It has been nearly three years since I began this blog. This is my 191st entry in 35 months, meaning that, from the beginning, I have averaged a little over five blogs a month (≈1/wk). My output has gone down some from year one. My goal this year and beyond is to level off at about one entry per week. With my anemic start this year, I'm going to have to step it up a bit, just to meet this goal.
One question that I have thought about (and I'm sure I'm not alone as a blogger in asking this), "Now that Facebook has become such a universal phenomenon, what role does a blog serve that social networking doesn't presently serve?" To me, this is a valid question, but I think there is an obvious answer. And it has to do with the intended permanence of each entry. Facebook is a place for spontaneous expression of feelings and thoughts (perhaps like a fleeting telephone conversation), whereas, a blog entry is generally much more thought out (like a carefully drafted letter to a friend you haven't written to in some time).
I believe my blogs have inevitably given some insight into my life and interests. This may be largely beneficial only to my own posterity, but that is as it should be. Occasionally, it has been self instructive. For example, I was taken aback by revisiting my 5 Jan 2009, "50 things I would like to do" entry. I quickly realized that, even if I only accomplished 1/10 of what is on this list, I would be doing well.
It's interesting to me that my work-related blog entries have come in handy on several occasions. For example, the freeze we had a year ago was rather harsh, and now there is some evidence that the severe winter we had one year ago may have had a greater adverse impact on USDA-bred sugarcane varieties as a whole, than on LSU-bred varieties (that must pass through early selection stages in a more northerly environment). To illustrate the severity of the freezing conditions a year ago, I have referred back to the graph I put together for the 12 Jan 2010 (Freezing on the Bayou) entry. Being in the blogosphere, the graph is readily available, even when I am away from my own personal computer.
I anticipate using my blog more for documentation purposes in the future. Certainly, my previous blog to this one, dated 8 Jan 2011, "Excess sugarcane bagasse -- what to do with it," was done with documentation in mind. I'm not going to be sitting up in the middle of the night, wondering why I am blogging when I am aware that only a tiny handful of people are going to be reading my blogs anyway. I know a few faithful followers, probably mostly family, will keep reading my blogs, and I genuinely do appreciate your responses. Feedback is always welcomed. I will try to keep my blogs varied, and will likely shift them toward being more family oriented in the future.
I wish this had been my first blog of the year, but I can't reverse the order now...so we move forward. If this one seems a bit scatter shot, remember that I am recovering from a pretty severe cold, and my head isn't fully clear yet.
One question that I have thought about (and I'm sure I'm not alone as a blogger in asking this), "Now that Facebook has become such a universal phenomenon, what role does a blog serve that social networking doesn't presently serve?" To me, this is a valid question, but I think there is an obvious answer. And it has to do with the intended permanence of each entry. Facebook is a place for spontaneous expression of feelings and thoughts (perhaps like a fleeting telephone conversation), whereas, a blog entry is generally much more thought out (like a carefully drafted letter to a friend you haven't written to in some time).
I believe my blogs have inevitably given some insight into my life and interests. This may be largely beneficial only to my own posterity, but that is as it should be. Occasionally, it has been self instructive. For example, I was taken aback by revisiting my 5 Jan 2009, "50 things I would like to do" entry. I quickly realized that, even if I only accomplished 1/10 of what is on this list, I would be doing well.
It's interesting to me that my work-related blog entries have come in handy on several occasions. For example, the freeze we had a year ago was rather harsh, and now there is some evidence that the severe winter we had one year ago may have had a greater adverse impact on USDA-bred sugarcane varieties as a whole, than on LSU-bred varieties (that must pass through early selection stages in a more northerly environment). To illustrate the severity of the freezing conditions a year ago, I have referred back to the graph I put together for the 12 Jan 2010 (Freezing on the Bayou) entry. Being in the blogosphere, the graph is readily available, even when I am away from my own personal computer.
I anticipate using my blog more for documentation purposes in the future. Certainly, my previous blog to this one, dated 8 Jan 2011, "Excess sugarcane bagasse -- what to do with it," was done with documentation in mind. I'm not going to be sitting up in the middle of the night, wondering why I am blogging when I am aware that only a tiny handful of people are going to be reading my blogs anyway. I know a few faithful followers, probably mostly family, will keep reading my blogs, and I genuinely do appreciate your responses. Feedback is always welcomed. I will try to keep my blogs varied, and will likely shift them toward being more family oriented in the future.
I wish this had been my first blog of the year, but I can't reverse the order now...so we move forward. If this one seems a bit scatter shot, remember that I am recovering from a pretty severe cold, and my head isn't fully clear yet.
2 comments:
I think that's a great goal. A friend of mine just started a blog for similar reasons - if others want to read it, great; otherwise, it's still a good journal for herself.
I've been meaning to look up a way to backup a blog so you can save all your posts and keep them on a hard drive. I will let you know what I find out!
Thanks, Lori
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