Being That Blogger Friend

by Patrick on August 21, 2009

1629269_cf658cc39a_bIt would be cool if more of my friends followed my blog. It’d be cool to see that Networked blog counter grow to actually match the number of friends I actually have.

Then again it would be cool to have more people follow me on Twitter or add my RSS feed to their feed reader or add my website to their blogroll.

However that’s not going to happen- and it’s ok.

Because a lot of my friends don’t have blogrolls or Twitter, much less understand how widgets on Facebook work.

I’m that friend, not the Token Asian, but the token techno geek.

Besides friends I have made through blogging, I think I’m the only one my many social circles that actively writes in blogs and engages in social media tools like Twitter.

While on The OBX this past year we were eating pizza while somebody was trying to explain what was this new phenomenon called Twitter.

Falkor piped up that I must be on it- and he was right.

Facebook and Gmail is more ubiquitous in our culture, however Twitter and blogging isn’t contrary to what you would believe.

In fact when I hang out with my friends, and they ask, “what’s up.” I’ll just retell stories I blogged about- because I know a lot of my friends don’t read my blog.

Now I have a small audience and that’s really great- because in the end I write in this blog, for myself first. However I do appreciate my audience and I am glad you find me interesting.

I just find it really interesting how my blog has grown to become a good part of my life and while it’s open for the public to consume, it remains largely untouched by some groups of my friends.

Maybe I’m just more plugged-in than they are.

Related posts:

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  3. Becoming A Blogger Free Agent
  4. Introducing Guest Blogger Week
  5. How Nat Geo Pitched Me With A Hat (Tips To Successfully Pitch A Blogger)

Tagged as: Blog, Feelings/Reflections, Friends

  • http://mynameis-taylor.blogspot.com Taylor

    I completely know where you’re coming from. I don’t know a single person ‘in real life’ that writes a blog regularly like I do. I only know one person that’s signed up for Twitter and he abandoned his account when he realized that nobody else he knew uses it!

    But I don’t mind, seeing as I’m anonymous and all…

    Anyways, have a fantastic weekend!
    .-= Taylor´s last blog ..Why Yes, I am a Scaredy Cat! =-.

    • http://www.dmbosstone.com Patrick

      Anon are we? You should read the CNN article I noticed Cavy was reading.

  • http://justjp.wordpress.com justjp

    I do the same thing, except reversed. I tell stories that happened to me and my friends to the world. My friends don’t read my stuff either, oh well.
    .-= justjp´s last blog ..Living Wicked indeed =-.

    • http://www.dmbosstone.com Patrick

      Blogs are just an outlet right? How we use it depends on how our world is shaped…

  • http://mariescafe.wordpress.com Marie

    I hear you. Quite a number of my friends do read my blog to keep up with what I’m up to (instead of sending the same email to them). But like you said, they are not on twitter or don’t have blogs of their own.

    But I love writing about whatever random stuff comes my way and can’t help but share it. I do it for me, but enjoy it when I see others like what I write.
    .-= Marie´s last blog ..Downtown =-.

    • http://www.dmbosstone.com Patrick

      I wish more of my friends read my blog to keep up with what I was up to!

  • http://daretodreamthinkdo.blogspot.com Kelvin

    I truly enjoyed reading this post. Probably everyone I know may not know about blogs and and probably heard about some of the social networks but they may not use them because they may not have a computer or too much don’t care for it. I would want to say that I think you are more plugged-in with all the tech stuff and every thing that deals with being & using the Internet. This post has me thinking and I’m thinking to myself now what does that “being that blogger friend mean.” Great post!

    • http://www.dmbosstone.com Patrick

      Thanks Kelvin, I’m glad my post made you think for a minute.

  • Jena

    I subscribe through LJ… but I don’t comment very often… if at all? I’m not sure. I do follow you on Twitter, though you already know that.

    • http://www.dmbosstone.com Patrick

      Jena I can always count on your to be a faithful lurker.

  • http://thecheshiregrins.xanga.com Meg

    Yup, that’s me too. When I first started blogging, I had a few friends follow me into that foray but they quickly lost interest and now it’s just me.
    .-= Meg´s last blog ..Political Friday Smoke and Mirrors Cloaks and Daggers =-.

    • http://www.dmbosstone.com Patrick

      But at least you got your blog friends :-)

  • http://livitluvit.com LiLu

    I kind of wish my friends didn’t read. I need double the material in real life!
    .-= LiLu´s last blog ..B Is Psycho, AKA We’re All Moved In! =-.

    • http://www.dmbosstone.com Patrick

      True, you are going to have to make your life twice as interesting!

