Have you ever wondered why the combined sizes of your earholes are still smaller than your mouth?
If you answered “Yes” to that, you really need to get laid. Like, now.
For the rest of you normal people still reading, there’s a simple enough answer. People like to talk more than they like to listen. I’ll admit now that I don’t read many editorials or blogs, unless there’s a topic of interest to me. Likewise, I don’t expect many people to read this blog unless I’ve said something outrageous or stupid like “ZOMG – TALKING BABIES ARE TEH BOMB!!!!!11ONE”. And even then, I expect most people to close the window.
Second Life has a fantastic blogging community which shares news and events, and what’s important to us in our virtual lives. It forms part of the new media which doesn’t need news outlets to survive – Thomson Reuters has recently just pulled out it’s reporter from their bureau in Second Life, after it became evident that there wasn’t really much news to report that would be relevant to the real world. Lets face it – when you’re reporting on two people divorcing because of a virtual affair, and then the woman starts a new relationship in another virtual world, you’re safe in the assumption that your career just hit a new low.
We run the risk of alienating Second Life from the real world community – the only real source of news in Second Life will essentially come from ourselves, which means we as bloggers have a social responsibility to write effectively and report matters as we see fit?
News reports in the real world are becoming more trivial as it is, and there’s more than enough mistrust concerning media outlets. It’s for that reason that bloggers are being seen as a more influential force, and the Internet as a whole is treated as a resource for information.
And thanks to human nature, there’s an abundance of people who are willing to write without a benefit of payment – heck, it’s impossible to shut them up. As a species, we need no incentive to share information – by doing so, we make ourselves more interesting and attract attention. What we write doesn’t need to be interesting either – only original.. just look at the dullest blog.
And we blog for attention. You don’t write for yourself, or else you could just keep all your entries private. Everyone writes to garner the attention of their peers and to attract an audience to their blog – we want what we say to matter.
I’ll freely admit that I blog because I like to make people laugh, and I like to make people think. My hope is after reading an entry of this blog, you’ll think about your own Second Life in a different way. I’ve not been accused of harbouring controversy yet, and it’s not something I outwardly intend to do, but I don’t shy away from saying what I think, which obviously will always attract both positive and negative attention. Quite frankly, if you can’t cope with half the world loving you and the other half hating you, you really don’t deserve a blog.
I’ve always thought that mediums based on opinions are never permanent. Sooner or later, the writer will say the wrong thing and will be burnt for it – I class myself no differently and expect that sooner or later I’ll say something which will make people think “Hang on.. is he for real?”. The drawback of an opinion blog is that the writer will keep trying to push their readers to see how much they can get away with. When I start talking about the joys of Mono over LSL, I’ve run out of things to say and you can declare this blog dead.
The most popular entries on this blog are humour based and controversial topics – that’s simply explained. People like to laugh, and people like to have their say. That, or they’re laughing at all the typos I make.
Additionally, I’m not afraid to be wrong. The world is full of people who are trying to be right, and it gets rather boring when everyone does the same thing. Call it drama if you wish, but when somebody breaks the mould, it’s certainly interesting and they garner attention for it. Don’t be wrong all the time though, or else people will just think you forgot to take your meds.
If you’re going to be right, then you need to be righter than everyone else – you need to be articulate, clearer and funnier than everyone else, or you just get lost in a sea of other blogs.
Writing a blog that interests people while being able to inform, share ideas and knowledge, and make people laugh is actually pretty tough, and I’m finding that as I attempt to update Metaversally Speaking daily. I’m fortunate in that some of my readers have started sharing ideas for articles with me, which I’ll be tackling soon.
But as a golden rule, remember this. When you’ve written 1,000 words about blogging which you think nobody will bother to read, the simplest way to hold interest is to attach a picture of yourself naked with another hot guy.
elusyve on December 10, 2008
The blogs I enjoy most, are those with a distinct and honest voice that reflects the author. As much as it pains me to say this, yours is one of these
Also, I was so afraid when I hit your “dullest blog” link, that it would lead directly to mine!
Oh and I printed your nekkie picture and put it up for my pugs to enjoy >:P
QiQi Michigan on December 10, 2008
Picture. Too. Small.
Newdoll on December 10, 2008
Prad I only visit your blog for your naked pictures, um I mean, your interesting articles, um…. I mean, its as informative and educational as Penthouse
Whimsy Winx on December 10, 2008
/me cries….half of you hate me???
Dude….just sayin…Body Oil.
/me giggles
whut?
