What do you blog about?

[Nightdrift]

For those of you who enjoy blogging, whether on a personal site or a blogging platform: what do you like to write about? Is it a stream of consciousness, done when the whim strikes, or something you try to keep on a vague schedule? Is it an exercise of getting thoughts off your chest, like a personal journal? Do you like to review or write about media you've watched/read/heard lately? Are your blog entries more project-driven?

There are countless ways to blog -- what do you enjoy? Are there aspects of blogging you don't like as much?

[Melooon]

Blogging is HARD! I like the idea of blogging, but the reality does not work out for me

I tend to try and write a blog entry when I have some big idea that I want to get across to people. The issue with that is I cant write about it until I feel its fully formed in my mind (that can take months). Then the problem is that once you start to write you realize the idea is a lot less formed than you thought!

I love the idea of being able to do quick blog posts about what I'm thinking on a particular day, but that's just not how I express myself, I like to stay quiet until I understand myself.
THEN after all that, in 6 months I read what I wrote and I hate it because Iv moved on and don't think that way anymore! I don't like the feeling on exposure, even though I do like sharing my ideas. If I could find a way to change Id love to know how!

Do you blog night? If so where and how do you do it?

[Nightdrift]

Blogging is HARD! I like the idea of blogging, but the reality does not work out for me [...]I don't like the feeling on exposure, even though I do like sharing my ideas. If I could find a way to change Id love to know how!

<sup>Hahahaha, I gotta be honest, I half wrote this question hoping to source ideas from other people as well, so you got me there :omg:k:
I appreciate your perspective though; I have many similar thoughts on this, which I'll try to keep somewhat condensed (lol).

It's crazy how something as innocuous as a blogging can be incredibly hard -- fun, but hard, because I think it's a very unique and strange medium. Whereas a physical journal is often private, online blogs are typically created with the intent that they are public...which adds a new dimension to how we can approach it.

I started writing a pros-and-cons list to help work through some of my thoughts about why i think blogging is cool...but it turns out, I think most of the pros and the cons are one in the same.
- You can write about whatever you want (the potential is honestly kind of paralyzing)
- You never know who is going to read it, or if anyone is going to read it at all.
- It can be therapeutic, or it can just feel a little futile.
- If it is a personal blog, it may not be very consistent in regards to a theme, and that can be a little awkward to look back on. It is interesting to have a record of my personal thoughts, but sometimes it can just be very embarassing?! (It's worse yet when you do it on a platform where your words can be reshared/can't be as easily controlled)
- On the personal web, or smaller platforms, I think people tend to be more cognizant about recognizing there is someone else behind the computer, so I think it does allow for you to be more free and honest. Environment and platform really affect how honestly you can express yourself.</sup>

Do you blog night? If so where and how do you do it?

<sup>Yeah! I guess I dabbled in "traditional" blogging (where traditional means periodic sharing of thoughts, etc) as a kid, at first on free sites like Blogger or Wordpress -- but always very on-and-off (maybe I can find one of my old blog posts someday LOL). This officially came to a halt when I focused more on having a social media presence. Since disconnecting from social media and finding most major blogging platforms to not be very customizable, I have been trying a different approach with blogging on my personal sites. I have also been trying to make separate sites for separate things, which has been helpful with regards to setting a certain tone/having a purpose for each thing. It might be a bit more to curate/manage down the line -- we'll see. So far most of my personal notes, incomplete sketches, or random stuff goes on my more "for fun" personal site, and I am also trying out Dreamwidth for more project development based things, that way it is easier for me to look back on certain projects via their tags. I've liked what I've seen so far because you do have more control of what you post, and who can see or comment on it, which is neat.

