Market Research Consumer Survey Type Thing

Why are you here?

By that, I don’t mean why are you here on this planet, living, breathing, existing, procreating, dying, reincarnating etc. (because we’ve all watched “The X-Files” and understand the origin of our species, right?) but rather why are you here at this moment, on this web page reading these words that I typed? The answer may fall somewhere in the category of “don’t get out enough” but I’m looking for a bit more detail than that.

It’s endlessly fascinating to me (and that in itself should tell you how deep I’m into the “don’t get out enough” category) as to why people start blogs, how they promote them (if at all) and how other people discover and read what they’ve written.

My guess is that the vast majority of bloggers start up a blog (the personal, journal type blogs) because they just want to type something. It’s easy, it’s liberating, it’s modern and it’s free, not counting the monthly internet provider subscription and the medical bills for all the RSI treatment. But here’s the thing. What good is writing something in a public medium if no-one ever reads it? Are you typing stuff for you or for other people?

My experience (and I’d be interested to find out if anyone agrees) is that even the most private, anonymous and deeply personal blogs are crying out (sometimes literally) to be read, and not only read but acknowledged as read.

I like to get a little crazy at times and wantonly hit the “Next Blog” button to see where it’ll take me - a bit like Jodie Foster’s journey in “Contact” – or I’ll click on a link on another blog but I rarely feel the urge/have the energy to linger very long in one place or leave a comment. Sometimes all the button-hitting and clicking bring me full circle to the place I started which then makes me think that the blogging community isn’t as big as is often stated. Maybe there’s only about a dozen of us out there?

Anyway, my point (and I did have one I think when I started this) was to try and understand how it is that you came to be reading this… if you haven’t already clicked on “Next Blog” about two or three paragraphs ago. If you have the time and/or energy and/or inclination, could you peruse the options below and leave a little comment (the corresponding option number would do) to let me better understand.

As an incentive for your time and effort, all feedbackers and commenters, anonymous or otherwise, will go into a little wooly hat for the chance of winning a stunning and unique prize yet to be acquired or indeed, assembled using sticky back plastic and a Fairy Liquid bottle. So here we go…

Dear Neil, I am here reading these words what you typed because…

1. I am your oldest friend and bass player in The Signals and it was my idea that you start this blog thingy in the first place.

2. I am a member of your immediate family and you told me I had to visit this site every day, or else.

3. I used to work/drink/play golf/go to school/go on holiday with you and every time I hear from you, you bore the tits off me telling me I should read your blog.

4. I used to go out with you but you keep pestering me so I check this blog in the hope that you’ve disappeared/been arrested/turned out to be gay.

5. I met you on your travels and you told me you were a famous and talented writer but I’ve yet to see any evidence supporting this claim.

6. I saw you leave a comment on someone else’s blog in a shameful attempt to try and get me to click on your name and in a moment of weakness I did.

7. I saw your blog linked on a site that I actually do admire and clicked on the link by mistake.

8. I clicked on “Next Blog” and found your site entirely by accident and what a happy day that was.

9. Someone (who is no longer my friend) told me that I just had to check out your witty and wonderful website.

10. Some other quirky twist of fate that you haven’t thought of brought me here. (If you chose option 10, a short explanation would be appreciated. Thanks.)