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Friday 10 October 2008

Meme on 'Why clergy blog'

Judith Schultz is currently taking a degree in Pastoral Care & Psychology and one of her assignments for the next module is to conduct a small research paper on a chosen topic. She has decided to look at why clergy, in particular, blog.

These are my answers to her questions in relation to her research paper entitled ‘WHY DO YOU BLOG?’:

1. Why do you blog?

To get my thoughts, ideas and writings out 'there' (wherever 'there' is on the web!). To inform others of activities I'm involved in.

2. What do you blog?

Mainly I blog on art, church, faith, inter-faith and social action themes. My blogs often include articles, meditations, newletters, photos, poems, publicity for events, sermons.

3. When do you blog? (Is it every day, once a month etc)

I often blog daily (but not religiously!).

4. Where do you blog? (From home, office, anywhere)

Mainly from home.

5. Who are you blogging for? (Your intended audience)

In reality, mainly friends, family, Church members and others in my wider networks.

6. Do you publicise your blogs?

There are links on a Church webpage and on my facebook page but that is all.

7. Do you check your blogs for comments? if yes - do you find the comments helpful?

Yes. Comments are always interesting and I try to reply to them all.

Having sent these answers to Judith, she came back with a supplementary question:

By blogging Sermons etc - do you feel that this makes the time spent in preparation more worthwhile by being able to reproduce it and hopefully to wider audience?

Yes, and it is interesting to get comments from outside the congregation too. Having said that, one fellow blogger thinks that sermons are too specific to a particular congregation to be suitable blogging material. I pick and choose those which I post.

I tag Philip, Paul, Sam and Tim with this meme.

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Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - My Bag.

4 comments:

Sam Charles Norton said...

I'll do the meme but you might like to read this.

Jonathan Evens said...

Thanks Sam,

I've sent the link to Judith who, I'm sure, will find your post really useful for her research.

I particularly like your statement that is the sharing, the reciprocity, which enhances the quality of effective blogs. This definitely seems like a major aspects of blogs that distinguishes them from the more solitary activity of diary writing. Clearly, the act of posting is framed by the knowledge that what is posted will be read. As you say, that could be inhibiting but more often I think it is stimulating as what is posted could well be the opening gambit of an illuminating conversationwhich draws in many participants.

Fr Paul Trathen, Vicar said...

I have been tagged by both you and Sam today, so shall have to have a go at both topics tomorrow!

Jonathan Evens said...

Look forward to reading your post.