Estimated reading time: 22 – 36 minutes

I thought of putting out a call for guest posts, but with Jan twisting arms over there on WritingToExhale, I decided to throw a relaxed little virtual get-together with some of my “Jedi Blogger” friends, just to have a chat about blogging: what got them started, whether it has changed the way they think and write, what they’ve learned about themselves and others through blogging. So although we live oceans apart, imagine us gabbing at a little table in an open-air caf?, enjoying a beer, a cup of tea, or maybe sharing a great big bowl of Bulalo.

I have prepared some questions in advance. I want to get my friends? own unique perspectives on the same issues. Pulling my notebook out of my backpack, I read from it:

When did you start blogging, and what prompted you to start? What’s the purpose of your blog? Have your reasons and goals changed over time?

Lorenzo Bernardino, a doctor, blogger, and poet speaks up first, ?It was vanity that caught my interest.?

?Vanity?? I ask, thinking that Lorenzo, or Zorlone as he?s known on his blog, has never struck me as vain.

?Yeah, I was just answering forum posts then, when I met this lady commenting on my topics. I asked ?How lazy have you been?? and she said, ?You write well to waste your time staring at the empty ceiling.? That did it for me. I wanted to prove to myself that I have the creative stamina to write my own magic online.

?Off I went to write for Helium.com. Wow! I was just happy to find out that my first entry was rated number 3 for a few days. Then I made some money, actually just pennies, but, nobody ever paid to read my articles before, it was definitely a virtual high.

?So, keeping in touch with this lady, I started my own blog. I was actually envious of her posts. I told her how I like writing poetry and short stories and had to put them on hold because of Med school. My flight to creative writing was summarized in that Helium entry.

?I started my blog February 10, 2009. I didn’t know what to write so I just blabbered on with “The day I became a blogger.” More posts later and after a lot of blog hopping, I found my niche in creative writing. There are actually blogs out there that contain poetry or short stories. My blog evolved into a creative writing one. It?s a niche that doesn’t get a lot of attention, but I am happy with it. That’s what matters to me.?

The lady Zorlone spoke of is Jena Isle, ?mother? and mentor to her students and her blogger friends. I asked her the same question. ?I was surfing the internet for some related material to a study I was conducting on ?Web-Based Instructional Materials? when I chanced upon the ad ?create your blog now? at Blogger.com. I got curious, so I clicked on the button.

?My first post was just a brief article entitled: ?The Value of Honesty.? I was delighted that I could actually write something with the chance that someone might be able to read it, so I added four more posts even though no one had commented yet. I wrote after my daytime job, and I found it relaxing, so I became hooked. The official date of my entry into the blogging world is March 27, 2008.?

Roy, also known as “The Struggling Blogger,” is a ?veteran blogger? compared to Zorlone and Jen. A 41 year old widower from the Philippines, Roy understands, first-hand, the challenges of being a single parent. Trying to keep track of Roy’s many blogs makes my head spin. ?My very first blog (REFLECTIONS) started in 2004, my idea of blogging then was nothing but an online journal. A place where I can write down my thoughts, an outlet for my emotions, and just another ‘notebook‘ where to write down my poems. I didn’t know then that other people can read my blog. Honest!

?Of course, now that I know better, I blog to share my poems, stories, ideas, and to earn a few bucks on the side.?

?I wanted to start this off by saying that I do consider myself a newbie blogger by any standards except for the ?duration? of blogging,? says Rey ? or Reyjr, as he?s known on his blog. Rey is, among other things, a city boy working in the province, a classical singing engineer?a vain nerd, fascinated by awesomeness, sentimental fool, refinery geek, coffee addict, unadventurous eater, child-star achiever?syzygy baby, frustrated thespian. Syzygy baby? (Oh, look it up like everyone else had to!) It should come as no surprise, then, that Rey, like me, is a Pisces. ?I started way back in March 2004 on Xanga. I was still a student in the University and was then a member of a world-touring choir that goes around North America & Europe every 2 or 3 years. 2004 was going to be my third and last tour with them and I found blogging to be the perfect way to keep in touch with everyone I’ve met while I was on tour.

