Splotchy: What is your blog? 

Some Guy: Some Guy’s Blog

S:  When and why did you start blogging?

SG: I started in June of 2006 after reconnecting with my old friend, Grant Miller. Grant offered me the chance to guest-host his blog while he was away. It was so much fun and the people were cool, so I decided to start my own. Living in a pretty rural area and being fairly introverted, the blog was a good way for me to meet like-minded people from all over.

S: Did you stop blogging?

SG: Yes.

S: When did you stop blogging?

SG: I put up a random post during the pandemic, but my posting became really infrequent around 2011/2012 and stopped for good in 2014.

S: What were any factors that contributed to stopping?

SG:  I’m not sure. I know there was a big movement towards Facebook at some point, which I think played a part. I think a lot of the people I followed weren’t posting as much and I wasn’t as motivated to go out and find new blogs to follow.

S: Do you ever miss it?

SG: I do. I had a blast while I was doing it and I met a lot of great people, many in person as well. I still follow the lives of many of my blog friends on other social media.

S: Do you think you’ll ever pick it up again? Why or why not?

SG:  I’d never say never, but I’m not just not sure. Perhaps some of the reluctance is from fear that it won’t be as fun the second time around, which is lame, I know.

S: How do you feel about social media? Does it give you the same feelings as blogging? Why or why not?

SG: My curiosity compels me to follow at least some social media (Facebook, instagram, and YouTube), but I don’t necessarily feel good about it. I will say that I have watched some fascinating stuff on YouTube that I don’t think I would have  had access to anywhere else. The thing I found different about blogging was that it was much more of a community. I felt like there was more interest in getting to know each other on a personal level. We even had multiple blogger meet-ups! I would gladly go have lunch or dinner (and I have!) with any of my old blog friends if I happen to be in their towns.

S: How do you feel about the state of the Internet in general?  This is a very broad question, so feel free how to answer as you see fit.

SG: The Internet does a lot of things well. It can inform, provide entertainment, and accomplish tasks efficiently. Personally, i feel like the Internet has enriched my life. I’ve made many lasting personal connections through the Internet. It’s helped  me get better control of my finances. It’s made travel so much easier. I also think the Internet can be easily weaponized to disinform, hurt, sow distrust, and promote isolation. I’d have to give a lot more thought to whether or not the Internet has been a net positive for society.

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Thank you for these thoughtful answers, Some Guy!