Why?
In the past couple of days I have come to face the fact that this blog suffers from one of the biggest taboos in the publishing industry: it's written without a clear audience in mind. Not only that, but you can't find this blog in blogger by any location other than "Japan" because I couldn't decide whether to write it in roman characters or in the original Japanese. What have a wrought on this Earth? I'm doomed to fail!
But it makes me think about why people even have a blog in the first place. There are all sorts of blogs, covering topics ranging from politics and the economy to music, personal issues, and...um, less than family orientated topics, shall we say. I see that in America, at least, there is an "official" blog for NPR and the Star-Tribune newspaper. I'm sure that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Why the news outlets post blogs seems fairly obvious to me: attract as wide a range of news consumers as possible. What seems less certain to me is why regular Joes like me do blogs. I suppose it stems from a desire to be heard, a desire to reach out to others and have one's self-worth be affirmed by the fact that other pe0ple actually ARE reading it!
I started this blog because of my friend Jonathon's blog. I find his adventures here in Japan, and his opinions on them to be just fascinating. Not only that, but his blog played an important role in us even meeting in the first place! I decided to share my ideas with the world if anyone wants to hear them, too. Jon's main audience for his blog as I understand it is his family and friends in America. It' s a way to share his adventures with the folks back home. I suppose in that sense my blog is devoted to my friends, but in a larger sense, it's founded in the hope for new friends. I hope that eventually there will total strangers who read this and think that I'm worthy of their friendship. (Shall I dare to dream so large as to hope that I can meet my future wife here? Probably not.)
But it makes me think about why people even have a blog in the first place. There are all sorts of blogs, covering topics ranging from politics and the economy to music, personal issues, and...um, less than family orientated topics, shall we say. I see that in America, at least, there is an "official" blog for NPR and the Star-Tribune newspaper. I'm sure that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Why the news outlets post blogs seems fairly obvious to me: attract as wide a range of news consumers as possible. What seems less certain to me is why regular Joes like me do blogs. I suppose it stems from a desire to be heard, a desire to reach out to others and have one's self-worth be affirmed by the fact that other pe0ple actually ARE reading it!
I started this blog because of my friend Jonathon's blog. I find his adventures here in Japan, and his opinions on them to be just fascinating. Not only that, but his blog played an important role in us even meeting in the first place! I decided to share my ideas with the world if anyone wants to hear them, too. Jon's main audience for his blog as I understand it is his family and friends in America. It' s a way to share his adventures with the folks back home. I suppose in that sense my blog is devoted to my friends, but in a larger sense, it's founded in the hope for new friends. I hope that eventually there will total strangers who read this and think that I'm worthy of their friendship. (Shall I dare to dream so large as to hope that I can meet my future wife here? Probably not.)
MO さんの投稿 投稿時:
5:26 午前
11 件のコメント:
Audience is a difficult thing. My original audience was my parents and my friends back in America. Turns out that my parents apparently don't check it (their expected visits we were the reason for the family-safe rating it's forced to maintain) and only a handful of my friends check it with any regularity (which was more expected). It seems that just over half of my visitors are in Japan, and since I don't think more than a couple of people at my school know about my blog and read it, I assume that most of these are strangers. Many folks seems to find me via Google. So the tone of my blog is changing somewhat, I think. But I'm happy to be getting so more and more visitors.
It might take time for your blog to find its voice. Just give it time and see what interests you enough such that you keep writing about it. It ain't gotta be nothin' big or important every time.
As for me, I'm sure that whatever you write, it'll be a good read. (You know ... if I can read it. まだ下手なんだね。)
I'm impressed with how your site seems to be taking off. It's kind of an interactive diary. I like that. I actually had thought of doing the same with this blog, but I guess when push comes to shove, I'm a little too private for that. My thoughts, though. Well, you get what you pay for, but there's plenty for the taking! :p
I discovered your blog through Jonathan's which in turn I discovered from www.yukihime.com in the comments section. I find gaijin experiences in Japan a very interesting state of affairs. Also, I plan to go to Japan within the next couple of years to study abroad myself, so I want to read up on it as much as possible. I have been to Japan once through a study abroad thing through high school and fell in love with the country. If you and Jonathan keep writing then I will keep reading. I do ask that because my quest is the same as yours in terms of blogging that you please check out my blog. I like what I am reading so far. My Japanese is limited so I am reading what I can in the Japanese only section, but it does give me a chance to hone my Japanese skills.
Hello Matthew, and welcome to my little world. I took a look at your blog, and it looks pretty interesting, to say the least.
Good luck reading the Japanese! I'm keeping them short, but watch out! I don't hold many punches with grammar and vocab!
これからもよろしくお願いします！
はじめまして、三河のおっさん。
まこ と申します(＾o＾)
ジョナサンとこから来ました。私にとって「おっさん」＝５０がらみなので、たぶんイメージがかけ離れているんじゃあないかと思います。わたしはおばさんですが。。。
これからも読みに来ますね。よろしくです。
おっさんといえば、本当は同じようなイメージが頭に浮かぶが、しかし、松ちゃんや浜ちゃんのダウンタウンも昔よく「おっさん」といっていましたね。ちょうど「Geisha Girls」が流行っていたころ日本語の勉強を始めたから、その影響をちょっと受けているみたいです。。。
Well, I don't really share too much personal stuff on my blog. I wish I could, but circumstances prevent it. Nonetheless, more and more of "me" is pouring through, I think.
Many thanks, Matthew, for the comments. I'll check your blog indeed.
There is always hope, Mikawa ;o)
http://varuna.stsland.ru\pic\h.jpg
Thank you Void. Unfortunately, the link didn't seem to be working...
my mistake =))) - slashes
http://varuna.stsland.ru/pic/h.jpg
should be working now
Thank you, void! It's a beautiful picture, and well worth the wait!
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