Blogging isn't for everyone, and as I've noticed not all kids enjoy it. But I think the issue lies in with curriculum. More teachers are requiring students to keep blogs. And while this is a good way to conserve paper and continue intelligent discussion outside of the classroom, it doesn't always build a stronger blog community.

I think of it as an apartment complex, or an inner-city project. Some people will live their for their lives while others will move in and out as the seasons change. Some of us will be blogging for four years and beyond, while new folks will come and go. We will be the wise elders and the established writers... maybe they will look up to us (or just get pissed when I talk about football)

Haha, yeah... football.

Anyway, the apartment building analogy is a good way to think of it, Mike. In addition to what you said, I suppose also within our "community" some of us will choose to interact inside that community more than others.

I guess I wouldn't mind if it was easier to navigate this "community" is all I'm trying to say.

I think you are right Karissa, there aren't very many blogs these days that have just regular chit chat. I kind of miss those days when people people randomly posted poems or talked about something special coming up. I guess I haven't been living up the bloginater name either, I like to blog but I either don't have time or I don't have anything to write about.

Mike: I like your apartment complex theropy. :)

I agree, Karissa. I just jumped into the SHU blogosphere last year and I am amazed at the growth of bloggers just in this short time. Many if not all of my friends are running a blog. What is the total of bloggers now, 200? Or more? Although it baffles me, I am kinda glad we are growing: the more, the merrier!

I am trying to keep up a better bloggin schedule nowadays, but i fear that people got so used to seeing my blog blank, noone looks at it anymore. My blog goes deserted, barren and dry, commentless...oo woe is my blog.

As one of the first blogginators I say I agree with you all! I think that those of us who do give ourselves the name have become a tight knit group in which others have become afraid of us. I don't think that some new comers are actually afraid of us.

I do think that navigating the blogs is becoming harder and harder. I can not seem to keep up with everyone and so I have lost my title of "Comment Queen" because I just don't have time to sit and blog anymore. What started out in the beginning as a fun way to interact between classmates has turned into a battle of disguising class assignments as something readable and what to put on that might just be fun.

Tiffany, don't forget, you are also involved in more activities and holding more responsibility than you did freshman year, so I'm sure some of the time that you used to spend hanging out and looking for something to do is now spent doing the activies to which you've already committed.

Kariss, you might want to experiment with an online aggregator such as Bloglines, which lets you choose a certain subset of the blogs on this site (or anywhere else), and then you would check your Bloglines page to see whether your favorite bloggers have updated. I know a few heavy bloggers who swear by that technology, and won't read any blogs that don't offer an aggregator feed (which ours do -- that's the "Syndicate this site" link in the MT template).

I may have to try that out, Dr. Jerz. I just want to be able to interact with people normally and not have such a difficult time making up my mind whose blogs I can and cannot afford time to read. It can be really time consuming, really. I try to make the rounds, but sometimes it just isn't possible... The aggregator sounds like a nice idea... I have a lot of things that I need to play with for this blog of mine! :-)

I've been writing online for about 5 years now, and I have a lot of trouble keeping up with blog COMMENTS...I'm confused and perhaps you guys could clear it up for me: (for example) I'm leaving Karissa a comment, for replys, would people comment on Karissa's blog or mine? On Open Diary if somebody leaved you a comment, you go to THEIR diary and reply...I'm thinking that's not the case here....!?! *confused*