Today it is exactly six months since I started preening myself in public. I started this blog not long after encountering blogology for the first time. If my memory is correct it started with John Redwood because I was searching for something about him and Google invited me to his blog. From there I followed a few links and discovered all sorts of wonderful stuff. Within a month or so I pictured myself as a ranting addition to the clan, throwing about foul-mouthed abuse while destroying the heart and soul of everything I found offensive with a penetrating analysis previously unmatched in the published word, and chose the name under which I write still with that in mind. I soon found I do not have it in me to swear (except in the mildest way) nor to write things I do not believe and my powers of analysis are pretty good but nothing special.
What I have found most interesting is that people write in different ways and their style seems to reflect their personality. Some choose to offer essays on their topic of the day while others prefer to make brief points without detailed explanation; some give a lot of references and links while others concentrate on expressing their view on a matter whether or not it is supported by any other writer.
When I sit at my keyboard to compose a piece of verbiage I rarely know what I am going to say, or to be more precise I rarely know what conclusion I am going to draw. Many a time in the 180-odd essays I have published here I knew the topic I wanted to address but had not previously had to arrange my thoughts on it. I certainly knew what my general opinion was and often I was pretty sure that opinion had been reached by careful analysis, but actually sitting down and committing thoughts to paper (so to speak) requires you to think about many details you have not previously considered. And when you do consider them you find they do not support every aspect of your previous conclusions.
One of my earliest pieces was about common sense. In the course of writing it I had to think more deeply than before about certain aspects of the global warming issue and came out of the exercise even more sure that St Al of Gore and his acolytes are very dangerous people. When first putting fingertip to keyboard that day I had no intention of mentioning global warming at all, it just seemed appropriate to bring it up to illustrate the main point I was trying to make, and from there things snowballed. Although my essays are not very long and are of varying quality they often take two or three hours to complete because side-issues like that arise and need to be dealt with in a way that fits the article.
It is, perhaps, a sign of my disorganised character and short attention span that I have to write an essay in order to justify my conclusions to myself. Perhaps it is also a sign of insecurity that I have to write an essay because I would not expect anyone to agree with me unless I gave reasons for my view. Not for me the one-line comment expressing my disagreement with something a politician has suggested - why should anyone pay any attention to one line from an anonymous blogger? Surely my disagreement can only carry weight if I give a full(ish) explanation? Others get away with one line, but it's just not in my character to even try.
The last six months have been fascinating for me and highly enjoyable. It's quite a thrill when something you have written is referred to by others with approval and when supportive comments are left, not quite such a thrill when a commenter tells you you've got it all arse-over-tit but flattering nonetheless that they have taken time out of their lives to read what you have written.
I suppose I'd better write some more in the next six months.
What I have found most interesting is that people write in different ways and their style seems to reflect their personality. Some choose to offer essays on their topic of the day while others prefer to make brief points without detailed explanation; some give a lot of references and links while others concentrate on expressing their view on a matter whether or not it is supported by any other writer.
When I sit at my keyboard to compose a piece of verbiage I rarely know what I am going to say, or to be more precise I rarely know what conclusion I am going to draw. Many a time in the 180-odd essays I have published here I knew the topic I wanted to address but had not previously had to arrange my thoughts on it. I certainly knew what my general opinion was and often I was pretty sure that opinion had been reached by careful analysis, but actually sitting down and committing thoughts to paper (so to speak) requires you to think about many details you have not previously considered. And when you do consider them you find they do not support every aspect of your previous conclusions.
One of my earliest pieces was about common sense. In the course of writing it I had to think more deeply than before about certain aspects of the global warming issue and came out of the exercise even more sure that St Al of Gore and his acolytes are very dangerous people. When first putting fingertip to keyboard that day I had no intention of mentioning global warming at all, it just seemed appropriate to bring it up to illustrate the main point I was trying to make, and from there things snowballed. Although my essays are not very long and are of varying quality they often take two or three hours to complete because side-issues like that arise and need to be dealt with in a way that fits the article.
It is, perhaps, a sign of my disorganised character and short attention span that I have to write an essay in order to justify my conclusions to myself. Perhaps it is also a sign of insecurity that I have to write an essay because I would not expect anyone to agree with me unless I gave reasons for my view. Not for me the one-line comment expressing my disagreement with something a politician has suggested - why should anyone pay any attention to one line from an anonymous blogger? Surely my disagreement can only carry weight if I give a full(ish) explanation? Others get away with one line, but it's just not in my character to even try.
The last six months have been fascinating for me and highly enjoyable. It's quite a thrill when something you have written is referred to by others with approval and when supportive comments are left, not quite such a thrill when a commenter tells you you've got it all arse-over-tit but flattering nonetheless that they have taken time out of their lives to read what you have written.
I suppose I'd better write some more in the next six months.
Posts
9 comments:
I have only been following your blog for about half of your blogging time, and have never commented before. The fact that I return daily to see what you have to say, might indicate that I find your comments well considered and very worthwhile to read. Although I live in the land of Aus, I am very interested in the happenings in the Old Dart, I believe that Aus often follows what happens in other parts of the world. Thank you Mr. Bigot, I might not comment again, but I will certainly be watching and reading.
Roverdriver Down Under.
FBO,
This blog is absolutely required reading for me, as I'm sure it for many others. It's not just that your postings are so consistently interesting and cogently argued, it's also that they are so well written.
I know what you mean about sitting down to write and not really knowing where it's going but then gradually finding it on the way.
I write very few 'thoughtful' pieces myself partly because I rarely have the time (and I write very slowly). Well actually I write very quickly but then spend an age fiddling with it all. I'm always worried that people will rip what I've written to pieces. Why should I worry? I don't know why, but I do. If I'm honest quite a few 'bigguns' were abandoned because I reread them and thought, 'what the fuck am I on about?'
But writing blogs and spending some time on them is a good way of collating all the fragments of data that are knocking about the old grey matter into some sort of order, and it's helpful in remembering it all too.
Looking forward to your next 6 months, old chap.
Keep going as long as you are enjoying it, you're part of the entertainement and education I get from reading blogs.
Thank you gentlemen.
I didn't actually write that post just to dig out compliments, but if I ever feel unloved I will write something similar.
Thanks for sharing some of your thoughts over the last 6 months - it's been blubbertastic :-)
AP
Dear FBO
It is essential to the sanity of many (and certainly mine) that you continue to blog...
As you know I visit daily... I must get one of those flag visitor widgets. Not sure Wordpress sup[ports them!
We must drink soon...
Dear Fat Bigot,
Great work over the last 6 months. I too visit your blog regularly.
You are absolutely right about writing making you fill out the gaps in your argument, and sometimes making you change your conclusion for the better.
Keep it up, and think that if one good blogger can reach say 20 people, and each of those can reach 20 more, we're in at the beginning of a snowball effect.
Cheers,
Neil
I liked 29 November 2008 'Nationalization and profit'. The conceptual analysis was most useful, especially as this is a subject where ordinary words sometimes have specific legal meanings. It is so easy to get the two mixed up, or to ascribe a meaning to a word when there are no good reasons for doing so. It is a piece which deserves re-reading and the theme periodically revisited.
Thank you Dr Pepper, Mr Charon (beverages are indeed long overdue), Mr Neil and Mrs Raft.
I rather like Mrs Raft's idea of revisiting previous posts (to see just how hopeless my prognostications have been). That exercise alone will keep me busy for years. Well done madam !
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