And.....Go!

I always feel challenged to just jump into something without a little background knowledge and at least a small plan of where I am going to go. These tendencies have evolved from my passion for long adventures in the wilderness where getting lost is part of the adventure, but I know from a few bad experiences that you always need a basic plan. And if your goal is to reach a certain point, then you need a more complex and detailed plan. At this time, I am not sure where I want this blogging adventure to go. My main motivation to take it on it because it is required for a university course. Prior to this class, I have followed a number of blogs, but I have never had the desire to make my own. I think I just never saw the point or had enough of a reason to invest in it. So before I could make this jump, I had to see what was out there and look at some patterns about blogging. I spent a lot of time over the last two weeks looking at blogs, trying to discover what has motivated these people to sit down at their computer and put this information out there. Of course, there is the risk that no one will ever look at it so then the question comes: what is the point now? At this moment I have one follower. I would imagine a blogger is motivated by followers. So my first goal will be to spread this around to some friends who I think would be interested or who will at least pleasure me with the simple act of being a follower.

My next step has been to try and figure out what is the point of this blog.

I regularly read blogs that focus on Italian Cycling http://italiancyclingjournal.blogspot.com/)

Someone's thoughts on art and simple things http://www.2or3things.blogspot.com/)

Thoughts on improving our health by studying primal lifestyles (http://freetheanimal.com/)

Climbing and other mountain sports in the Canadian Rockies http://gravsports.blogspot.com/)

All of these blogs have a clear reason for existing, and generally I know what to expect when I go there. So rather than make this a random, stream of conscious listing of my very eclectic mind, I am still searching for the point of this blog. Will is be as broad as my life in education? Or how to integrate Web 2.0 into education? Or simply a 3 month project that allows me to pass this course?

I do not like to commit to anything which is not efficient and helpful for me, which is why I feel I need a reason for this blog to exist that will be useful to me and maybe someone else one day.  I have always been a believer in journaling, but I would never want those random thoughts to be exposed to the world.  In a way, this seems like a similar idea only with a focus.  My goal for the day is to find that reason for this journey.  In case you are wondering what Google offers if you search for "reason to blog" here it is:

http://weblogs.about.com/od/startingablog/tp/Top-Ten-Reasons-to-Blog.htm

Nothing too profound there, but Susan Gunelius makes some simple and reasonable points.