Shostack + Friends Blog Archive

Why I Blog

Inspired in part by Daniel Solove’s “How Blogging Changed My Life,” in part by a number of emails I’ve just sent saying “Sorry, I’ve been heads down with product release,” and the contrasting reality that I’ve found energy to write twelve blog posts in that time, I thought I’d talk about the muses.

I started blogging to get a better understanding of blogging. There are a great many things in life which are better understood by doing, rather than reading or talking. As those bloggers who are bitten by the bug will all tell you, it quickly becomes a form of release.

I try to blog about things I find interesting and worth sharing, and which are interesting enough to form an opinion, a quip, or a rant. Now and then I consider the linkability of a post. Will other people pick up on this? Is it exciting? I’m really bad at those predictions. I do try not to blog things everyone else has already blogged, unless I have something to add to it.

I blog because Choicepoint exists. Choicepoint has become the doubled bane of my existence. First, for who they are, and how they invade my privacy. Second, for their story grabbing ahold of me and not letting go. Having taken hold, I feel compelled to blog about them when I see interesting things. And people send me interesting things, damn you. Please don’t stop. No, the tripled bane, because from Choicepoint has begat a whole breach category of posts. From which I get great search-foo and random visitors. (Personal to AT: Ok, quadrupled, and I’d apologize in public, except I promised not to.) For Choicepoint, I use Technorati and Google Alerts, because as Solove says, the blog is a hungry monster, and they provide rich fodder.

I often blog to clear my head. Bringing up NetNewswire and skimming through the blogosphere distracts me from other things, and gives me a chance to focus on something else for a few minutes.

I also blog things that I once would have turned into an article or talk. Much of what I find interesting simply doesn’t warrant a 10 page article. So why pump it up to that? This relates, I think to Solove’s comment that he blogs differently than his academic writing. I’ve commented in the past about the academic style of writing. We have strictly limited interest in this endeavor, as the reward structures associated with academia become less relevant to this author.

But really, even when I wasn’t posting, I was composing blog posts. So at the end of the day, I blog because I enjoy it, and hope you enjoy reading.

Originally published by adam on 20 Jun 2005
Last modified on 20 Jun 2005
Categories:   Uncategorized