SySy on December 10, 2008
Prad your blog is really what you’re trying to achieve i think: Food for thought and a good laugh every now and then. I recently discovered yours through plurk LOL but i’m reading it loyaly now
keep up the good work!
Peter Stindberg on December 10, 2008
The mix is important. An article about Mono vs. LSL can be interesting, can be important, can be even entertaining (see this one as an example: http://rikawatanabe.wordpress.com/2008/12/06/64kb-ought-to-be-enough-for-everyone/ ). Specifically, for me as (amateur-)content creator, such an article would most likely even be helpful.
My initial reaction was “But, ok, Prad is the wrong person to write about Mono vs. LSL”. But in fact that is wrong. In fact I would be very much interested in your take on it. This is actually what the Blogger Mix’n'Match challenge was about: have people write about completely random topics. And even more so – you are a content creator too, strictly speaking (though I dislike the word) even a competitor. So your take on it would be doubly interesting.
What about a challenge, our own personal Mix’n'Match? You write an article about Mono vs. LSL, and you assign me a topic too.
Getting attention is certainly one aspect of blogging. In todays world, you get each day shwon how insignificant you are, how easily replacable. Blogs are a tiny way to leave a mark, to show that you actually exist. This stands true for RL, and this stands true for SL too. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
It’s all about the mix.
“Not a problem my squad can’t fix / Cause we can do, it in the mix”
Busta Rhymes
Teena on December 10, 2008
I read your blog cuz I can’t stop myself from clicking links and yours are in my face on plurk when I wake up hehe Well true but not the whole story. I read your blog because you often make me laugh and you are often saying what many people are thinking but dont have the guts to say in a public forum. Please please keep writing.
Prad Prathivi on December 10, 2008
Oh I hate you.
“50 reasons why you should quit your real life and stick to Second Life.”
Publish them in one week’s time. I need time to research this.. lol!
Bailey Longcloth on December 10, 2008
Prad you know I love to read your posts. From the laugh out loud funnies to the really stop and make you think posts you’ve captured what many of us want to say but won’t.
You are 100% right, we don’t blog just for ourselves. We are all seeking attention. We want our blog to be read and followed. If I’ve learned nothing else since I started blogging, I’ve learned that the negative comments are just as important as the positive ones. I don’t want everyone to agree with me. How else can I learn and grow without a little debate.
Keep up the writing hon. <3
muah
kesseret on December 10, 2008
moar nudity.
kthxbai
Ana Lutetia on December 10, 2008
/me comes here for naked guys pics
Katoria on December 10, 2008
Oh god, Prad. Please don’t write a blog about Mono vs LSL. I’m a scripter and even I don’t want to read that! Unless it’s 4am and I need something to help me sleep maybe
)
Tigerlily Koi on December 10, 2008
/me insists on bigger naked guy pics.
Seriously.
But also, I read your blog because you’re amazingly insightful. I always come away either laughing or thinking. That’s the kind of blog that I really enjoy, and keep up with. So few blogs do that anymore, and the ones that do are rare gems.
Honour on December 10, 2008
Interesting that nobody questioned that one of those guys was you. I’ll have to go through the archives – maybe there’s some self portraits I’m missing.
Ryker Beck on December 10, 2008
Is it wrong that I actually didn’t read the post, but — saw the picture, KNEW you were going to say SOMETHING about blogging and hot guys, scrolled to the bottom, and sure enough…
<3
Landsend Korobase on December 10, 2008
Reading your blog was what made me think it might be fun to do one myself too, thought I might have something interesting and funny to say aswell! I was wrong. You make this look easy. As usual I marvel at how you get so many different things done each day and do them to such a high quality.
And yes, I only read to the end because I wanted the nakedness explained. Then I realised nakedness doesn’t need explaining – pointless nudity is to be encouraged, this is the lesson I take away from your blog today.
Keep the daily posts coming, love having something good to read every morning
)
London Spengler on December 11, 2008
Comed here baited for the picture: now I know how people feels.
*smiles, loves the phrase “thanks to human nature, there’s an abundance of people who are willing to write without a benefit of payment – heck, it’s impossible to shut them up” and retreats to her hole*.
Eve Petlyakov on December 12, 2008
“…the simplest way to hold interest is to attach a picture of yourself naked with another hot guy.”
That had me rl lol. Bravo sir. <3
Raul Crimson on December 16, 2008
/me feels used just to make ppl read this post *sniffs* ;-P
Peter Stindberg on December 17, 2008
My part of the challenge is up: 50 reasons why you should quit your real life and stick to Second Life