JP, over at Confused of Calcutta puts down a few thoughts about blogging, teaching and learning that are well worth the read, as is usual with him.
Most of the times that I do blog (although I admit that it’s become quite a rare occasion these days), I do it pretty much with the one simple reason, the one that I suppose the whole meaning of web log takes up on. I mean, it’s usually late, I’m pretty much slipping out of my computer desk’s chair (the good ole’ faithful recliner that’s been in commission since longer than I can remember) in sleep when I usually put down my ranty, long, admittedly difficult to read pieces simply because I have to get it out of me.
Sometimes the thoughts just need to get out, you know?
At other times, it’s because you’ve got something to say to the people who come looking for you on the web. Something along the lines of “I thought of that too!” Or perhaps you want to post that mystical, all-important question along the lines of “What’s the meaning of it all?” but need to do it in your own way, perhaps in a way that puts down your own twist to the whole sordid mess we euphemistically call Life.
Sometimes, in moments of rare insight and perhaps some amount of clarity, when you can sufficiently organize a bunch of thoughts that somehow relate together in the weird, jumbled up micro-world which revolves around seemingly the same sets of questions and answers, that we call a mind, bloggers like me have the unique (if slightly disturbing) opportunity to put it all down, quotes, questions and exclamations notwithstanding, into the open journal they maintain that they call a blog.
Put it down to be read by their often unwary, unassuming visitors. Where it might ignite a spark, a ray of hope or even a furious debate.
Or even cause the said unwary reader to learn a few things, if not by actual tacit cajoling, then by slapping them around with the prodigal (and oft proverbial – at least of the chatrooms that I used to lurk in) trout.
And if the reader takes the moment to contribute in the discussion that the blog has become then so much the better, because like JP says, the teacher likes to learn too.
And take it from me, and I’ve said this earlier, the true blogger is in it not for the money (payperpost and others would seem to disagree), not for the fame (A-List … Bloggers ?!?), not for the audience, not for even the notoriety (read: fame) itself, but purely because they need to get their stuff out of their minds.
At the risk of repeatedly sounding one-offish, (selfish even?) I say again, I’m doing this, for me.