Q & A -- Blogging

Q: So, I've been keeping up with the blog lately. How's the car doing? You haven't given us any updates.

A: Eh, it's still got a little hitch in its giddy-up, but it's moving me from place to place. It has been a fantastic car to me, particularly considering that it's 13 years old.

Q: Awesome. I've heard that you've been doing a lot of reading about blogging. Tell us what you've learned.

A: I've been subscribing to some blogs about blogging, but I'm done with that. I thought that I'd get some good tips about post format, etc., but these blogs just kept telling me different ways to make money from my blog.

Q: You don't like money?

A: It was very weird to read blogs that talked about how revolutionary blogging is, that it creates a new medium and shakes the greedy, brick-and-mortar corporations to their core--yet these blogs focused on how to create revenue from online activities. It's hard to convince me of the blogging transformation when all you can think about is how to find one more space to advertise a brick-and-mortar product. I just want to update people about the Padgetts and keep my creative juices flowing.

Q: So you didn't get anything from these blogs?

A: Not really, but I have subscribed to Plinky. It's a website that provides a question for each day. I definitely won't write about every question, but it is good fodder to think through for posts. This has probably been the best tool that I've found.

Q: What was today's Plinky prompt?

A: "Name a book that changed your mind or opened your eyes." In college I read Jeremiah Burroughs's The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment for a class. He was a Puritan author, and I was surprised by the tone of the book. People use the word "puritanical" to describe a joyless, rule-driven person. That's not really true to the spirit of Puritanism, and I'm careful about making assumptions about anyone's faith now after reading the book (see also Salvation on Sand Mountain). The book also has rich language and some good advice (regardless of faith): "Do not so much regard the fancies of other men, as what indeed you feel yourselves. For the reason of our discontentment many times is rather from the fancies of other men than from what we find we lack ourselves."

Q: Okay. Try to keep your answers brief if you would. Tell me about what's new on the blog.

A: I've added a Twitter feed to the sidebar for some micro-blogging. I'm also giving some shout-outs to our friends' blogs on the side. If anyone out there has a blog and I missed it, I need to know about it. I'm only listing personal blogs as a show of solidarity to our community--no big-named, high-traffic stuff over there. I'm going to try to write response stories where appropriate and get more involved in commenting.

Q: Anything you want to add to the blog that you don't have?

A: I'm trying to get Anna to write some posts, and I need to get Addy to write some more. I also want to find a way to get comments into the Google Reader feed and to start experimenting with more voices and post formats.

Q: Well, I look forward to it--I think. Thanks for your time.

5 comments:

Julie Tiemann said...

I must second the call for some Anna-written posts. Not that I don't love Austin's take on life, but I love me some Anna! :) And after all, as this blog so boldly proclaims, the 'A's have it. Not the 'A' has it. That would probably be a better title though since it wouldn't muddy the water as much as "Thea Shave It" does. I'm just sayin'...

Anonymous said...

I wanna hear from Anna too... and how about a link to www.adventuresofjulia.blogspot.com! haha...

Anna! Anna! Anna! ....

Mike Tiemann said...

Q. When are we going to see a photo of your handsome mug on here? Oh wait, never mind...

Anonymous said...

Reading "blogs about blogging..." That's funny.

I did that at one point in my life prior to law school thinking I would create a blog so interesting that I'd be swimming in ad money (and thus be able to forgo school). Didn't quite workout.

Also, if you've never seen http://oneword.com it's worth checking out. 60 seconds to keep the creative juices flowing.

Anonymous said...

Anna! Anna! Anna!

Although I very much enjoy reading your posts, Adelaide & Austin. Very thought-provoking. In fact, after I read a post, it makes me want to go make a pot of hot tea. Just thinking about how cold you 3 are up there. . sheesh.

miss you, Anna!