Blog Discoveries

            Perhaps it is too early to draw too many conclusions, but I think I can safely make two conclusions (the second more certain than the first) and an observation:
            1.  I really like blogging.  This was something of a surprise to me, for though I think journaling is great (although I do it less than I would like), I wasn’t certain I would like “journaling” in such a public forum.  I guess this is different in many ways than journaling, but at least now, three days into it, I’m hooked.  At the same time, however, I realize that my zeal flows at least in significant part from my second discovery:
            2.  I love getting comments.  I’ll admit, I’ve been a little disappointed that Alaina’s posts have received lots more comments than mine :)  But it just motivates me to try harder :)  But regardless, I like comments.  I’ll also admit that in the time I’ve been reading other people’s blogs, I’ve only left one or two comments.  Realizing how much I like them, and embracing the “do unto others . . .” principle, I am resolved to start leaving comments for other people’s blogs, too (that’s making the assumption that they, too, like comments, but I think it’s a safe assumption if they have enabled comments on their blogs!)
            3.  I think part of the reason I like comments is that it makes blogging a little more interactive.  It’s not just me, sitting and staring at a rapidly-filling computer screen posting entries that people may or may not read, and may or may not like.  Receiving comments a) lets me know people are reading, b) gives me some feedback as to whether they like it, whether they found it amusing (or in Alaina’s case, hilarious), or were enlightened, and c) reminds me that I’m not alone in this new cyber world and that I am actually interacting with live people out there.  Thus, ultimately, I’m more interested in dialogue than I am in agreement, so don’t feel like agreeable comments are the only ones welcomed.  (And to think that originally, as we set up our blog, I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to allow comments at all!!)
            As I think about it, blogging is a combination between journaling and emailing.  It is obviously much more open and public than writing in one’s journal, although for some who are relatively transparent, it becomes close to the latter.  At the same time, it casts a much wider net (no pun originally intended) than does an email to a friend or small group of friends.  But it is the comment feature that really makes a difference and transforms the blog from a near-journal to a near-conversation. 
            So, if you leave a comment to this entry, you’ve contributed to the desired dia-blog (dialogue) and helped make my day!