On that note, I also don't...do a good job about writing what I am thinking or feeling on a day to day basis, but I really enjoy writing about my projects, what I want to work on, or what I've been trying to do -- even if it's kind of half-@$$ed as far as an update goes. I think it's more about accountability, I tend to have a lot of ideas and I also tend to forget about a lot of them because I don't write them down, or I throw the paper away like a clown. But in having a dev log specifically, it is a nice reminder of what I am thinking about, and to have a paper trail, even if it is sometimes vague. It's kind of like having an online studio -- other people can visit it, including myself, rather than just having some sort of sad, uninspiring document collecting dust in my computer. And of course, I can decorate it as I please, which...quite vainly, I think is often important for my excitement to work on things (I guess it's sort of like keeping a clean desk, something I actually am quite bad at, maybe that's why having very customized online spaces is so appealing to me.) On the topic of sharing one's creative personal process online, this does also lead to something I think a lot about, which is: to comment, or not to comment? For me, when documenting my creative process, I think it is also important to have the ability to decide when I do or do not want comments on what I am sharing, because I am making or trying something for myself, and it is important that I own or internalize it without having unnecessary influences affect one's thinking. Sure, it's a "public space", but it's also my tiny corner of the internet, and I think there is something to be said about choosing how people can interact with your thought process, if you invite them into your space. People have a lot of things to say, and sometimes it is not helpful (just as there are sometimes people who do have genuinely helpful feedback, life is truly a box of chocolates...)

That said, the nature of commenting on blogs as a "public" space vs a "private journal" can be pretty nebulous -- we are all mostly strangers online, with different levels of comfort and boundaries, so what does the etiquette of writing a response to someone's personal blog look like? Just because I have read your blog does not necessarily mean I know who you truly are at heart. It is a weird thing to bare a lot of yourself but know that there are parts of you that are just as unknown to those who might be looking at your work or words. That's why I like forums a lot. It's a dedicated online space to have timely conversations, start to know people a little more dimensionally, and invite interaction with your words, thoughts, or work. A blog can really just be a place to write for yourself, even if it is publicly visible, which is why I do think it's nice to be able to choose when or when you don't want that interaction by either disabling comments, or not having a comments box at all.

ENORMOUS tangent aside: because writing can be hard, I enjoy utilizing lots of pictures, or sharing other people's work. A picture already says a lot, so I can usually just say "well, I was happy when I drew this" or "I like this person's work because of x, y, and z" and leave it at that. In this regard, I think a photo blog could be a lot of fun, although that does lead to some questions about privacy. I think it works for some people who are less paranoid.

That's all the thoughts I have for now. I think blogging is a pretty complicated topic! I have started and stopped so many blogs, I'll be amazed if I can ever keep one consistently. It would be great to pick someone's brain who has successfully blogged consistently (without overthinking it into the dirt XD).

Have you mostly stuck with using your main site for blogging, or have you tried out other mediums and decided they were or weren't for you? Would you ever consider creating a development blog for some of your ideas, or do you prefer to keep those things a bit closer to the chest until they're ready to bloom? (On that thought, maybe your forum section kind of already acts as a "development blog" without the pressure of having it be on a space on one's site.)</sup>

[Melooon]

So on the subject of using forums as development blogs. When I setup this forum I did have that in mind as something it would be good for; HOWEVER, Iv found it really does not work very well. The format does not feel very natural because your posts get lost between peoples feedback; or if your just editing the main post, there is no notification system to let people know you've made new edits. Forums are great as a discussion platform but they don't make a great blogging platform. I think a forum post works best when you make it about a particular aspect of your project that you want to get some feedback on.

I had a few blog type things over the years, I used Tumblr for a bit, I had a Blogger site back in the day. I have the lil blog on my main site now. The issue with pure HTML blogging is that its major friction. First you have to write the blog post in word, then make a html page, then format it, copying over all the paragraphs into p tags and b tags and uploading images etc etc. I'm sure there are better ways of doing it, but Iv not found them yet! On top of that pure HTML blogs miss out on easy features like tagging which I think is actually a very important part of a blog, particularly if it covers many topics.

It's kind of like having an online studio -- other people can visit it, including myself, rather than just having some sort of sad, uninspiring document collecting dust in my computer.

This gives me an idea; I don't have many documents on my computer, but I do write a lot of ideas on paper. Perhaps just scanning those documents and posting them would be a valid form of blogging for me! (If people can get past the lack of spellcheck on paper :grin:smile:

I think the key things might be finding a platform you're happy with that really is low friction to make posts is the first step, then just forcing yourself to make lots of posts and not worry about them is the next. Letting go of worry and preconceptions is how I started to enjoy web design, so Id say the same is true of writing blogs.

