Blogging Meme

I've been tagged for the blogging meme not once, but twice! Thanks to everyone's favorite local Brits Anglosaxy and TAFKA PP, I'm blogging about blogging.

Do you like the look and the contents of your blog?

I like the contents, but if I was satisfied with the look, would I have written this post? BTW, for those of you who haven't taken a moment to share your opinions on that post, it's not too late! Let me know what you think!

Does your family know about your blog?

Yes.

Can you tell your friends about your blog? Do you consider it a private thing?

Quite a few of them know about and are even regular readers. It's not a secret, though admittedly, I don't run around the office telling everyone about it, but that says more about my feelings vis a vis my company than it does about the privacy thing. With few exceptions, I don't tend to write about the private personal stuff, as I'm actually a pretty private person, and can probably count on one hand the number of people who know about the nitty gritty aspects of my life.

Do you just read the blogs of those who comment on your blog? Or do you try to discover new blogs?

I try for the latter, but time constraints mean that it's not always possible. I do, however, have a number of regular reads written by bloggers who have probably never even visited my blog, let alone commented.

Did your blog positively affect your mind? Give an example.

That would depend on the day. Overall, I'd probably have to say yes, but there are definitely days when I ask myself why I'm writing and whether I derive more joy or frustration from it. I can't give (won't give, would be more accurate) a concrete example, but one thing I will say is that at times, the blog as positively affected my self-confidence, as I slowly come to realize (still working on it!) that maybe my writing is as good as my parents always said it was...

What does the number of visitors to your blog mean? Do you use a traffic counter?

I do use a traffic counter, and most of the time, I don't like what I see! Hence the thoughts about updating the look and feel as I try to come up with ideas to increase readership. I do enjoy seeing where my visitors come from though, and judging from the stats I seem to have regular readers in from many far-flung corners of the earth, and people just stopping by from all over the place as well.

Did you imagine how other bloggers look like?

I think I always sort of sub-consciously create an image in my head of how people I communicate with regularly but don't actually meet look like. I have a friend in Europe who I "met" in an online forum, and when we actually met in real life, she looked nothing like what I had pictured!

Do you think blogging has any real benefit?

Sure! People blog for many reasons and people read these blogs for other, different reasons. I blog because I need the creative outlet, and ideally, I'd like to make a career from the kind of writing that I do. Also, I think blogging under circumstances fills a void, putting a human face on issues reported in the MSM, with the recent war being a classic example.

Do you think that the blogsphere is a stand alone community separated from the real world?

Nope, I believe that the two "worlds" complement each other, allowing us to perhaps get a bit more out of life than we would have without the blogosphere. I also believe that the blogosphere is a microcosm of the "real" world, with the Israeli blogosphere being a perfect example, given the diversity of opinions and the propensity to "share" them with others. Sometimes, when people outside of Israel ask me what Israelis are saying about this or that, I suggest that they check out our blogosphere, as it accurately reflects what people are thinking and saying here.

Do some political blogs scare you? Do you avoid them?

To be honest, I don't really read blogs that are strictly political. Lots of daily life blogs from the Middle East delve into politics as well, and while I do read some of them, there are others that I just can't stomach, even if I might enjoy the non-political stuff.

Do you think that criticizing your blog is useful?

That would depend on the criticism and how it's given. If someone criticizes my blog simply because I'm Jewish and live in Israel, while it's certainly within their rights, it's not useful at all - just a waste of time and space. Constructive criticism can be a good thing. In general though, if you don't like my blog, for whatever reason, well no one is pointing a gun to your head, forcing you to keep reading.

Have you ever thought about what would happen to your blog if you died?

I like the idea of a good friend writing a nice, final entry/tribute. And, following the post that I wrote about in my last post, I've decided that I want the epitaph on my headstone to read, "She was feisty in a positive way...", so if any of you happen to be around when it happens, please convey that message to the necessary individuals.

Which blogger had the greatest impression on you?

I'd have to say Anglosaxy, given that he's the one who got me started in blogging not once, but twice! He convinced me to start my previous blog, and then convinced me to do this blog with him (though we all know how that ended up). He's helped me with nearly every aspect of this blog, and there are rarely days that go by when I'm not bugging him about something blog-related.

If I can choose a second blogger, I'd have to say Lisa, given her unwavering support and confidence in me as a writer, as well as the amazing friendship we've built, which came about as a direct result of our blogging. The fact that she knows the best place in Tel Aviv for smoked salmon is simply an added bonus...

Which blogger do you think is the most similar to you?

Probably Lisa, at least in some ways. We share a lot of the same frustrations and ideals. And we'll always have smoked salmon...

Name a song you want to listen to?

I never tire of hearing Mr Jones and Me by the Counting Crows or The Light is Always Green by The Housemartins. Besides those two, I could probably come up with a very long list of songs that I love.

Hmmm... Who to tag, who to tag?

Beth, Rami, Emah S (seeing as she always tags me!), Ra'anana Ramblings