One Blog and its readers

What is a blog for? Now that’s a neverending question that many people have tried to answer which, to be honest, can never be answered. Let’s try another… What is this blog for? Ah, now that I can answer. In a self-centred sort of way, this blog is for me. It seems selfish, but it’s true. At its basic level this blog is my workspace on the web – wherever I am in the world I can log on and quickly catch up with my friends, my most-read blogs and useful sites (hence the blogroll and site-seeing lists over there on the right). What are the posts for? Some posts are here to let friends and relatives know what I’m up to. Others are here to exhibit some of the photography work I do. Some are here as a sort of journal – a way of keeping things for posterity. At its crudest, the blog is here to attract traffic to my site, raising its profile and therefore my own. Last, and lowest on the purpose list, it’s here to entertain others (sorry readers, it’s harsh but true).

Blogs have all sorts of purposes. Some are for marketing purposes, some are a sideline of their jounalism (click here, or here). This one is here simply for me to write something. Afterall, I spent 3 years at University learning how to research and write intelligently. I then spent a year learning how to read, research, analyse and formulate my own thoughts in lucid writing with an extended vocabulary. I didn’t want to lose those skills that earnt me ‘firsts’. It just so happens that it’s the trendy thing to do at the moment – the must-have fashion accessory for any website.

It’s come to my attention that there are actually a number of people reading this blog. It’s not an easy blog to find – I don’t promote it as that’s not its point. It has very few links to it (every link I’ve ever placed to the site goes to the main site, not the blog). Therefore, if you’re reading this – remember you have chosen to read it, I’ve not pushed it in your face shouting, ‘Look! Look! Aren’t I great!’.

That said, I think my readers fall into one of these categories:

Close friends and relatives: “Hello”. You’re here to find out what I’m up to or how I’m feeling. Why haven’t you sent me an email? (Apologies if you have, I promise to get back to you within 12 months – I’m bad at replying to emails).

Prospective Employers/Colleagues: “Good Morning/Afternoon”. Please remember that this blog comes with the following disclaimer: “This blog does not convey or reflect the thoughts of my employers, family, friends, string quartet or colleagues – sometimes not even my own. It is a work of fiction to be read as such”.

Genuine readers who have stumbled upon the blog: “Halo, Bonjour, Shalom, Welcome”. I hope you’ve found the site interesting/relevant/useful/amusing. If so drop me a line.

Spammers and Lurkers: I know it’s bad ettiquette to berate your readers, but if you’re here for detrimental purposes please do everyone a favour – move on, step aside, there’s nothing to see here. If you’re here to leave comment spam, save us all time and go away. If you’re here to read this and make yourself feel better about yourself in relation to my own situation, move on. Stand up. Walk away from the computer. Go outside. Live. Find Friends. Find Love. Travel the world and see there’s life away from the small community you’re currently in. Be like everyone else – aware of your own insignificance in the big wide world. Bye.
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