Blogging For Fun And Friendship

Phone calls, text messages, emails, instant messages – these are our high-tech modes of staying in touch with friends and family and pursuing that coveted "other."

I am going to suggest another way to stay in touch and make new friends: blogging.

That's right, blogging.

First, what is a blog? nThe word blog comes from the combination of the terms web and log: weblog, which was shortened to blog. nA blog is an online collection of thoughts, ideas, reflections, responses, and opinions, or simply a means of communicating with an audience.

Blogs have become a hot business tool, used for grass roots communication between companies and their various publics.

However, blogs actually originated as online diaries. nThe traditional hand-written diary segued into electronic form, especially among techies and computer geeks. nNow blogs are mainstream, and a tremendous political, business, and personal force. nSome say blogging is the catalyst for the re-enactment of true democracy.

Okay, democracy, politics, and business aside, what can a blog do for you in making new friends?

Lots.

Let's take a look at a few aspects of blogging to help you get started:

1.Setting up n2.Deciding what to write about, and n3.Making connectionsnnSetting UpnnPlease forgive me if you already know this stuff, but I'm sure some of you may not, and so to the others: please bear with.

There are a number of free online sites where you can set up your own blog. Three of the most popular are:nnwww.blogger.comnnwww.livejournal.comnnwww.wordpress.comnnThe setup for all three is pretty straightforward and the instructions are clear. nThe main challenge you'll have is in coming up with a name for your blog that hasn't already been taken.

Deciding What to Write AboutnnNow that you've got this thing set up, what do you write about? nOkay, the premise that brought you here was to meet people, right? nPreferably people of the opposite sex?

Well, most of the tools and techniques we've been talking about relative to dating and relationships hold true here as well.

First, write about stuff that interests you, stuff about which you are passionate. You want to be you on this blog, not some fabricated Don Juan or Lilly Lolita.

Now, you can approach a blog in one of two ways. nYou can:

1.Write about a single topic, say the upcoming presidential election, or your passion for horses.

2.Keep a reflective blog where you comment on a variety of issues, problems, and your daily life.

Making ConnectionsnnNow, here's where you've got to do a little work. nYour goal is to make connections. nSo to do that, you need to find other blogs with topics that appeal to you and/or are on topics that you're also writing about. nWhen you come upon these blogs, you should comment on entries that inspire you in some way. nGo back to the same blogs on a regular basis, leaving more comments, as well as a link to your blog.

After keeping in contact with selected bloggers on a regular basis, you will find yourself developing new friendships and relationships based on topics of mutual interest or passion.

What better way to meet and develop a romance?nnnn