Observation
In the Observer today you can find an interesting article about blogging. There are three little pieces by bloggers, one of them me. (The other two write blogs about living in Belgium and having a mental illness, respectively, both of which put my own theme of ME ME ME ME in the shade somewhat.) And an overview of the whole idea of the blog which asks why people choose to ‘live in public’ like this. There are some interesting cautionary tales, including one about a woman who got sacked for doing an amusing blog about the shortcomings of her employers. The article elegantly summarises the arguments for and against the whole culture of blogging (basically, for: interesting modern way of pooling our intelligence and insights; against: can make you go mental). I recommend it.
If you’ve just come to this blog for the first time as a result of the Observer piece, ooh, you’ve got some work to do. It’s every day. I mean literally every day. Sometimes there’s very little to say, but I don’t let such a petty consideration sway me from my task. Sometimes we collectively review films or embark on awkward self-improvement schemes. Occasionally I rant about something. Still more occasionally I actually provide information on my career, the way comedians customarily do on their websites. But those entries are still very much in the minority. Anyway, welcome.
Other news: my Twitrelief price seems to have peaked at £300, which is pretty respectable. (I’ve not checked Tim’s because it is, of course, not a competition). I’m aware that I ‘went off on one’, as youngsters say, about how important a cause this is, so I will now counterbalance this by saying I hope whoever’s bid three hundred quid can actually afford that much. It’s all too easy to get stuck into an Ebay auction as merry as you like, then realise unfortunately nobody is going to topyour bid and you actually have to PAY that money. This is a particular danger in instances like this where some kind people might have waded in and bid just to hike up the price. Be warned (nice though that is). Someone’s going to be unfortunate enough to win this auction. If it’s you, I hope it works out OK. I’ll send you some shit-hot tweets, I can tell you that right now.
Posted by Rachael on March 15, 2011
LOL.
(Feel vaildated?)
Posted by Miriam on March 14, 2011
Well Mark, I have come to your blog as a result of the Observer article, and thanks, it has cost me £30, as I have gone and bought tickets to see you in Bristol for me and my husband. We saw you a few years ago in Bristol and I was the one who convinced you to come and take the seats of the guys who were sitting next to me that had left for the toilet. Didn’t work out though because the ushers had told them you were there and you eventually had to go back up on stage. Still funny though. Looking forward to seeing you 3rd July and reading your blog.
Posted by Miz on March 14, 2011
Interesting. I’ve had a ‘private’ blog for a few years – only viewable to friends (well, most started out as random internet strangers – a different subject in itself), but last month I started a ‘public’ blog under my own name, because I wanted a public…presence on the Internet. I tucked it away on a little corner of the Internet and was sure that no one would read it, but of course as it’s public anyone can, and someone in fact did. This freaked me out somewhat as it was unexpected, and also because it reminded me that I’d written about myself publicly for the first time.
…
It’s a hard one, isn’t it?
Posted by Helen on March 13, 2011
Just read the article in the Observer, very interesting indeed.
Also, I was wondering…What ever happened to the birthday thing with everyone saying their date of birth and then the birthday shared by most blog readers was going to become a special day or something similar?
Posted by Cathy (traineeflorist) on March 13, 2011
I went on http://www.rednoseday.com today and who should I see looking out at me from the home page but you da man himself, altho it sort of doesn’t look like you cos you look quite chirpy and you seem to have red noses on your fingers which is a bit daft and we all know you are an intelligent guy. Perhaps it’s an imposter … which of course would make sense as you are not even here … you are in Oz … so confusing all this for my iccle brain …
Anyway, I don’t have a blog myself but I am quite enjoying writing on yours … as you know, I have a flower shop and have today been making Red Nose Day posters as I am going to donate 20% of all flowers sales for the next week to Comic Relief. Wish I could do more but am personally rather hard up at the mo! Otherwise I would be bidding away for Michin’s attentions, not yours as you are a very attentive tweeter anyway and happily converse with all of us, but that Minchin … well what can I say … the poor man has so many followers now he must struggle to read any tweets!
Posted by Simone on March 13, 2011
Loving the “shit-hot”, Watson.
Thanks for the link, amycool.
Posted by Misha on March 13, 2011
300 quid eh?
Wow.
That’s all i’ve got, gig tonight, patns wettingly nervous
Posted by Jen on March 13, 2011
good article…interesting read…your blog is like a community event….you keep us informed but you don’t talk at us you get us all involved…thats the nice thing about being a Watsonian!Jx
Posted by Clembear on March 13, 2011
Hooray for auctions which aren’t in themselves competitions but give us a handy metric for comparisons if we were so inclined by potentially making a big league table which each row numbered for ease of reference!
From some light analysis, you can severely increase your bid by offering to get pissed with the winner. Or by being a gay icon and giving them underwear. Both together could synergise!
I liked the article but I thought needy comedian was a bit harsh. The picture made you look a bit lonely too. That might have been the journalist’s intention. Hmm.
Posted by MusicalLottie on March 13, 2011
That was an interesting article. I’ve kept a LiveJournal since the end of 2005, and it’s quite funny to read back a lot of the entries, because I was just a child and the ‘big’ things in my life then now seem so insignificant. But with LiveJournal the entries can be set to be read by everyone, just LJ-friends, some LJ-friends, or nobody, which is why I gave it a go. So my personal LJ contains lots of very candid entries that I would never express in person, but the vast majority of those can either be read only by me, or by very few.
More recently I started a public LJ about my experiences of learning how to lead singing workshops (which is where the link of my name leads) but I initially thought it would be read either by total strangers, or by those that already knew me well. After about four or so months, it was being read by the two leaders and one or two others in the group. That made me feel a bit weird, because although I’m happy to be completely candid with the two leaders, the rest in the group fall into the category of acquaintances – so neither strangers nor those who know me well. It definitely made me think a little more carefully about what I wrote after that!
I certainly don’t think your blog has the theme ‘ME ME ME ME’ at all. Obviously it’s your blog, yes, but most of what you write is about situations in the world, helping Watsonians, etc. Of course you have to let us know about professional engagements, and it would feel quite false if nothing of the rest of your life made it into the blog anyway. So in summary, I think your blog is a nice mix of things about you, other people, and the world – not to mention all of the crazy schemes arranged through the blog
Posted by amycool on March 13, 2011
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/mar/13/blogging-fine-art-of-confessional?INTCMP=SRCH
Here’s the link in case people can’t find it.
I have always wondered how you feel when there aren’t many comments.
But I can assure you that most of the time it will just be people not having anything particularly insightful to say so they decide not to say anything at all. It often amazes me anew when a new blog comes up every single day. It’s such a mammoth task and you’re doing splendidly.
Posted by Lydia on March 13, 2011
I like the Observer thing, it’s interesting.
Posted by Ingrid on March 13, 2011
Right… Im off to but an observer!
Posted by Rachel/Pandora on March 13, 2011
I laughed quite a lot at ‘shit-hot tweets’. Bless.