Questionned

Found a blogging questionnaire over at Sweet Home Alabama.

1. How long have you been blogging?
Since 29 September 2004 but I only posted twice that autumn and started for real on 22 March 2005

2. What was your view of blogs and bloggers a month before you started blogging yourself?
Blogs were pretty new and exciting and my friend - Nonna - had started one, so I wanted to join the club. I figured I also had things to write that people might find interesting :)

3. What was the first blog you fell in love with?
I can't really remember but the first two I read regurly and which inspired my own blogging were Nonna's as mentioned above, and Tomato and Basil Sandwiches.

4. What do you think about your first blog posts when you read them now?
They are pretty good, some short but some pretty long and attempts to be a bit political. I didn't know how to post pictures then, or, I knew but it wasn't as easy on Blogger as it is now, so I lack illustrations.

5. How many blogs do you read regularly?
At least 30. Those in the link list to the left and some other ones.

6. Of the bloggers you read, how many are diary blogs and how many are subject blogs/e.g. technology, fashion, politics blogs?
A mix of everything. Most are general, every-day blogs but I read a few politics blogs. I hardly ever read targetted fashion, design or travel (etc.) blogs though. I like the mix of entries in each blog.

7. Recommend (and link to) a blogger who is very different to you, whose blog you like?
Alvas pappa (Alva's dad) blogs about his daughter and being a father, so that's obviously something I can't relate to, but I enjoy reading his blog a lot (and I hope he won' stop blogging!).

8. Recommend (and link to) a blogger who is very much like you, whose blog you like?
Lullun in Greenland lives a very different life to mine (so I guess she would qualify under (7) too, but as I begin to get to know her (through the Internet world at least) I feel that we have very similar personalities and interests.

9. What do your closest family and friends think about your blogging?
Most of my friends don't know that I blog (even if I'm wrong they are very bad at commenting or ever mentioning it). My mum reads it regularly and seems to enjoy it. Some of my relatives also read it and as they are bloggers themselves, I assume they are positive towards it. My boyfriend used to read it a lot in the beginning of our relationship but now not as much (though I have complained about that!) - it was a bit unfair actually as he learned all these things about me without having to ask! :)

10. Do people who know you think that you are yourself in your blog?
I think so. I try to be myself at least and write only my own opinions or take on things. Thereof the name of the blog: Anna, Fair and True!

11. Have you found a good balance for how private and personal you want to be in your blog, or do you move the boundaries all the time?
Yes, I think I started out pretty good and I have kept that "system". I have never intented to be neither anonymous and secret nor write about everything I do, think, feel and post a lot of personal photos (especially of family and friends who may not want their face on the Internet).

12. Name a few things you would never blog about and why?
I probably wouldn't blog about difficult things I was going through, or at least not tell the whole story, and I wouldn't rat on friends or others who could get hurt. I also sometimes avoid topics that I don't know enough about and don't feel qualified to debate.

13. To what extent do you blog for self-confirmation?
Part of it for my ego, I won't deny that. It's fun to write something and hear what people think about it. But it's not only about that but about getting people engaged in discussion, feeling community with other people, learning from what others write on my blog. It also fun to work out how blogging works technically, learn some htlm-code, try out different blog designs, etc.

14. Do you think you can get to know a person by reading his/her blog?
Definitely, especially if they are personal, even if they are anomymous but still personal. There are several bloggers who I would really like to meet because I think they seem like genuinely nice, fun and interesting people.

15. Have you met people IRL (in real life) after having made contact with them through the blog?
No, not yet but I would love to meet some of my regular bloggers.

16. Do you think it can be bad for certain persons to blog?
No, not so long as there are others things in your life too (my boyfriend thinks I spend too much time blogging, reading different blogs, Facebooking, etc. but on average it's only 1 hour a day probably so I don't think I need to worry). Some people with certain jobs or who are public persons should perhaps be a bit careful with what they write and how personal they are but in general I think blogging is a positive phenomenon.

17. Have you ever been hurt by anything that has been written to you/about you in the comments or in other blogs? If so, how have you dealt with it?
Not that I can remember. There have been differences of opinion but the discussion has never got out of the way. I know some people that have receive anonymous e-mails about something they have blogged about but it has never happened to me.

18. Have you written things you have regretted in your own or other people's blogs?
I don't think so, I hope not.

19. What are the disadvantages of blogging for you?
As I mentioned above, it's time-consuming and a little bit addictive (you don't want to let down your readers by not blogging regularly ;) but it's so much fun and rewarding so I think it's still on the plus account for me.

20. Do you think that you are still blogging in two years' time? If so, do you think your blogging will have changed?
Definitely! And why change a winning concept! ;)

21. Do you think bloggers have (or will have) some influence on our culture, or are they a group of people that mostly influence each other?
Both!

22. Finally, can you summarise what your blogging has meant to you?
A new hobby, a new channel for knowledge (i.e. for myself in new sources of info, opinions and knowledge) and a new group of friends.

23. Name 5 bloggers you think should answer the questionnaire?
I extend the invitation to all the blogs on my blog roll!