?My blog became my online journal, more than anything else. I would write mostly about performances and school work – it started to pick up more traffic when I would blog about American Idol – but soon after I became too busy with school, licensure exam reviews, choir and solo performances, and an internship in the province of Batangas. In 2007 I moved to Blogspot but I was not able to sustain blogging.

?I re-emerged, so to speak in January 2009 – back with a vengeance,? says Rey, chuckling. ?I guess my reasons for blogging have not changed much – it’s more of the topics that I blog about.?

I turned to Jan Geronimo. Jan and I met in ?Problogger? Darren Rowse?s ?31 Days to Build a Better Blog? workshop. I was in need of comments; he publicly promised to reply to every comment received. So I dropped by his blog, found a post entitled, ?The Lost Art of Being Silly,? and couldn?t help but smile. I plastered his blog with comments, and we?ve been friends ever since. He encouraged me to get to know his blogger friends, too. In time, we became the Jedi Bloggers. ?So, what got you started?? I asked.

?It was December 2008.? I was bored and it was December.? If you’re lonely during the Yuletide season a lot of surprising things can happen. I did not get drunk, didn’t do drugs.? I just started blogging.

?Initially, I just wanted to write and prove to myself I can do it, too.? The initial attraction was earning money on the side through blogging.? A lot of bloggers – well, Filipinos mostly – brag about their dollar earnings.? I was seduced – what can I say?? Jan laughs.

?It’s not about blogging to earn online anymore.?

I raise a skeptical eyebrow. ?Really??

?Let me qualify that,? says Jan. ?I can live with earning just enough to pay for the upkeep of my blog.? That’s the bottom line.? If I can’t still do that? Well, I just have to pay for it from other sources.

?I’m now more into building friendships online – a community of sorts.? I learn a lot from my friends. I just hope they pick up something useful from me, too.?

Luke, of A Walk in the Dark, runs up to the table and slips into an empty chair. He seems out of breath. With a glance at his watch, he sighs. ?Did I make it??

?Of course.?

?You just wanted to see who could write on a tight deadline, didn?t you??

?Maybe. So, you ready, Luke?? I repeat the question while Luke catches his breath. ?Relax. Dee?s gonna kill me if you have a heart attack.?

?Strictly speaking, I started blogging just this year. I did some form of blogging sometime when Slackware 3 was released (ages ago, in Internet time) but it wasn’t called blogging then; I don’t even think the term has been coined already at that time. So, I consider it mostly as just an informational site and not a blog.

?My current blog was launched without a clear direction in mind. It was like a rudderless ship sailing aimlessly across the seven seas. That was because I did not plan on starting a blog in the first place much less define a particular purpose for it. I only wanted to connect to other people by commenting on their blogs. It was these online buddies who prompted me to start my own.?

At that, we all laugh. Luke?s first post had eighty-five comments! Luke?s ?strategy? for building readership? Refuse to blog ? except in the comments section of everyone else?s blogs. Let them twist your arm into blogging ? then give them the pleasure of returning the favor of comments. Luke swears it wasn?t a ?strategy? at all, but we all think it was a pretty clever ploy.

?Lately, though,? says Luke, ?I started charting my course and headed for a particular destination. If I am to spend time with this, I might as well spend it wisely. I now plan to blog on the lesser known (to common users) avenues of Internet, network and computer security. So, yes, my reason and goal changed over time.?

When you are blogging, who is your intended audience? Is your blog attracting your intended audience, do you think – or does it appeal to a completely different sort of reader?

Jan answers, ?Oh, hard question.? Honestly?? I write for myself basically.? So what’s in my blog is a continuing dialogue with myself.? Now, it’s out in the open. Of course, I can say I’m addressing the readers who have passion for writing, readers who have passion for writing but are handicapped by the nuts and bolts of writing itself.? But this highly personal reason may yet evolve into something more altruistic.? Let’s see what happens.?

