Do you think I'm needy? I went out with some friends last night who said having a blog is needy, and therefore, so was I. I started this blog because it was an outlet for writing, something I don't get to do much anymore except on here. So I was stunned when it was pointed out that others thought differently.
I don't think of myself as needy at all. I'm not really a 'let's talk about me' person in the flesh. I'm much more interested in you. I'm definitely not an 'enough about you, back to me' person either. But perhaps blogging is a form of neediness - after all, I'm always checking back for comments. No one wants to be ignored, but does that make one needy?
Your thoughts please, fellow bloggers and lurkers.
Discuss.
11 comments:
Well, YOU'RE not needy - far from it - but I AM, and that's one of the reasons I carry on blogging through thick and thin, as well as that desire to communicate, as, like you, I don't write very much any more.
My blog exists purely to be able to write too, though I have always a needy streak to me as well. I didn't go to university, therefore somehow I feel I constantly need to prove myself with people who did. Even Lord Cheeseford of Barfeshire assures me that I've, er, no need to. Hmmmm.
Clearly blogging is, to some extent, a sign of neediness. If it was really just for the writing, why publish it and allow others to comment? But you could as easily argue that any form of writing is "needy". So what – as long as you enjoy it and we enjoy it, why get hung up on it?
I don't think its needy (although I obviously would say that). For me, it's about community. Blogging is like an extended pub conversation, but online.
If blogging is needy, then so is having friends and family.
Needy compared to whom? To people who tweet their every movement? I don't think so.
I spend my working life (and quite a lot of my non-working life) listening to other people. Having a blog is a bit of a playful outlet, and somewhere where I get to hold forth a bit for a change. You could say, therefore, that it meets a need, but I don't see that as being the same as having a generalised neediness. Your mate needs to be clearer about his terminology. Tell him I said so.
I agree with Cocktails - does having friends and family make you 'needy' and, anyway does it matter?
But of course bloggers are 'needy' - no one would do it if they didn't, for some reason, 'need' to - it's the motivation behind the need that's interesting. Some people want to show off, some people want to experiment, some people want to be loved - some people seem to have a desperate need to rile everyone else ... whatever.
If you enjoy it, do it. If you don't then don't. Nothing else is important!
I do enjoy it, and yes it meets some kind of need, but I have decided I am not needy so I'm not going to worry about it.
Thanks everyone.
Simon, you're right about Twitter. Now that's needy.
Never thought of you or your blog as needy FC, breezy definitely.
I tend to think of my blogs as cyberspace scrapbooks, and anything I'm buzzed about goes in - the communal/conversational side of it was an unexpected bonus..
PS you can get comment updates emailed to you - saves checking back
I know PM, but I like the surprise element.
Breezy - I like that.
I don't think blogging is inherently needy, although it took me a long time and the good work of some of the people who've responded to this post to show me what the point of the exercise was. For me, it's an outlet for the thoughts that I'd otherwise share with my wife and the dog, and to communicate with like minded individuals. I don't expect a response, I merely cast the bread on the water and see what happens.
And there's absolutely no need to prove yourself to people who went to university, Matthew. You clearly could have done, and that's what matters. Having the minerals.
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