Asher Aw

The technical term for blog is web log. Nowadays, a blog can be used for many reasons – it can be personal or meant for business purposes. So it’s interesting (at least it is, to me) how people forget about what it means to blog.

What does it mean? It means…

• Being able to let people know what’s going on in your life

I know this is kind of redundant but it strikes me as stupid when I ask people for their blog addresses and they shy away… saying they don’t want too many people to know about their life. Why did you start a blog in the first place then? Might as well keep a physical book and write your own diary and hope nobody ever sees it.

Yeah, I understand the importance of privacy… but there’s the option of making posts private. Other than that, just having a blog is like having an open diary where the whole world can see it. It’s therapeutic in a sense that it lets more people know what’s going on in your life and thought life.

It’s therapeutic because people want to connect with other people.. and an online format of communicating is an easier way for many people to express how they truly feel.

So, if someone asks for your address… don’t be shy – just give it. Otherwise, why have it in the first place?

• Being subject to risks

When you have a blog and you update it, it means your thoughts and your opinions are subjected to risks. Not everybody on earth is going to agree… also, some people will agree wholeheartedly.

Having an open diary also subjects you to possible “stalkers” – I know cause I’ve had my fair share of it. (For people who say “Wa… AT LEAST you have a stalker”… I say “It’s not exactly a fun experience”.

Take for example, I wrote a post some time back about Michael Jackson and wrote a simple poem to him. He’s been my idol since I was a kid and I’ve always been supportive of him.

But when I posted it up – I got some responses (privately) who say good riddance, death to a pedophile, they send jokes about him, etc. Did it hurt me? Yes. This is someone I love and respect.. being insulted. Then some people say I’m over zealous about him and make fun of me – they transfer their ridicule of M.J. onto me. Did it hurt me? Yes.

But this is the point of having a blog – risks are inevitable.

• Recording your life and moving on

Most people use a blog to record their personal life and thoughts. Even if no one reads the blog or leaves a comment – they sometimes write a blog post that says “Haven’t been blogging because of [insert reason]“.

Funny because they’ve got zero comments all the way – but they still feel the need to explain to the world why they’ve not been blogging.

And when they do, they move on.

It’s what I love about blogging – it allows people to express themselves and record down the different aspects of their life. No matter how insignificant. Every person on this planet (especially in the more technologically advanced countries) want to feel like they are part of something bigger than they are.

When people are sad, blogging helps them to express how they truly feel without bottling it up. When people are happy, they record it down so they can always refer to it in the future. And the list of emotions goes on.

In conclusion, this blog post is mostly about personal blogs. I won’t go into the business aspect of using blogs because there’s a whole science to it.

No blog should ever be perfect – because perfectionism is boring.

Dare to blog.