I’ve always seen blogs as a rather vain excercise. In publishing what one has to say is the assumption that someone actually cares what you have to say. Sure, your friends might be interested, or people you know. To assume that someone out there, who’s never met you, is interested in your point of view strikes me as a little conceited.
"But Al, why, if you usually take such a dim view of blogging, did you decide to start your own blog?", I don’t hear you ask (remember, even if someone were foolish enough to be interested, this is my first post, so nobody knows I’m here). Well, partly because some other people I know were doing it, and I felt like joining the craze (how pathetic is that?). And partly because I felt like being self-indulgent and vain for a change. Why shouldn’t I pretend, just for a moment, that someone out there is interested in what I did today, or what I think, or how I’m feeling at the moment? Even if I only believe it for a second, that’s a second for which I feel pretty damn good about myself.
So what am I actually going to use this blog thing for, anyway? In all honesty, I haven’t a clue. I started this thing on a whim, and I haven’t really thought it through yet. I may write insightful and edifying (*cough*bollocks*cough*) editorials on world events. I may write some eloquent musings on whatever is on my mind at the time. I may keep a dull and uninspiring account of what is going on in my life. I may follow the trend over on LiveJournal (and yes, I know there are exceptions), and post moronic self-absorbed drivel about how nobody understands me and I’m really lonely and depressed. I may even lose interest and never post again.
But what the hell, there’s so much crap out there on the ‘net these days, a little more can’t hurt, right?
After having read it for a few months, I say your blog is worth reading, even though we’ve never met in person.