Courting "Net-oriety"
Whether it's called "blogebrity" or "net-oriety," let's face it, most of us like the attention we get from blogging. This article on MSN talks about how many nowdays court Internet fame thru their blogs.
Timely piece, given I was speaking with someone yesterday about just this topic. She was surprised how much of myself that I expose on my blog.
But it doesn't really bother me to do so. Blogging, to me, cannot encompass the totality of my person. It features a side of me--a personna. It is me but a portion of me. It is a portion of me that is different from others, and I do not mind showing that portion of myself to the world. That portion has alot of knowledge about two particular areas--sex and religion--and a modicum of self-awareness that makes for decent memoir.
I like to tell stories.
Sometimes telling the stories of our lives is more compelling and effective than simply reporting our opinion on an issue or newsstory that others have already left comments about. Telling that life-story in a way that makes people look at their own lives and experiences is, I think, a talent in itself.
Weaving stories from the outside world into stories of our world is also a unique way of communicating. It draws paralells, makes us part of something more, shows others our mind on issues we find important as it tells the reader something about who we are.
It can bring us "net-oriety" or not. "Net-oriety" is as slow as the word it derives from, unless the personna is cultivated in a way that is sensational enough to make people gasp as if they are observing a train wreck. Is this a good thing? Do those of us who blog really want to be the next big train wreck? Some probably do, given the way they manage to over-expose themselves. But I don't think that's what most of us are out to do. I'll freely admit that I enjoy when my sitemeter numbers skyrocket, but I am a bit ambivalent about what I need to do to mantain those numbers. I usually ask myself "is this blog for the world, for the pursuit of net-oriety, or for me? what is its purpose and is that purpose congruent with the personna?"
Sometimes the purpose changes. Blogs have an organic nature, and as such, can be subject to change. Yet is the change congruent with who we are (or want to be) on our blogs? Is the possibility of losing readers inconsequential to the need to express oneself via blogging?
Perhaps some bloggers are more adept at courting net-oriety. Perhaps they have a sense of noterity from their personal lives--they know how to mantain a personna that captivates others. Net-oriety is easy for them.
So, I wonder about my own desires for net-oriety. Is it what I want? Is it something I can handle? Can I spot the trend that will make it for me, and am I willing to adapt my personna to achieve it?
It's an on-going process. We'll see.
Blogging
Timely piece, given I was speaking with someone yesterday about just this topic. She was surprised how much of myself that I expose on my blog.
But it doesn't really bother me to do so. Blogging, to me, cannot encompass the totality of my person. It features a side of me--a personna. It is me but a portion of me. It is a portion of me that is different from others, and I do not mind showing that portion of myself to the world. That portion has alot of knowledge about two particular areas--sex and religion--and a modicum of self-awareness that makes for decent memoir.
I like to tell stories.
Sometimes telling the stories of our lives is more compelling and effective than simply reporting our opinion on an issue or newsstory that others have already left comments about. Telling that life-story in a way that makes people look at their own lives and experiences is, I think, a talent in itself.
Weaving stories from the outside world into stories of our world is also a unique way of communicating. It draws paralells, makes us part of something more, shows others our mind on issues we find important as it tells the reader something about who we are.
It can bring us "net-oriety" or not. "Net-oriety" is as slow as the word it derives from, unless the personna is cultivated in a way that is sensational enough to make people gasp as if they are observing a train wreck. Is this a good thing? Do those of us who blog really want to be the next big train wreck? Some probably do, given the way they manage to over-expose themselves. But I don't think that's what most of us are out to do. I'll freely admit that I enjoy when my sitemeter numbers skyrocket, but I am a bit ambivalent about what I need to do to mantain those numbers. I usually ask myself "is this blog for the world, for the pursuit of net-oriety, or for me? what is its purpose and is that purpose congruent with the personna?"
Sometimes the purpose changes. Blogs have an organic nature, and as such, can be subject to change. Yet is the change congruent with who we are (or want to be) on our blogs? Is the possibility of losing readers inconsequential to the need to express oneself via blogging?
Perhaps some bloggers are more adept at courting net-oriety. Perhaps they have a sense of noterity from their personal lives--they know how to mantain a personna that captivates others. Net-oriety is easy for them.
So, I wonder about my own desires for net-oriety. Is it what I want? Is it something I can handle? Can I spot the trend that will make it for me, and am I willing to adapt my personna to achieve it?
It's an on-going process. We'll see.
Blogging
posted by Tish Grier at 8:11 AM
2 Comments:
Your blog has captivated me. I especially enjoyed this piece on Net-oriety. As I am infantile in my blogging experience I too wonder, what will the purpose of my blog be?
I am a business owner, am I looking to sell one of my products? Not really but maybe? I own a web hosting company, because its internet related, guess what, its on my blog. But advertising alone is not a good enough reason to open my personal me up to the world. There are many better safe ways to advertise that would keep me very annonymous.
Am I looking for fame? I've had it, I still do in many respects.. I don't really need anymore so .. no not really. But then again, I like to be known. Over my 30 years on this planet I've been a Radio DJ, Fire Entertainer, Business Owner, .. all very "Hey look at me" type jobs.
I think, after processing all this as I write, my true reason for writing this blog is simply to record my life. Something my son and his son can go back and read and marvel upon.
A long time go, I came to the realization of that ever elusive answer, you know, your purpose on this earth, your reason for existing, your why. I am here to observe, to learn, to experience as much as I possibly can, all for the purpose of telling stories. :) Yup, that's me... over there --> rocking in my chair, children and adults gathered around, listening to GrandPa Dragon spin his stories. The difference between me and the proverbial person I speak of? I want my stories to all be true.
So I suppose, this blog will give some validity to my stories. That I think is the reason I will blog.
Thank you for such an inspiring blog. I will be adding a link to you from my blog so I can keep up ;)
___
blog.UberDragon.net
Thanks so much for your wonderful comments!
I've always been searching for a spotlight of sorts, but have learned thru my foays into adult entertainment that personna and person often have to live in different spheres.
In blogging, I've learned that the word on the page cannot contain the entire life...but you can tell stories that are like snapshots of a life. We can pick and choose what we tell and create a personna. The personna can then be more, or less, of who we actually are.
I tend to think, though, that carefully chosen words and stories can demonstrate alot more about a life than photographs.
Like you, I also like the 'true story' aspect to my blog. I do alot, experience alot, and am pretty fearless when it comes to discussing it. Yet I know when to hold back on details. Some things are still T.M.I. and the wise adult usually knows what to veil and what to show.
Thanks too, for the link! I am a big believer in cross-linking, so I will post one for you on my blogroll :-)
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