Blog meme

Do you like the look and the contents of your blog?
The look …not particularly but I am happier than I was. I had a lovely beach scene at one time but the host couldn’t seem to keep the picture hosted and so my blog kept crashing. In the end I went through the Tiger Lily, which was so hard to read, then black, green, which I quite liked, and then settled on the standard blue Blogger template which I have tinkered with. I think it’s okay and I am not prepared to change at this stage for fear of crashing the whole lot!…and depriving you of all my thoughts.

Does your family know about your blog?
Some do some don’t. Those who do are very supportive and amazed with the contacts I get..

Can you tell your friends about your blog? Do you consider it a private thing?
I am right up there on the web. It’s hardly private. Some friends know about my blog. I am known for my blogging.

Do you just read the blogs of those who comment on your blog? Or do you try to discover new blogs?
I always read the blogs of those who take the time to comment. I consider this the right thing to do. I look for new blogs and I like to find new blogs. Blogs are a wonderful source of inspiration and the ones I read regularly I value immensely.

Did your blog positively affect your mind? Give an example.
Did my blog?? I am still blogging. It can affect me very positively in that I can sometimes achieve some change or do something worthwhile. It has been so important in terms of issues or individual crisis. During the tsunami I was operating as the link to French blogs because people needed information quickly and my blog came up on searches and then I could redirect people and be in contact with French bloggers who were gathering tsunami rescue information. It has also helped individuals and I have heard from them because I took the time to blog about their cause and that really makes me feel so good on the inside. Blogging is something I find which makes me more interested in others and that means I have nothing to complain about!

What does the number of visitors to your blog mean? Do you use a traffic counter?
My first traffic counter crashed at over 2000, but StatCounter has been my faithful friend and yes, I find it very useful. I love how so many people come from everywhere and it amazes me how many visitors I get from far flung places. It was so exciting when I hit 20, 000. I couldn’t believe it. I thought it was a real achievement. I don’t get squillions of visitors but blogs like that are often run by more than one person. Sometimes I have a trickle and that’s okay. My numbers are pretty constant and I keep them up by sharing in Blogshares and Blog Explosion. Those sites help stimulate interest but it also means I get to see other blogs. Sometimes the numbers go mad and that is okay too. I like to know I am valued, I guess.

Do you imagine what other bloggers look like?
Actually I don’t. I just think of their blog and their writing voice. I do not actually think of how they look as a person.

Do you think blogging has any real benefit?
Yes. It provides contact. It promotes international understanding. It stimulates the brain and is a wonderful foil to format media. It is heaps of fun and sometimes a real challenge.

Do you think that the blogsphere is a stand alone community separated from the real world?
Yes and no. It operates alongside the real world and it has many of the features of the real world. It tends to have a good sense of fair play and community and it certainly operates from a thinking, community point of view. It is not separate.

Do some political blogs scare you? Do you avoid them?
Political blogs do not scare me at all. I like to see what people are thinking even if I find it offensive and I do not agree. Most political blogs are very interesting and promote a good amount of discussion and thinking. I think we need to think better politically and avoid the jargonistisc jingoism. I like to think we can put forward our ideas and that people can show why they disagree with them. If you stop political thinking you gag the nation or world and then you don’t know what is in people’s heads!

Do you think that criticizing your blog is useful?
When people criticise my blog it is not at all useful. Not to them. Not to me and apparently not to anyone. It really creates a bad vibe. It’s like criticising my eye colour. My blog is me.

Have you ever thought about what would happen to your blog if you died?
No. Why would I?

Which blogger has had the greatest impression on you?
Rezo.net. Then there was the blog of the ex Vietnam vets which I used to read which got me into blogging. I was reading their blog trying to make sense of the lead up to the Iraq invasion. I found their blog to be very helpful to my state of mind at the time. The blogs I like or which influence me are often found on the links to the right on my blog. Some bloggers are just plain awesome.

Which blogger do you think is the most similar to you?
Given various blog organisations have had a great deal of difficulty categorising my blog, I could say no one. I can’t judge that for myself. I think others could, though.

Name a song you want to listen to?
Ose by Yannick Noah…but I also love Ta Douleur by Camille.

Tag some people

I really liked being tagged by PP at Slightly Mad. Doing memes is not everyone’s thing, but I love them and questionnaires and I am the survey queen, that’s for sure! I invite these bloggers to participate it they would like to.

Flubberwinkle

Inside the USA

The Journal of a Future Politician

Tropical Screamer

Still Waters