The Blogging Dream

Blogging has changed the world. Information is no longer controlled by a select few, and can be disseminated with ease to anybody with access. The internet is the conduit, but blogging is the great enabler, allowing anyone to write and be heard.

Blogging as a medium has a purpose, but what drives your blogging?

My blogging dream has always been to build something that would be greater than me the person. When I started The Blog Herald I wanted the site, the brand to be synonymous with blogging news, and by the time I sold it, it was. The process was as rewarding as achieving the goal. I can remember receiving emails from people who had taken up blogging after reading what I had written. There were no financial rewards, but to me, that I had inspired others was more rewarding than any check Google would send me.

I started The Inquisitr with a similar goal, to build a destination, one with a unique and hopefully interesting mix of technology news, pop culture and the occasional funny story. In building the site, the dream is that The Inquisitr brand becomes as memorable as a Mashable or CNet, and hopefully pay its own way comfortably. In working towards this goal, I’ve grown both as a blogger and person, opening my eyes to new ideas and new people. I’ve also enjoyed sharing news of interesting new startups, particularly ones that may not always get attention on other sites. If I’ve driven five new people to Disqus, or Identi.ca, and that has seeded viral growth that has helped them, then I have achieved something along the way. Whether this site succeeds or not will only be tested in time, but in striving for a blogging dream, even if this site fails, I will still have gained greatly from the experience, and have helped others along the way.

Blogging should never be a means to an end. I recall being at an event and somebody complaining that they were told that every business should have a blog. I simply said in reply that no one should ever blog for the sake of blogging. Blogs must have a purpose, no matter how small, or the are always bound to fail.

Over the years I’ve heard all sorts of reasons people have for blogging. It could be as simple as sharing with friends and family, it could be for therapeutic purposes, to assist with coping with life. Others start a blog to become an expert in their field, using a blog as a focal point for their knowledge, some have loftier ambitions, hoping to turn their blog into a full time job so they can, as I have, break out of corporate workspace.

There are many reasons to blog, but you must know what you want to achieve. Have a blogging dream, it could be traffic, money, sharing, entertainment, networking, any and many variations therein, but know what it is, even if that means simply mentally acknowledging it. Blogging has changed the world, and in your own way you can help change the world as well.

What’s your blogging dream?