[Nightdrift]

The issue with pure HTML blogging is that its major friction. First you have to write the blog post in word, then make a html page, then format it, copying over all the paragraphs into p tags and b tags and uploading images etc etc. I'm sure there are better ways of doing it, but Iv not found them yet! On top of that pure HTML blogs miss out on easy features like tagging which I think is actually a very important part of a blog, particularly if it covers many topics.
[...]
I think the key things might be finding a platform you're happy with that really is low friction to make posts is the first step, then just forcing yourself to make lots of posts and not worry about them is the next. Letting go of worry and preconceptions is how I started to enjoy web design, so Id say the same is true of writing blogs.

Level of friction is a good point, the additional layer of formatting in HTML has been a minor pain for blogging in Neocities. : P
It's one of my hopes to try find and implement a better blogging solution on my site; if anyone has any favorite methodologies or sites, definitely give a shout. Otherwise, once I've got some proper time to do some searching, I'll see if I can't report back with some findings...or maybe just examples of blogs that were well organized, I know I've seen a lot of very cool and well-formatted blogs here and there.

It's kind of like having an online studio -- other people can visit it, including myself, rather than just having some sort of sad, uninspiring document collecting dust in my computer.

This gives me an idea; I don't have many documents on my computer, but I do write a lot of ideas on paper. Perhaps just scanning those documents and posting them would be a valid form of blogging for me! (If people can get past the lack of spellcheck on paper :grin:smile:

I think that's a really neat idea actually -- as you said, whatever makes the process more enjoyable/more frictionless! The notes in Ozwomps Voyage were fun to look at.

[fLaMEd]

The issue with pure HTML blogging is that its major friction. First you have to write the blog post in word, then make a html page, then format it, copying over all the paragraphs into p tags and b tags and uploading images etc etc. I'm sure there are better ways of doing it, but Iv not found them yet! On top of that pure HTML blogs miss out on easy features like tagging which I think is actually a very important part of a blog, particularly if it covers many topics.

My happy place has been writing in markdown and running a script that converts into HTML

[m15o]

I love writing. It's a great way to structure thoughts. It's also a little like a therapy in a way, we get to materialize our thoughts and put them somewhere. It's an exercise that makes us more connected with what we feel, and let us put words on our emotions. I really got into writing a few years ago. And even though I don't do it as much as I used to, it's always very enjoyable to do.

I write mostly everything on https://miso.town. Everything is mostly unstructured/stream of consciousness. I try not to overly edit posts and I'm generally okay to post unfinished or half-baked posts. To me writing is more of a learning process than a finished product.

My blog is hosted on a tiny blogging platform I created called https://smol.pub, and there's a feed that allows other people to answer to post through their own blogs. It's an interesting, longer-form ping-pong. Since the platform hosts content on gemini as well as the web, I feel like the reach is bigger.

No matter what tool, writing/journaling is a great tool!

[fLaMEd]

For those of you who enjoy blogging, whether on a personal site or a blogging platform: what do you like to write about?

At the moment, my new guides section is what would be considered a modern day blog... I'm intending of using these guides as personal notes, or reference material for myself as I go through and solve a problem or complete a task, and publish them as someone else may find them useful.

A learning in public tool...

In my teenage years I had personal homepages where I documented my days, what I did, how long I had stopped smoking weed for, what music I was listening to, what raves I went to over the weekend.

In my early 20s about what books I read, or what concerts I went to.

Later on when I got into barbecuing with fire, I had a BBQ blog - this was around peak blog monetisation where everyone was starting blogs and quitting their day jobs. I joined a blogging community and then slowly grew tiresome of the practices that seemed to get in the way of the joy of having your own website and sharing your hobbies with the world.

I stopped for a while at that point up until I rebooted flamedfury.com into what you see it as today.

[mary]

i have a hard time differentiating blogging and keeping a diary. usually these things meld together but there are some things in your diary-mind that you obviously dont want shared publicly!! i treated my tumblr like a diary which was fine bc no one irl had it hahaha. i'm going to start up blogging again and i think i'll just make it a personal state of the union luls. not too much about my personal life but still sme anecdotes

[di]

i have a hard time differentiating blogging and keeping a diary. usually these things meld together but there are some things in your diary-mind that you obviously dont want shared publicly!!

I'm the exact same way. The blogs I like usually have a diary-feel to them... but when I post something like that, I worry about who will stumble upon it ... so, I handwrite my crazy personal life in a physical journal, and when I write stuff on my site it's pretty strictly about my site/the internet (for now).

