Blog Post On Blogging

I blog, therefore I am.

Yes, it is time for the requisite blog post on blogging. I have regaled you with my personal opinions every other day or so for five months about breaking science news and what it’s like working for an evil global biotech empire. Apparently you haven’t yet grown sick of me since you’re still reading this dreck, and I’m happy to keep dishing it out to you. Yum!

I have to say I greatly enjoy writing this blog – more than I had expected. There have been some major benefits. For one, I keep up with science news more often, and have posted on a wide variety of topics, from computers to volcanoes, astronomy to zoology, evolution to medicine. I think it reflects my scatterbrain way of life. But the best benefits have been somewhat less tangible. Because I occasionally rant about the evilness of my job, I’ve found I’m less angry and frustrated with it. Don’t worry, though, I’m still an “Angry Lab Rat.” It wouldn’t be as interesting if I were simply a “Somewhat Miffed Lab Rat,” would it?

I’ve also found great pleasure in the fact that I can present to you, and the entire world, an unedited version of my thoughts, as surely profound and insightful as they may be. I’ve written and published works for years: short fiction stories, scholarly science articles, marketing material, poetry, letters to the editor, and now I’m marketing a fiction novel. But with all of these things the writing was subject to review (and sometimes revision) by editors and (sometimes) co-authors. The beauty of this blog is that I can write whatever I wish, no matter how the rest of the world may view it, factional or fictional, foul language or angelic, and even misspelled or bad grammar, without any oversight or editing at all. What freedom! And I don’t even need to tell you who I am. This is the beauty of the internet.

Of course, this is also the ugliness of the internet. Because of its anonymity and freedom, porn is the number one internet business, and the internet has become a haven for anyone spouting hatred, racism, bullying, or violence. You won’t find any of that here. Recently, a “blogger’s code of conduct” has been suggested by a couple of web luminaries to counter such unfriendliness (HERE is an article on it), complete with seal of approval images to post on your site if you comply with the code. This code includes what to say and what not to say, and prohibits anonymous comments. It’ll never fly, simply because web surfers in general, and bloggers in particular, love the freedom of expression and anonymity as much as I do. I for one am willing to put up with the occasional filth out there for the sake of personal freedom.

Because my blog doesn’t have a hit counter, I didn’t really know how many of you were visiting. The only way I could tell was by the occasional comment left by someone. Well, now I know, and I’m shocked. I used to think I was just visited by a few close friends and co-workers, one or two folks who found the site by random, Grandma, and Mom (of course!). But through a couple of blog directories I subscribe to that keep statistics (such as THIS ONE), I now know that I've gotten over a hundred unique visitors so far this month, and between 5 and 10 unique visitors a day. I've had over 2000 unique visitors since I started in December! It ain’t much compared to the big sites, or just about any blog mentioning the name of Britney Spears, but it’s more than I ever expected.

As I posted back in December, blogging has earned me, and most likely you, Time’s Man of the Year last year. Now I’m happy to say that I and my wife will be co-authoring another blog soon – and we’ll be PAID for it, even! Can you imagine? It’s not finalized yet, and I’m not going to tell you the address unless you know me and ask me in person, since that site is family-oriented and this one is anonymous and, well, NOT as family oriented. I’ve also been thinking of starting a blog to post pictures of my kids for the sake of friends and family. I guess this makes me a blogophile, but then, I’d hazard to guess that a majority of you readers have blogs and websites of your own. Some of you have several, I know.

Sharing is fun, so keep on comin’, and tell your friends. I wouldn't pass up an opportunity to corrupt innocent minds. And for heaven’s sake, please leave comments.

Ya’ll come back now, ya hear?