Influences
Mark has got me thinking again. What do I want my personal website to look like?
When I find interesting things on the web or in email, I like to share them with people I know. I used to send them to chatter, whereas now I mostly post them here. I think that’s a regression; more people read chatter than read my weblog. On the other hand, the sets don’t overlap much; The “right” answer, then, is to do both!
I like the exercise in writing that a weblog gives me. In that context, I don’t really care if people are reading or not; writing my thoughts down allows me to organise them in my brain a bit better. On the other hand, feedback from readers is good, because I sometimes have some pretty whacked out mis-perceptions on the world. So in a choice between private diary and public weblog, I’ll stick with the latter.
Do I care if I’m an A-list blogger? Never. Do I want something interesting for people to find on Google? Yes. Do I care if a potential employer reads this site? Well, yes. Is there a conflict between all of these sentiments? yes :-)
I’m not unhappy with what I’ve got so far. But I’m going to put a little more effort into writing about lighthouses.
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I remember going through the same thought process two years ago, Harald ;-) I concluded that it was better to put stuff on my weblog as long as it wasn’t too personal or not of general interest because that way my friends would have the choice whether or not to read them and I could share stuff with a whole new audience too. Of course the possible whuffie benefits didn’t escape my attention either… ;-)
Given the number of complete ***holes inhabit the inner circle of bloggers known collectively as the “A-list,” you’re probably in better company among the obscurantists. I don’t much see the point in deliberately playing to an audience in this format. If you’re in serious need of affirmation from others, then sure, but other than that…why bother?
A blog like yours makes more sense: write what’s interesting you, or happens to be on your mind, and if some people enjoy that, great. Blogging really ought to be, at least in my mind, a more intimate experience than many make it, a chance to sort of dip into the stream of someone’s consciousness.