?Jen, how about you?? I ask.

Jena Isle thinks quietly for a moment. ?I don’t have an intended audience in mind. My target was that visitors would read my posts no matter what niche they belong to.?

Roy agrees. ?I don’t have any intended audience. That’s where I fail I know. Maybe because I was never really writing for anybody else. I am writing for myself. I’ll be glad if some people chance upon my writing and react. Should I change that??

?Would it still spark your passion for writing and blogging, Roy?? This is a question most writers struggle with: Whether to write only to please themselves, or to please the audience. In my opinion, you have to find a healthy balance between the two, or it?s either a very lonely occupation ? or a soulless one.

?My intended audience?? asks Rey. ?I honestly have not made it a huge consideration when I blog – it’s more what I want to blog about. I would guess my target audience is still friends and family – except that now, friends would include new blogger friends too.?

?Doc Z? Who do you write for??

?I wanted to reach out to all the ends of the Earth and make everyone write poetry and short stories too. We sometimes get too tied up with our jobs, that we forgot to take time for ourselves and reflect on the things that transpired within the day. Any interests – or even uninteresting events – can become works of art when turned into poetry. Even the story of a daily commute, as long as written with heart and passion, can be a solid story with a lesson.

?As for my readers now. I have been seeing the usual people on my blog comments, but I am surprised by some emails I get from other people who do not comment.?

We all nod and wonder how to make these lurkers leave comments and join in the conversation. But we?d all be happy to hear from our readers ? whether it?s through comments or emails. Some people are a little shy.

Luke, the ?newbie,? is the only one of the bunch with a clear idea of who his audience is. ?Web surfers who are not familiar with the dangers lurking in the online world are my intended audience. I guess most of those who visit my blog could fall under that category.?

Has your content focus or writing style changed, as you grew more aware of your audience – their likes, dislikes, expectations – or even of the fact that you had an audience?

Zorlone speaks up first: ?I would say yes. My poetry has matured. Reading a lot of poets online, I learned how to make different types of poems. As for the focus of my style to my audience, I actually don’t know. Most of the time, I just write and it was only by accident that my readers also have the same thoughts about my poem.?

Roy has become increasingly aware of his audience, as well. ?Yes. Before, all I do is rant, whine, and even curse sometimes. I was never conscious and don’t even care about my grammar.

?Now, I think I have become conscious of what I post,? he says.

?Do you worry about what others will think about what you write?? I ask.

?No I’m not really concerned about what the readers would say, I just became wary of what I share in my blogs.?

?My content has changed considerably,? says Rey. ?I no longer go on tour nor have major concerts abroad. Nowadays, it’s more diversified – as reflective of my diversified interests as well.

?I’m still surprised that I do have an audience – and would probably continue to be surprised. I guess this stems from the fact that I do write mostly for myself as opposed to for an audience. But don’t get me wrong – I appreciate the questions, the banter, the reactions I get from the readers. It makes writing all the more interesting and exciting.?

Says Luke: ?In a way, yes, my writing style changed. After narrowing down my audience, I tend to write with them in mind. But there’s also another variable: search engines. This means that after narrowing down my audience, I also need to write for them to find me. I would be very glad if I won’t have to write for dumb software crawling around the Web but the reality is that without them, people won’t be in front of me. What would then be the use of writing??

?Can you explain that in a little more detail, Luke??

?Sure. Let’s have a concrete example. I want to warn people of the dangers of network intruders–so I write a piece about that. It turns out that my intended audience uses the term ?hackers? instead of ?network intruders? in their search queries. Or maybe I want to inform them of the dangers of spyware but they’re searching for viruses instead. Even if they meant to include spyware. For them, spyware and viruses are the same??viruses.? Sometimes, bots can make a match but it’s a hit or miss proposition. I not only need to know my audience but also determine how they search for the information that I want to give them, and write around that. Warning a few dozen while a million stay vulnerable is not very encouraging. I might as well write about what I ate for lunch.?