Honestly, the "personal state of the union" idea sounds fun.

Anyone else relate? How do you distinguish your blog from your diary? It sounds easy in theory but I ramble so much (my head is always full of thoughts and stories)

[fLaMEd]

Blogs originated from the term web log, which was most definitely an online diary that most people shared publicly, but usually anonymously.

This is why blogs, in my mind will always refer to personal diary type pages.

It wasn’t until mid 2000s/2010s and monetisation that we saw blogs become what they are today.

Which is sad in a way.

[sadness]

One thing I've been thinking about lately is the concept of 'xanga blogs' and by that, I mean just a blog where you write whatever you're thinking about/feeling/doing/or whatever. I loved browsing Xanga because I'd just end up on someone's blog and have this window directly into their life.

On my site I have a more 'proper' blog which is mostly articles I write that are structured, planned out, and edited pretty heavily.

I'm trying to get into keeping a "xanga type" blog again, mostly as a writing exercise. I've gotten quite the 'stage fright' since my site became semi-popular on Neocities T_T I hate being in the spotlight and drawing attention to myself, but I feel like it's causing me to be more hesitant than I would usually be in putting my thoughts out there.

[Melooon]

I've gotten quite the 'stage fright' since my site became semi-popular on Neocities T_T

Oh I'm sorry to hear that!
I had a similar experience (talked a little about it here) it genuinely almost killed my site and still influences what I do. I think its why an awful lot of the good sites that made it to the front page over the years have gone poof. Most things that go up on MK today have a kind of polish and finish that.. in some ways is the opposite of what I wanted my personal site to be at the start, but I feel like quality is expected; so I get very uncomfortable posting about half finished ideas or notions on there.

Iv actually taken to using m15o's smol.pub site (or at least I keep meaning too) I made a blog on there where I try to just write about random ideas (I guess like what you'd call an xanga blog?). Its not a secret and people are welcome to follow it, but I wont be advertising it on any of my sites anytime soon; at least not until I get into it more regularly and feel more confident about that form of expression.

[fLaMEd]

One thing I've been thinking about lately is the concept of 'xanga blogs' and by that, I mean just a blog where you write whatever you're thinking about/feeling/doing/or whatever. I loved browsing Xanga because I'd just end up on someone's blog and have this window directly into their life.

Wasn't into Xanga blogs, but what you're describing reminds me of sites that we used to have hosted on subdomains of others and sometimes oriented around loose themes.

These would be places where individuals would post the day to day stuff going on, much like what twitter was, except on your own (sub)domain and no character limitations.

layouts were changed often, and everyone linked each other and sometimes guest posted on each others.

We used scripts like phpnews, blooger (before it was what it turned into) moveabletype, greymatter etc!

could be a fun project to spin something up like this again. was a great place to create pages and post under a pseudonym!

[di]

So last time I posted here was in February, and I was still on the fence about launching a blog. I am checking back in to say, I am now the author of one of those diary-like blogs.

Originally it was my plan to just do funny oddball stories from my life as a way to give people a good laugh and maybe understand my personality better. (I hate writing "about mes.":wink:

I basically want to be like, "I can't believe this happened, but this story is too weird to make up."

And that's still my intention, but I've ended up writing about more personal things than I originally planned on, because life ended up being sad, crazy, unbelievable. The stories aren't always funny 100% of the time, but I find it's nice to have a space where I can confidently state, "This is what happened," because when you do that in the real-world, you never know how people will react.

Basically, I feel like I'm leaving artifacts of what it's like to be me.

There is overlap between my private diary and my public blog, but they're certainly distinct. My diary is not nearly as structured, it's handwritten, it's messy. My blog posts are neatly revised. I write them mostly for myself, but I certainly do consider what it may be like for someone to stumble upon them. People are given nicknames, details omitted, etc.

I still ramble, but a solution to rambling without bogging down the main story is sidenotes! I stole the code from Pleurodelinae who in turn stole them from Koos Looijesteijn. I think they're wonderful for any sort of writing on the web.

So to answer Nightdrift's original question: My blog posts, a lot like my diary entries, are done when the whim strikes, but unlike my diary, they are structured and neatened up so that outsiders can probably understand the stories I'm trying to tell.