Why Blog?

This is my first post on Blogger. I have had other blogs, for various reasons, but being a recent Google convert, I decided to hop myself on over to Blogger as well. But I started thinking: why do people blog at all?


Of those that blog, people usually fall into one of a few categories. For simplicity's sake, we'll classify them as Reporters, Prostitutes, and Worshippers.

The Reporters

Reporters blog for one chief reason: to tell their audience about the world as they see it. Often rallying around a cause, they will post numerous pictures and write detailed accounts of their experiences and opinions. They feel that their opinion matters, but more importantly their cause matters. Unfourtunately, the only people who like to read these blogs are those who already support their cause or know them personally. To everyone else, it's just additional spittle in the rain of the world speech. It's too bad, really, because their cause is sometimes noble and valiant, worthy of recognition of the individual's involvement. But whether it has a virtuous sheen or not, it should be noted that these people feel their cause is important, and thus, they blog.

The Prostitutes

Prostitutes suffer from a common delusion. When I was younger, I used to make it my goal to sneak peeks into people's journals. I figured that if they were going to write their innermost thoughts down, then leave those thoughts in a book lying on their bed in their room, they actually wanted me to read it. As I became a man, I learned that these thoughts were written down for them to read themselves. So it would be wrong of me to read them because I am violating their privacy. Fair enough.

These blogging Prostitutes, however, write journals that are flagrantly personal and public, lying their innermost parts prostrate for the world to gaze on. They tear off their outermost garments of emotion and expose their private thoughts so the world knows what they are like underneath. Then, when you actually respond to their exposure, they react painfully like they have been violated. Well, as the monkey once said to the banana, "If you didn't want me to eat you, you should never have taken your skin off. It's much harder to eat you with your skin on."

But why? Why do decent people of various ages expose themselves like this? I can only think that they are trying to fulfill a basic human need: to be seen and heard. We have been taught that what is inside of us is special and important, but honestly most people would rather watch the news than hear about your thoughts and feelings. So in exposing their innards, blogger Prostitutes open themselves up and hope that someone cares about them enough to read and understand them.

The Worshippers

Worshippers center around a thing, an idea. They are like Reporters, but rather than discussing a cause, they pay homage to an object or idea. Porsche blogs, baby blogs, Apple-is-great blogs, and others like them call upon all readers to see how great and amazing their idol is, and may death and dismay fall upon anyone who dares to disagree. They have no interest in unbiased reporting, not even attempting to show truth as the Reporter would. Their only goal is to bring all others to worship the same icon of beauty and perfection that the blogger cherishes. These are incredibly boring and useless...unless, of course, you agree and follow in their idolatry.

So, what kind of blogger are you?