The Blog Tag

The Atheist Jew has a tag going about blogs. Anyone who wants to be tagged, can answer the questions and pass the tag on.

• 1-Do you like the look and the contents of your blog?
  
  It looks ok. I have had various people say that the font is too small, and that might be something I take into consideration in the future. It is a "girlie looking blog" because I am an old girlie. The blog layout is a little complicated looking, but I am basically too lazy at the moment to change it.
  
  I based the idea of my blog around a couple of fictional characters. The first one is the roadrunner from "The Roadrunner Cartoon." Of course, the roadrunner doesn't say much except for "beep beep" or "meep meep", which I interpret to mean, "get out of the way, here I am."
  
  The other source for the format of this blog is Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" which is a story I have enjoyed since I was a child and that is why many of the initial quotes on the blog are from that source. In the story "Alice in Wonderland", Alice meets a cheshire cat. The cat appears and disappears at will, and engages Alice in sometimes amusing but sometimes vexing conversation.
  
  The cat also tries to point out philosophical points that annoy Alice. Symbolically, I am NOT Alice, I am the cheshire cat to whom visitors (or Alices), ask questions.

• 2-Does your family know about your blog?
  
  Some do. I haven't advertised it to the family nor to friends, as frankly, they wouldn't be interested in the world of blogging. I am sure most of them would consider it a complete nonsense, and it probably is!.

• 3-Can you tell your friends about your blog?
  
  As per above.

• 4-Do you just read the blogs of those who comment on your blog?
  
  Or do you try to discover new blogs? Sure, I read many blogs, some daily, some more erratically. It depends on how much time I have and how motivated I am..

• 5-Did your blog positively affect your mind? Give an example.
  
  I think that writing is a positive experience. It keeps the mind active and chugging along on 3.5 cylinders. Through using a process of composing arguments which encourage discussion and debate, one is able to improve reasoning skills.

• 6-What does the number of visitors to your blog mean? Do you use a traffic counter?
  
  Of course anyone who posts articles on the internet wants them to be read. And I hope that anything I post, whether it is my argument, or the argument of others is read and that people find them interesting, enjoyable and thought provoking.

• 7-Did you imagine what other bloggers look like?
  
  I wouldn't have a clue what most bloggers look like, and it is of little interest to me. What I am amazed at daily is how well some of the younger bloggers put together an argument.

• 8-Do you think blogging has any real benefit?
  
  Well, aparts from the personal benefit which I mentioned before, yes. Everytime a person clicks onto a blog they need to make a variety of decisions. The primary decisions needed to be made are whether the argument or points being expressed are logical, coherent, and consistent. If they are, then they might have passed some sort of critical analysis or test for veracity.
  
  Reading other people's blogs also allows an insight into how people think. Not just what they think, but the processes of thinking that they use, and if they think logically. I am not claiming, by the way, that everything I say is completely logical.

• 9-Do you think that the blogsphere is a stand alone community separated from the real world?
  
  The blogsphere is a window into how other people think. A huge variety of people blog. So, it is a snapshot of how some of these people think.

• 10-Do some political blogs scare you?
  
  The rule of thumb when it comes to all sorts of controversial topics but especially politics, sex and religion is that they are traditionally known as the subjects to be avoided in polite conversation. When people are not standing eye to eye and sharing their thoughts, the need to be polite for many people, seems secondary. I try to be polite, but I am by no means completely successful at it.

• 11-Do you think that criticizing your blog is useful?
  
  I don't mind people criticizing either my blog, or the variety of ideas expressed here. If we all agree, there is little point in writing a blog in the first place. It isn't freedom if it is only the freedom to agree.

• 12-Have you ever thought about what happen to your blog in case you died. If I shuffle off this mortal coil, I am sure there will be some people who will be relieved. In fact, some of them will probably be hoping that I am getting my comeupance in hell. (Limbo isn't taking anymore people as it's existence is in review from a religious point of view.)

• 13-Which blogger had the greatest impression on you?
  
  Hmmm. I am not sure. There are a few favourites, but I read such a variety of material, it is difficult to say.

• 14-Which blogger you think is the most similar to you.
  
  My blog has things in common with other bogs which discuss religion, science, philosophy and logic. Perhaps other Australian blogs are the most similar to me potentially because we share, even unwittingly, a similar cultural psychology.

• 15-Name a song you want to listen to?
  
  I am not sure what this has to do with the above line of questioning, but I will pick anything by Bob Schneider from the infamous "Bob Schneider and the Scabs."
  
  I will also tag anyone who wants to be tagged this time.
  

blog , blogger , tag , tags , blogsphere , blogosphere , alice in wonderland , cheshire cat , roadrunner