?When people talk about SEO, they usually have less?altruistic purposes. You make it sound like a usability thing. And really, if it is useful to people, it shouldn?t be hard to monetize your blog, if that?s what you want to do. Solve your readers? problems, give them what they?re searching for, and they?ll come back again and again. Right??

Luke nods.

?With so many scammers and sploggers out there, it?s not just a matter of bringing in viewers, but gaining the trust of your readers ? and keeping it.?

Jen has sensed the need to open up a bit, in order to really connect with her readers. ?Yes, it has changed. I realized I had to be more informal – a more conversational approach instead of following a very structured format.?

Jan, too, has loosened up a little. ?I used to be more formal in my writing style – now it’s more conversational. I used to tell myself, ?Hey, I bled a little writing this. You as a reader had better step up to the plate yourself – meaning I don’t have to dumb down things for you.? Not anymore, I’m not that a**hole anymore. Blog writing is a different kind of writing altogether. And I?ve adjusted accordingly.?

Do you think that blogging is likely to contribute to people’s understanding and appreciation of ethnic and cultural diversity, or do you feel it will just help deepen the divide?

?Blogging will definitely contribute towards bridging gaps and misunderstandings between ethnic groups,? says Jen. ?Through blogging ? particularly through my blog, The Clamor of Kalinga – I have made people aware of my culture and who my people really are. I get comments like : ?I didn’t know that.? Or, ?That’s a great practice,? and so on.

?I also read about some practices from other groups and it educated me and made me understand them better.?

Roy?s expression is thoughtful. ?I believe it should. I mean, shouldn’t that be what reading does for us? To give us a better understanding of others. Unfortunately, that is not always true because some people just cannot accept the ‘differences.’?

Zorlone turns idealistic and waxes poetical: ?Blogging has its universal appeal. There may be cultural differences, but the root of it is the need to be heard. For me, hanging my poetry in walls with just me looking at them gives me some satisfaction, but having someone else appreciate them with me, that is an ecstatic experience!

?Good thing in poetry, a lot of cultural differences are set aside and experiences of a love lost, a dream coming true, or a need to be heard are some of the shared wisdom that each of us have.?

Luke says, ?I very much believe that it will increase people’s understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity. As long as surfers still possess sentience and a bit of intelligence, that is.?

?Jan??

?It does, Holly. It fosters tolerance – but hey, appreciation of ethnic and cultural diversity is a much more apt phrase for it. Touch?.?

Rey thinks about that for a minute. ?In my opinion it should – just the fact that someone from a different nation, a different race, a different cultural background would share the same interests as you or would have an opinion about topics you know and care about should at the very least make you think – hey, we’re not so different after all.?

Do you share your personal experiences or opinions in your blog, or do you keep your readers at arm’s length, presenting “just the facts”?

?I used to,? says Roy, ?after all my first blog is a personal blog, and again, I didn’t know it was being read. Now, I try to mellow down. I realized that people cannot really appreciate rants all of the time.?

?There used to be a demarcation line during the initial months,? Jan says. ?Now, I’m leaning to a more personal approach – sharing personal stories. Opinions?? he laughs. ?Oh, my posts are studded with them.?

I feign surprise. ?Really?? I turn to Rey. ?How about you? Your blog has always been personal, by definition, right??

Rey nods, but adds, ?I have, from the beginning, tried to avoid giving opinions on certain topics like politics or showbiz – unless I am compelled to do so by myself or an external force.?

?We all have our moments, Rey.? I give him a wry grin. I sense that Jen still struggles with this one. She strikes me as a private person, but it is hard to mentor and nurture others without revealing quite a bit about yourself. ?How about it, Jen??

?At first, I didn’t want to reveal any of my personal data or thoughts with my readers and just presented the facts. But eventually, I came to learn that I have to be more personal in my approach; that is share some of my personal experiences and thoughts to be able to connect more with readers,? Jen reiterates.

?I still do that very sparingly though as I am a very private person but I am less closed-mouthed now.?

