Mom Wants A Diabetes Cure

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Blog? What's a Blog?

It's amazing to me how many people in the world still don't know what a blog is. I just assume that if I know about it, then everyone else must know too (it's the egocentrist in me, I guess).

So when I mention, or someone else mentions my blog in conversation, the blank stare is given by the person receiving the info. The person nods their head, says "Hmmm" and then asks:

"What's a blog?"

"It's short for weblog."

"It's short for what?"

"Web.....log....it's an online journal. You write about whatever you want and you can post pictures and make the background really pretty if you know anything about web design, which I don't, so my blog looks boring. And then people can comment on what you've written. I've even met a few bloggers in real life."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, they were really nice, and fun, and they weren't perverted or anything."

I then get into the how's and why's I started mine and the glazed look is given by the person I'm informing and enlightening. They've lost interest because they just can't envision what the hell I'm talking about.

And then I get all embarassed because I feel like "blog" is the worst word in the world (I really wish there was a better name made up). And that anyone who meets other bloggers are weirdos belonging to some underground pervert club who do unmentionable things with each other.

And then I change the subject and I mention how I found a great deal on Tupperware at Walmart.

posted by Shannon at 8:46 AM

11 Comments:

  • You should see the looks we get when we mention the BBS we've frequented for over a decade. (Greg a bit longer than me). Or that he has that e-mail list to keep up with his college friends...;)

    By Blogger If not a mother..., at 10/24/2006 9:14 AM  

  • I'm the same way Shannon. Especially when talking to someone like my Grandparents or something like that.

    It usually goes like this:

    "You know I do some writing on one of those 'BLOWG" things (all drawn out to emphasize), you know, like an online journal"

    What I'd really like to hear sometime is my father explaining it to HIS parents... Can you imagine? :-)

    By Blogger Scott K. Johnson, at 10/24/2006 11:14 AM  

  • I think this just shows that even a small gap in age can make a huge difference. All of my friends have blogs and that's actually the way that I keep in touch with almost all my friends from high school. We use a different blogging system though. We use Livejournal, because we're all on it. Kind of like how we're all on Blogger. Just makes things easier to post and to connect with people. Actually, you can create a friends page and just click and see all the recent posts your friends have made. I wish Blogger had something like that. Would make blog hopping sooo much easier. All the posts on one page. Heaven.

    By Blogger Allison, at 10/24/2006 12:27 PM  

  • Rachel, I think it's cool how your husband has the list to keep up with college buddies. It's so much easier to keep in touch as a group.

    Scott, my grandmother doesn't even have an answering machine, so I won't even talk to her about computers and what's on them.

    Allison, I graduated college in '93, which was before the big tide of the internet (it was just a little known thing back then), so even though my college girlfriends are in their mid-30's which is hardly too old to understand the internet, the only thing they know how to do is send emails. Forget about surfing the net and blogging. It's amazing they've survived in the world this long, LOL.

    By Blogger Shannon, at 10/24/2006 12:33 PM  

  • Tupperware at Walmart, I am still laughing!

    Blog isn't an attractive word to say is it?

    What would you call it?

    By Blogger Tongue in Cheek Antiques, at 10/24/2006 4:20 PM  

  • Lol, I get that a lot.. And just like you it seems to just get worse while I'm explaining. Luckily, my job is compiling dictionaries, so I've made sure 'blog' etc. is in - and properly explained - maybe after a while I won't have to do all the explaining..

    By Blogger Scholiast, at 10/24/2006 4:46 PM  

  • Corey, I guess an online journal would be better, but people not in the know may not realize it's the same thing as a blog.....I don't know.

    Scholiast, thanks for commenting :) And I think it's pretty cool that you compile dictionaries.

    By Blogger Shannon, at 10/24/2006 6:01 PM  

  • walmart sucks. LOL
    people who don't read blogs, or message boards, or conversate online, don't get it. i love it. lol

    By Blogger j.sterling, at 10/24/2006 7:18 PM  

  • Walmart does suck!

    By Blogger Shannon, at 10/24/2006 10:27 PM  

  • The thing I don't like about the word is that it sounds too close to "blah"...at least down here in my neck of the woods.

    I just realized that I don't really talk much about blogging offline. The fact is that my offline and online worlds hardly converge, except through email.

    Hmmm.

    By Blogger Johnboy, at 10/25/2006 7:02 AM  

  • I think I'm cursed with talking too much.

    My whole family reads my blog. So does my boyfriend and my friends from growing up and college. (Also, Chris' mother, my friends' mothers, and my aunts. Oh my.) I've even had a few old friends from high school Google my name and stumble across the blog. (Oh my, again. What a way to catch up after almost a decade - by reading my intimate thoughts online? Maybe I need to rethink this... ;) )

    Shannon, this blog thing is amazing. And it's learning about people by peeking through this window into their soul. Very unique medium.

    Only stuck people belong to underground pervert clubs. ;)

    Oh yeah, and Wal-Mart definitely sucks. Sucks the money right out of my wallet, the bastards.

    By Blogger Kerri., at 10/25/2006 11:39 PM  

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