Why we blog.

Well not us specifically here at OtohBotoh* but bloggers in general. A more appropriate title is "Why we should blog" or better "Why people read blogs."

The reason people read blogs is simple: to take a break from work. A majority of people work in an office in front of a computer, or at least it seems that way. People who work in front of a computer look for any excuse to not sit in front of said computer. They are looking for a distraction from a cold, simple truth : They are bored.

For most of my jobs, before the one I have one now for which I'm gratefully, um, grateful; the most exciting term lasted for approx. six months from the first day. It's not a coincidence that, as soon as the whispers of boredom settle in, the chime of "I need another cup of coffee" drowns it out. Caffeine addiction, I propose, is in direct ratio to the growth of office jobs.

Now, I know this is one of those obvious things that everybody knows.

The medium of blogging is directly suited to the task of distraction. Posts are short, generally shallow, and in text - which makes it very easy to conceal and perform the actions necessary for one to appear as if they are doing their job.

This task - to provide a moments break from the rigors of office life - is blogging's calling, specifically blogs about life. Sure the news junkies will make headlines (how could they not?), and all the niche blogs (sports, music, movies) will flourish. Vlogs will catch on and maybe turn into TV shows. But videos violate the concealment rule, except in more relaxed environments, and therefore I believe the simple text blog will reign supreme until people start working from somewhere other than an office.

Now get back to work.


*(Why bloggers blog is unanswerable and the exploration ultimately uninteresting. Bloggers tend to write about why they blog because they feel the need to justify their existence. As if, in America circa 2007, one still needs to justify their urge to express a thought. Unfortunately this topic is interesting to the blogger, but not to their audience. This is because the audience is not interested in one's selfish thoughts or introspections unless they are somehow connected to "making sense of the world" (which is the real reason people read, listen, watch each other.) Otherwise, the audience is taken on a voyeuristic journey into one's private thoughts without the vulgar and honest stuff, aka the good stuff. Consider how many writers besides Charlie Kaufman try to write about writers, and how often those stories fall flat.)