?I do share my personal experiences and opinions in my blog,? says Luke. ?Sometimes. And as long as it’s appropriate.?

I turn to Zorlone. ?And you, Z??

?This is a definite yes. In creative writing, one can’t stay away from one’s own experiences. Of course, there are several ways to make posts that make a blogger seem indifferent to his readers, but you can’t escape sharing yourself within the post.?

Have you ever participated in any organized blog-based activism – such as Blog Action Day? (To be hosted at http://www.change.org/my_change/home in 2009. Follow updates at http://twitter.com/blogactionday) What was the event? Would you do it again? What was the best/worst thing about participating in something like this?

?I haven’t participated in anything like this yet,? admits Zorlone. ?But, if I did, it would probably be an activity to save the Earth. I am such a Discovery fanatic. The world is just awesome!

?I made some earth day poems at associated content,? he adds, ?but that’s it.?

?No,? says Roy.

?No,? says Luke.

?No,? says Jen. ?I don’t participate if I don’t feel strongly about it. I still have not participated so I can’t say.?

?Gingerly,? says Jan. ?But I’m getting there. Initially, it’s more of getting the word out about causes – using Twitter and other social media sites. For example, the one you emailed me on CPSIA. That’s a pressing issue for bloggers to be concerned about.?

Have you ever used your blog to raise funds for a non-profit organization? Which one? What prompted you to support that organization, and do you think that blogging is an effective way to do that?

?No. But I’m open to the idea of supporting worthy causes and organizations.? Jan looks as though he?s contemplating a major fundraising campaign as we speak. I can see the wheels turning?

Luke shakes his head. ?No.?

Jen seems a bit wary. ?No, I don’t want to use my blog to raise funds. There is a rule prohibiting the use of your blog in raising funds I think this is with non-self hosted blogs with Blogger.com. I have read it somewhere before I signed up.? It?s easy to get fooled into supporting a non-existent ?charity? online, I think. ?But I’m thinking of selling something through my blog,? she says. ?A book. I’ll do it in my own domain.? The book, I know, is a testament to Jen?s mentoring of others, and has been a hard labor of love.

?Roy? How do you feel about using your blog to raise funds for charity or worthy causes??

?I once posted a call to help raise fund for a sick kid I read on the newspaper. I really don’t if it helped or not, I still didn?t have that many readers then. But,? he adds, ?if it’s for a worthy cause, I don’t think I would have second thoughts about supporting it. Yes, I believe blogging is a very effective way to do that.?

Rey agrees. ?Haven’t gone that far yet – but if I was prompted to by a great desire to help and because I believed in the cause – there’d be no hesitation to do so.?

Do you ever blog about politics, religion, sex, or other “hot button” topics? Why or why not?

?Not on a regular basis,? says Roy. ?On politics, only when I have an opinion (I’m mostly apolitical) or when I feel there’s an important news to share (new laws, public officials abuse, et cetera) although I do them rarely now. At the most it’s just sharing news.

?I blog about God, faith and inspiration, but not religion.?

?Jan??

?I have not – if my slim body of work online is anything to go by. But I might – I’m just looking at a good handle.?

Jen laughs. ?Very rarely.? I avoid controversial topics. I don’t want to stress myself out. I blog just to relax, so how can I relax if I stress myself out by blogging about stressful topics??

?Good point!?

?No, if I can avoid it,? says Luke. Especially politics and religion. By the way, I’d also like to include philosophy in the mix. Sex could be okay.?

?Oh, feeling encouraged by Elmot?s recent foray into poetry, Luke??

Luke laughs at that. ?No, the reason is that you normally don’t go anywhere with these topics. You end the day bitter while going nowhere. I prefer those that can easily be resolved ? such as, ?Do you want spyware or not???

?NOT!? we all shout, attracting the attention and strange looks from passersby.

?How about you, Rey?? I ask. ?Do you like to blog on these provocative and controversial topics??

Rey shakes his head. ?No yet. I can’t say I never will. But for now, I keep it to a minimum. It’s just not my thing.?

