the basis for blogging

on monday there was a flotilla of bloggers (not sure of the collective noun) - mark justin michael craig george and karen (erro turned up 20min after the advertised finish time - i don't think that counts as attending. not really). (i think mark has the blog links all set up).

conversation started by thinking about 'why blog?'; it turns out for quite varied reasons.

• some as a postcard to home,
• others don't blog so much as comment,
• some i know use their blog as a prayer letter,
• others are using each post as a chapter for a book or a hoped-for book,
• some want to challenge world-views by being provocative and testing how far they can push the boundaries,
• there are blogs that are a window into a soul - or a magnifying glass, bringing you closer than you ever could be meeting them in person,
• there are comedians,
• agony aunts,
• artists,
• film/art/music critics,

i could go on.

in this 259th post, i wonder why i blog, and i think it's the same as when i began:

writing something down in public place (on a wall, on the internet) is both cathartic and stimulating. as opposed to writing an invariably unpublished letter to a newspaper, or a song that is never sung to anyone, or a play that is never performed (all of which i've done), even if noone ever says anything (comments, scibbles it out, yells at you, doesn't speak to you), at least it's out there. you've said 'this is what i'm thinking about this at this stage of my thought life. i think this is a fair presentation of it. if you want to say anything, please do, but you don't have to.'

i think that's it. but enough about me, why do you think i blog?