Imagine a scenario in which you find out that your spouse is throwing you a surprise party. You play along for weeks. Then, the big day arrives, and "SURPRISE!" ...nobody came. Your spouse tried their hardest, but couldn't find a single person who could either make it (or wanted to go). Let's assume that the timing was just unfortunate and that you do not, in fact, suck at life. What do you make of the situation? All that you are is to be celebrated, but no one is there. To me, I feel as though many personal blogs are like the surprise party that no one attends.

Can it really be believed that there will be a mass following (especially, when the rules forbid swearing and porn)?  Will I just end up posting for myself? I recently created a poll that I thought we bring about a lot of discussion and interest. It was on the way games are presented on a game website -- and whether or not descriptions and translations should be required upon uploading. Only one other person voted on the issue (granted, it was a good reply). This makes me wonder how many of the threads get lost in the fabric of the website. If there's a way to ensure my thread is seen (not to mention read and discussed). Regardless, I guess I'll give it a shot. One can't be a part of ANY community if one refuses to participate and engage others.

What can be said about me? I'm 31. I live near Chicago. I work as a teacher. I have two master's degrees. I started a third master's and got bored with it. I've lived in my house for eight years now. I feel like Jean Paul Sartre when he wrote Nausea -- he said when describe our lives by taking measure of time and location at random intervals; but that, as we live, there can be no understanding of measurement and time.

I've traveled through about a dozen countries, lived in Spain and worked (briefly) in Japan. Japan is very hot in August -- the air sticks to you. If you go, go during the Spring.

When I was 14, I took a job as a ranch-hand on a horse ranch in Wisconsin. I spent most of my time cleaning up after the horses, rather than riding them, but it's still one of the best jobs I've ever held -- if only because it's unlike all of the other jobs I've held.

When I was a 15, I accidentally cut my own head open with a sword. 10 weeks later, I signed up for fencing lessons and competed in sabre (yeah, I spell it that way) to the national level. I got my butt kicked at Nationals.

From 18- 25, I started and quit various martial arts, musical instruments and foreign languages. I'm currently studying Kenpo Karate and, at two years, have studied it longer than all my other attempts. I'm bad at other languages, because I speak them the way I speak English, and because I tend to date people who speak English (when I lived in Spain, I dated a girl from Norway -- she was ridiculously hot and I don't regret it, but my Spanish isn't very good because of it).

Let's call it a day for now, eh? If people respond, I'll make it more interesting.

I think if you're posting something to the internet for someone to read, you're writing for the wrong reason. This is the problem with blogs and, in general, the type of person that starts a blog. A blog isn't there to be read by anyone, it's supposed to be for your reference. That's why we call them "Blogs" and not something else. It comes from the term "Web log", which is basically the news feed on a site.

Over the years, blogging software developed that made it easier for anyone to run a blog. These were originally used as personal journals by what would one day become emo kids. Notably sites like Xanga and Livejournal really popularized this form of "blogging". Of course, some people were really interesting, and they got a large following, and if they liked anybody, those people also got a large following. This sort of thing has happened on every blogging platform, but there are so many people who are just as interesting, if not more so.

As for your threads going unnoticed, what forum did you post in? I've noticed that only the top two sections really get any worth-while attention. If you post in the Polls and Questions forum, you'll only get spammy responses by kids just trying to gain Viz.

Hi,

@ THING1: I was in Tachikawa. It's about two hours ...(west?) of Tokyo. I was studying at a Buddhist temple at the time, and they sent me to Japan as the North American representative... so, a lot of pomp and public speaking in exchange for a free trip.

It was fun, but I found Japan to have (in my opinion) too many rules. I understand WHY it's this way, but I don't like it.

@Lazlo -- IF a blog is supposed to be personal, why post it for the public? IF it's posted for the public, can it really be said to be personal? Wouldn't the knowledge that others will read the blog, affect (perhaps even subconsciously) the material that's shared?

There was a program on a local radio station last year where the people voted for the play list. It's "your play list" the listeners would be told. "Will it be the same top 10 as last night? Will YOU choose the #1 song as YOUR #1?" It became a contest, something for which to strive.

Then the thought occurred to me, "will people choose songs that they really like, or will they choose songs that they think will win, so that they can be part of the winning team?" At first, I assume, people choose whatever songs they like; however, regular listeners will notice trends in popularity (the same 5 songs are always on top). How long, until their choice becomes one of those five songs? It becomes a matter of betting on the winner vs expression of self. Now, they're allowed to still voice their opinion, but to feel heard the have to limit the scope of their choice (to the top 5) or go unnoticed. IF they don't care about being noticed, why vote at all? IF they do care about being noticed, then are they still expressing their preference or just trying to pick the popular choice?

Can a BLOG, open to the public, ever truly be unaffected by the observer?

Lastly, and on a different topic, I posted my poll in the poll section. This may explain why it wasn't viewed. However, if the poll section isn't looked at, then I have a dilemma: post where it doesn't belong and get noticed, or post where it does belong and get missed. Perhaps I'll structure polls as sections of posts rather than foci.