Tom Haskins has come up with four distinct types of blog writers and where their motivations lie. It’s interesting to read since a blogger, or any writer really, must keep in mind who he is writing for. And the kind of blog you write dictates that. Distraction blogging: Sometimes our motives are purely self indulgent. “It’s all about me”. We are inherently narcissistic and alarming to the observers of social media. We are driven to blog for selfish reasons by our troubled situation. Our “real life” is bringing us down or trapping us in oppressive obligations. I explored these motivations in my post about the popularity of Twitter. Archive blogging: Sometimes we are motivated by our own expertise and continuing, passionate pursuit of those subject areas. We want to share what we know in ways that help other people. We have found our expertise functions as solutions and effective strategies in many contexts. We build up an archive of our wisdom and watch it get searched long after we wrote the postings. We offer our gifts generously and unilaterally for the good of anyone who can benefit from them. Conversation blogging: Often our motives are reciprocal. We get by giving. Our sharing comes back around. We are growing, changing, learning and creating in the process of giving. Mutual benefits abound. Everyone involved is affected by our exchanges and collaborative explorations. Democratic blogging: Our motives may be political and grounded in the realities of particular circumstances. By blogging, changes are occurring in the social dynamics, distribution of power and control of outcomes. We are motivated by our envisioned future and the signs of progress in that direction. Different motivations for blogging – [GrowingChangingLearningCreating]
