Why I Dislike Blogs

Ever since elementary school, I’ve considered myself a writer. For a person who thinks a lot but doesn’t talk much, writing has always been a way for my thoughts to mean something. It has always been a dream of mine to be published, but I never discipline myself enough to complete a project for publication. When I first learned about blogs, they sounded like a perfect outlet for an aspiring writer. People could see my work, without my having to go through a publisher! I could get immediate feedback, modify a few things, and build up a repertoire of articles that I could be proud of, even if they were never published. Or, I could use the exercise to complete articles that I could send off to a publisher.

I soon found that for a serious writer, blog-writing can be intimidating. A blog sometimes feels like a place to write out one’s diary, which contains our most personal thoughts and feelings. The question is, do I want people to read my diary? Don’t worry—my diary would no longer contain gushy longings for a boyfriend or sappy song lyrics. But we should always think before we speak, and the same is true for writing. Sometimes the subjects I think about might not be appreciated or understood by others. Sometimes I might say my thoughts in the wrong way, or change my mind about something later. Sometimes I might be too harsh in criticism of what I perceive as an injustice, but over time my beliefs become more balanced, and perhaps more accurate. Maybe I don’t want to set my thoughts into the stone of the online written word.

Another thing I don’t like about blogs is that they seem to be so haphazard. Many blog writers do a good job of collecting their thoughts, using correct grammar and spelling, and displaying clear points. But others throw up such a ridiculous assortment of bad spelling and random words that they ought to be embarrassed. Can’t they at least read their blog one time through before they post it? As I write a blog, I’d like it to be my best work. That’s the main reason I haven’t written a blog yet—I can never find time to do a really good job on my writing—not only with grammar and spelling, but also with the process of choosing the right words and laying out the ideas in a logical fashion. But if I wait for perfection, I’ll never get it done. So I’ll attempt to write my blog entries in a semi-correct fashion.

 When people read online, they like to read quickly. Unlike with reading a book, when reading online we have a tendency to skip and skim and not pay attention very closely to what we read. It seems that we are always in a hurry online—ready to click on the next link and not take the time to read slowly, think, and digest what we read. I tend to be verbose when I write, as you may have seen from some of my Facebook posts. I know that if I write too much, people won’t read it. But sometimes I have a lot to say, and I want to explain the whole idea in one sitting. I know that few people would be interested in my blog, but I’m going to go ahead and do it. I doubt I would get much of a following, but this is for me and for my family, and if a few stragglers are interested in what I have to say, great. Facebook statuses just aren’t enough for me to be able to express what I want to say, so this blog will be a chance for me to be a little long-winded when I want to. Read on, if you like!