It?s Zorlone?s turn to answer. ?Some hot button topics that were posted on my blog are religion, sex, love, friendship, but they are in the form of poetry and not as hot as the political blogs out there. It’s not exactly in my personality to spice up my blog with intrigues and hot issues, so I keep to my own themes and to my own rules.?

What’s your policy on moderating comments?

?So far, I have only moderated spam,? says Zorlone. ?Now that I know what spam is, of course. I used to just publish everything, actually I still do. As long as I want for the comments to appear, they will appear.?

Roy is protective of his readers. ?No calling of names. It’s okay if they’re directed at me, but if they’re directed to another commenter, it wouldn’t get through.?

?I haven’t encountered an offensive comment yet – but generally, I would publish all comments.?

Jen is a fairly strict moderator: ?I reject indecent comments, comments with links from first time visitors, and personal attacks which masquerade as comments.?

Luke?s policy is even stricter: ?Anything illegal is going to /dev/null. I’m a bit trigger happy with the delete button, to be honest. I never even think twice if even just a single toe steps out of the line.?

?I’ve yet to delete a comment on my blog,? explains Jan. ?A lively discussion of ideas is a joy to behold. Once, it degenerates into name calling? I’ll have none of that. Readers can take exception to ideas both by the blog author and other reader(s). That’s all for the good. Everyone is welcome in my blog. But the use of demeaning language is not. I reserve the right to define what demeaning is.

?Barbara Swafford of Blogging Without a Blog has a beautiful term for an ideal commenting environment. She’s all about creating a safe haven for readers. That’s pretty useful to aspire for if you ask me.?

What’s the most important thing that blogging has taught you?

?That I’m a nobody,? says Luke.

We all open our mouths to protest, but Luke cuts us off with a smile and a wave. ?A lot of people know a lot more than I do in a lot of other topics. It’s sometimes humiliating and refreshing at the same time.?

Says Jen, ?That I could make great friends through blogging.? She gives me a wink. ?I met you.? Then she adds, ?That geographical locations are irrelevant with friendships. That I could write an article people would actually read.?

Roy nods. ?That I can write.?

Zorlone starts to say something, then shakes his head. ?Scratch that. I found out that writing just what pops out of your mind wouldn’t do you any good.

?I learned that there are friendships that cross boundaries in the blogosphere. Regardless of sex, religion, color of skin, and ethnicity, there are those gems that can be found online who are just a comment away. Building friendships and nourishing them takes a lot of time and devotion but the rewards are fulfilling and the bonds created are lasting.?

?That I can be a mean saber wielding Jedi Knight,? says Jan. ?All I aspired for is to pin down an idea on paper. Now I’m in charge of a little galaxy. Isn’t blogging a hoot??

Rey smiles, but says nothing. I get the feeling he?s wisely absorbing everyone else?s ?lessons learned.?

Will you be blogging a year from now?

?The future is a glazed mirror, it reflects not a clear view, but a reflection of the ?now? that may be disorienting, but you can see yourself in it no matter what.? Zorlone smiles enigmatically.

?What the heck did he just say?? I whisper to Jan through clenched teeth.

?Beats me.? Jan shrugs. ?Maybe it?s like the Magic 8 Ball. ?The future is uncertain. Ask again later.??

?Sounds to me like he?s planning to keep blogging a year from now, provided something bizarre and unforeseen ? like getting smacked off a donor-cycle by a bull elephant ? doesn?t happen.?

?Sounds reasonable to me,? whispers Jan, giving me an exaggerated shrug.

?Sure, if I have the time to – I would,? says Rey.

?I dearly hope so,? says Luke.

?Jen? How about you? Will you still be blogging in a year??

?I think so!? says Jen. ?It’s my outlet – my relaxation. I love to write!?

Jan scoffs at a year. ?Make that ten years. When that time comes, we’d talk again about future plans.?

Roy is enthusiastic. ?Most definitely! And you can make that years from now!?