  • http://www.ihatesomuch.com Maxie

    ZERO of my non blogging friends have blogs. 2 have twitter.

    blogging friends > home friends.
    .-= Maxie´s last blog ..They Call Me Mellow Yellow =-.

    • http://www.ihatesomuch.com Maxie

      and by “non blogging” friends i mean people i didn’t MEET through blogging. b/c if they’re non blogging then obviously they don’t have blogs.
      .-= Maxie´s last blog ..They Call Me Mellow Yellow =-.

      • http://www.dmbosstone.com Patrick

        At least they got internet in West Virginia!

  • Rebekah

    I found your blog via Lemmonex’s and have added your site to my favorites, does that count? Looking forward to coming back for a visit and reading more.
    :)

    • http://www.dmbosstone.com Patrick

      Aw thanks Rebekah!

  • http://capslove.wordpress.com Dazey

    “In fact when I hang out with my friends, and they ask, “what’s up.” I’ll just retell stories I blogged about- because I know a lot of my friends don’t read my blog.”

    –Same goes for me too, which is kind of annoying. Sometimes I just want to be like, “well you should read my blog if you want to know” but that’s kind of a shove-off and I know that a rude answer like that wouldn’t make my friends want to look at my blog anyways.

    Other times however, if I’m talking to my friends (who don’t read my blog) about something for a while and I realize it’s good blog material, I will post it, knowing that at least said friends won’t get the info twice. -That’s a good way to “weed through” information to get a feel fro my audience.

    One of my reasons for my blog was to keep my friends updated on my life, post-college. But I guess that was a bust.
    .-= Dazey´s last blog ..My Favorite Sentence =-.

    • http://www.dmbosstone.com Patrick

      I’ve tried that before when people say, “OMG how have you been?” I totally want to give them the, “read my blog line.”

      Sounds like your blog is more of a journal now.

  • Romny

    I agree. I have a personal blog that I have mentioned to several people and I know of only two (maybe three) of my friends that actually read it. Granted, it’s mostly just babbling and I’m glad some people haven’t read it but for me, it’s an outlet to get my thoughts together and reassess what it is that I want/need from life. I had a Twitter account years ago but I felt like a stalker and canceled it only to have to re-activate it for work. I hardly use it still.

    Even as of late, I’ve been thinking about even taking down my blog. I mean nothing I say is remotely interesting to anyone else. At least I don’t think so. There are the far and few between witty banters but nothing to get overly excited about and say “HEY, read this!” on my FB status. So for the most part I just either use the standby email or phone call for those that I care to share my latest fiasco or victory with.

    • http://www.dmbosstone.com Patrick

      I too find my blog as a way to rant and think out loud about what’s going on in my life- I also like to use it as writing down those memories in a way I can remember it and share with others.

      I think in the end you should think about why you blog- and hopefully you’ll come to the answer on whether you should keep doing it or not.

  • Pingback: I Don’t Write About Cupcakes (The Importance Of Knowing Your Niche) | The Definitive Dmbosstone

  • http://sherrylovesorange.blogspot.com/ Sherry

    I also only have a small group of friends that actually follow my blog, housemates included, and it makes me happy when I start telling them about something and they say yeah I read about it in your blog, though I will have to then elaborate more on it rather then telling them the same thing they read. Those that follow my blog usually blog too, but among my friends I am the only one that blog for an audience other than the people that I know in person and makes friends in sites like 20sb and all.

    Most of my friends don’t have blogs or even read blogs, so like you, I retell stories that I have blogged about when I go out with them. Most of them don’t even know that I blog lol
    .-= Sherry´s last blog ..Pesto and Chicken =-.

    • http://www.dmbosstone.com Patrick

      Ya my friends know I blog but they don’t read it so at least I know I have a whole beavy of stories I can go to. Also I’ve noticed if I get a blog idea I’ll talk it out with friends and it helps me figure out how to write it for everybody else online.

      • http://sherrylovesorange.blogspot.com/ Sherry

        How nice. I don’t usually talk about my blog ideas with friends because I get them so randomly, and I don’t meet up with my friends that often now because we are all in different uni’s and colleges, and different intakes even so our schedules always clash.
        .-= Sherry´s last blog ..Pesto and Chicken =-.

        • http://www.dmbosstone.com Patrick

          We certainly come from different backgrounds, I bet it’ll happen more after you are done with school.

  • http://www.buildingsocialequity.com Social Media Trainer

    Excellent post, i think blog posts like this add so much value to the marketing community,i have learnt some valuable info from you. Keep it Up! Sincerely, The Social Media Trainer

    • http://www.dmbosstone.com Patrick

      Thanks for your support!

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