London's Guardian Unlimited, which claims to be the UK's most popular newspaper web site, mentions Dan Bammes (Dan's Cancer Weblog) in an article headlined, "A sympathetic modem - Bobbie Johnson on how the internet is helping people cope with grief and illness."
Multiple kudos on the genesis of Dan's Mulitple Myeloma blog: Pete Kruckenberg, glad you encouraged Jim Stewart to blog. Jim, glad you talked me into blogging. Dan, glad you didn't just laugh when I shared with you my recently-discovered zeal for blogging.
So what do we learn from this? Blogs are a form of viral marketing, yes. A little blog can make a much bigger ripple than you might suspect. (Guardian Daily in print has 400,000 readers. Wonder what their site draws?)
Consider these personal questions about blogging:
Okay, now that I've asked you the questions, what are some of the answers for me? Yes, I want to improve my blog. For me it works better when I give it daily attention. But even when I can't write during the week, I can usually get in a few moments on weekends and it's been well worth it. For me it's like that old Sophie Tucker quotation: "I've been rich and poor, and rich is better." Well I've kept journals on and off for more than 25 years, and I've been a fairly steady blogger since February. In short, I've tried writing and not writing, and writing is definitely better.
Who would I like to see blogging? Here's a quick, partial list: Kucera, Elwell, Hunter, Krier, Cline, Gardner, Petersen, Hess, Millington, Strickland, Jones... But wait, these are your associates, don't you see them enough face-to-face? Some, but not all. Besides what you blog about and what you talk about are often different and sometimes strangely complementary topics. Then there's the time issue. Rarely can I sit in Jim's office, but I can scan his blog. I glance at the lure, and many days he sets the hook. Another form of catch and release I suppose. (Jeff Holmes got me thinking about fishin' today.)
So who is on your list of prospective bloggers who'd undoubtedly generate some distinctive (and perhaps much needed) ripples in the pond?
Shot from the first mile of Saturday's ride up Millcreek Canyon (about 12 miles round trip). We took four or five breaks on the way up past the snow gate to the east entrance to the Pipeline Trail. Light rain kept things interesting on the way down. A bit startled by a loud whack on my helmet from an overhanging branch I misjudged. Glad I'd packed a sweatshirt when we hit the last fast pavement back to our vehicles. Superb late afternoon ride from approximately 5:15 to 6:45 p.m.
Friday's lunch hour ride, Dry Canyon. The goal is to slam this ride in 45-minutes with only one break at the top. It's still taking half a dozen stops. But they're getting shorter and not all of them are strictly for air. "Gotta stop for a photo. Get sumn' good for the ol' blog, you know. Not that I gotta take a long draw on the CamelBak. Not that my lungs and legs 'r screamin' for oxygen."
