
With my 3 years blogging experience tucked in my belt, I have arrived to the conclusion that the following are the reasons why people are hooked to this blogging wonder.
Bloggers have narcissistic traits
Even though many bloggers admit that they are self proclaimed pontifical narcissists [I also admit this sometimes], I’d like to correct this statement and offer this phrase instead: bloggers in possession of some narcissistic traits. There, that’s better.
YOU the blogger might not be aware, but being a narcissist does not only mean having the disease of excessive love and admiration of oneself. Thing is, on top of the medical explanation list, it says that narcissism means being a pathological liar.
*eyebrows raised*
Now, now… that can’t be true unless all the posts in your and my blog are invented lies, right? So shall we then say that we will safely settle with the possession of some narcissistic traits rather than being an outright narcissist?
Bloggers love to write
Blogs indeed have turned the media and publishing world into a 360-degrees turnabout. Everyone can now write as they please without shoving those language and writing certificates or the most coveted journalism diploma at the throats of publishers. With technology, its easy as 123, you can write and publish yourself, yes in a click! Wow, this is the best invention since the invasion of instant noodles! Woohoo!
And many a times too, I hear bloggers say that writing is therapeutic. It is actually. My own experience tells me the same thing. My head can be so busy and bursting with mental activities, all at the same time. To let these out, I must write.
But being a part time blog voyeur, I also learned to become a no-thank-you critic. Not my fault really when we are bombarded with blog pages of wrong grammar and boondocks spelling. And all the while I thought that MS Word has been finally discovered to perform automatic spell and grammar check... I was wrong. Well this too, my favorite, the wannabe attempts at sense of humor and grandiose entertainment. What about those blogs with colorful rainbowish and infinitesimal fonts, complete with mushy cliched music and the next thing you know, you find yourself cursing heavily because you can’t seem to turn the damn music off?
ARGH! I’m getting a severe headache now! But hey, it’s everyone’s right to write, to blog, so I better shut up my keyboard.
Bloggers are opinionated
I call this intellectual masturbation. Telling the world though of how your day went, what you ate for lunch and gossiping about someone in your blog does not count.
My definition of being opinionated means you have an opinion of something, which more often than not is a result of having sound knowledge on a certain intelligent topic. To me, they do not matter if these are good, bad, wrong or right opinions. The mere fact that you gave an opinion about an intelligent subject is the point.
The issue here would be: What is the definition of intelligence? The answer is quite subjective since it depends on the reader’s intelligence as measured by his or her mental prowess, capacity and most importantly, I believe is often times neglected by many, the way a person responds when his or her opinion is criticized.
Which is why I have convinced myself that this blog is mine, mine and mine alone. The only opinion that matters in this blog is MINE. Notice the comments are off? I’m selfish but other than that, I can’t handle paparazzi!
Bloggers are exhibitionists
Oh la la… the Lady Godiva syndrome minus the nudity.
Like having narcissistic traits, all bloggers who frequently update their blogs, enlist themselves in blog directories, fill in comment boxes with their blog links, allows their blog friends to link them back and moreover, those that are not only satisfied with ego and intellectual masturbation, as evidenced on how they push the meter of entertainment up on a higher notch by posting pictures of themselves, are definitely, 101% exhibitionists.
Admit it, do not be shy, YOU love attention! But hush don’t worry, I too, and well, the rest of us in this somewhat crazy cyber blogging world.
This in fact should be the first acceptance code of a blogger.
Bloggers like to show off
I’ve classified this apart from exhibitionism. Why? Well read below.
Clearly, there are some bloggers out there with premeditated motives of exhibiting their wares, good lucks and achievements, in the guise of intentionally making their targeted audience bite their teeth in absolute envy and jealousy. A closer look can prove history of hostilities in the parties involved. What’s interesting is, when this targeted audience returns the deed of... also parading off their assets and heavenly graces in their sites. Hmm, well... well...
Like nature’s evolution cycle of symbiosis, I feed you [with fire], you feed me [with fire], thus all these blog war shenanigans. I have not even talked yet about the parasites that benefits from these and and the troll effects!
Aw, such amusement. That’s why I love the lurking game. I admit… I’m such a snoop. Luckily it’s not a crime.
Bloggers like to share their knowledge/hobby
Now what can I say? Some bloggers do have great intentions but I bet that they, as human as they are, also suffer from a few of the reasons explained in this entry, perhaps covertly. No one is perfect.
Examples of these pedagogic sharing your knowledge and hobby themes are gastronomy blogs, which I sometimes am fond of checking out, especially if they talk of interesting things other than the recipe.
I love a food blog that talks about cuisine history and incidentals related to the food topic. It makes food blogging real fascinating, able to leap beyond what our palates and stomachs dictate.
Bloggers blog to communicate with friends and family
The biggest chunk of a reason people would like to believe they started a blog is they use it as a communication tool for their select friends and family, well yeah right… until such that their cursors and keyboards gave roots and bonded with narcissism and exhibitionism.
This is on the record a great example of sheer BS, especially if the blog site has enjoyed an increase amount of visitor traffic. Let’s have some perspective shall we? Let’s not kid ourselves. Let’s get real.
Having said that, I am leaning on a percentage of 10% to 20% of bloggers out there, who by the way blog in private, as against to the majority BS claiming they did it for friends and family.
It’s the millennium age bloggers. No one is really that naïve.
Bloggers seek friendships
I would not be surprised if as a blogger, you suddenly wake up one day and found out that most of your current friends you mingle with, you met through blogging. That speaks volumes. Plus the way to distinguish how hook, line and sinker you are caught with this blogging conspiracy, would be to look into the number of personal blog links you have in your own site and the number of comments you leave on your blog friend’s pages, acquaintances or just blog hopped blogs each day.
The borderline between the surreal floating world of the internet and the matrix of reality has become so thin. Ah, how profound. Who would expect?
Words of caution: Be careful of quantity. Mass production usually means lack of quality.
Bloggers want to belong to a community
Like the above, some bloggers indeed have a much greater need to belong, although others I believe use it as a tactic to network for personal or business gain. Nothing wrong with that anyway!
Funnily though, this reminds me of my high school and university days. Instead of blogs, we had the slum book participation, and instead of blog communities, we previously had exclusive girl or boy groups, later, the sororities and fraternities. Yeah we all go through this. Even the geeks have their own troupe, although the unsung loners and individualists are probably left behind in the scene, not that it mattered to them anyway.
I guess, we never graduate from this type of shindig after all...
Bloggers want to prove something
Such as some bloggers start a blog to purposely satirize or commend another blog, or a person, hmm could be a celebrity. For all I know, there are so many Britney Spears bashers out there! Or wait, it could also be a product, or an online or offline community… whatever.
The blog’s aim is suppose to prove something else other than the visible otherwise. I once had a stalker who made a special blog about me but sadly it went unattended because I totally ignored it. Damnit, I could have been a celebrity now! *regrets deeply*
Q: Is this is a genius work of art? A: I don’t know.
Q: What about a good strategy? A: I have no clue!
But… if the blog has some wit and sense of humor, I will read. Hey, I am an advocator of freedom of speech --responsibly.
You see, internet privacy laws are still on its premature stage, for some countries they are still in immaculate conception. Though each state, country, united community jurisdiction laws [such as the EU for example] can anytime overrule local and international claims and everything else down under the ladder, still, we have to bear in mind that the rise of technology in our generation is unprecedented. The legal world does not really have utter control of it, even if they wanted to.
We do not have a single cohesive international law of privacy for all countries to fall back on. Big brother is even guilty for spying on us citizens. It simply spells: C-O-M-P-L-I-C-A-T-E-D. And if someone pushes it, you are just wasting money to feed your wounded ego.
Let’s use our brains. Let’s be above reproach. Let’s take everything negative in stride with a laugh and a grain of salt. Shall we, OK?
Bloggers want to earn money
There has been so much talk about earning through blogging but I simply believe in this equation of, out of the 100% wannabe professional bloggers, only 2% are earning decently enabling them to pay their mortgage, health insurance, utilities, and other life’s expenses.
In fact blogging reminds me of multi-level networking, the top earns the most while the lowest bottom of the pyramid earns peanuts.
Anyway, as an experiment I have launched some ads in this blog… just to see how far this will lead me to.
I also believe that many are taking on towards the road of pro blogging by writing free lance in some blog communities. Great move and more power to them!!!
Well here is a story….
Last night, Dutchman and I were having dinner in this really cozy restaurant by the Oudegracht. Beside us were 3 guys talking about building websites and blogging. Hearing the word, BLOG just can’t be missed! Thus, like the nosy individuals we were, we quickly polished our radar antenna systems so we can eavesdrop in their conversation.
One guy said, “I’ve only earned US$ 17.00 for a year from this ad placement in my site. It’s not even enough to pay for my € 100-something yearly hosting.”
Oh well, well, there you go, the facts of blogging.
Lastly, my UNSOLICITED ADVICE…
If people are talking about YOU [yes you blogger], positive or negative, then hey, go celebrate. Someone actually thinks you are worth the time to talk and write about! Wow damn, you actually matter, LOL. Think about that.
In marketing, the specialists and analysts always say, bad publicity is always good publicity.
Therefore, rather than resorting to, a. the Joan of Arc-Gabriela Silang’s I must defend and explain myself b. I am a victim thus the emotional blackmail outbursts, stunts included c. the childish banters as evidenced by vindictive counter attack posts and d. rallying your own clique n’ clan, all because your ego was molested... well, here goes my unsolicited advice...
Responding to this type of harassment in a rather personal way, take note with emotions at play, can result to clouded judgments, which in my opinion, we as being respected bloggers that we all think we are, should have espoused a different attitude such as seeing the challenge in a larger perspective of things, far and beyond the petty situation at hand.
Quite sad, but not many are able to rise above this test.
The crux of the matter, which I strongly believe should serve as TERMS & CONDITIONS for every active blogger:
Face the consequences of public life criticism [yeah blogging is public life, unless you elect to make it private then go create a new one and make sure nobody knows okay] and quit the pity party, defensiveness and counter attacks. Grow some thick hide, call yourself higher, be a professional, be above reproach and learn to mechanize your personal ignore button.
These are the facts of blog life: Thinking people know who to respect and when to respect someone. So if you as a blogger aim to have this target set of an audience, then you better regroup yourself.
We all can grow up to be 70 but wisdom is another thing.
