and yet here is more proof that i am a nice person, i help kids with their homework and in this case it is patZ and i didn’t even make him sit on my lap.
SA 356 Ethnographic Qualitative Methods Questionnaire
WHY START
1. What interested you about blogging?
I started just when blogging came to be, I was heavy into writing about my life and sharing funny stories so it just made sense to start a blog.
Why did you start?
I was writing in VICE magazine’s message boards and created raymi there, a friend suggested I start a blog so he could take content from it and feature it on his website so I did.
How long have you been blogging for?
Since November 2000
How often do you blog?
3-8 times daily
Is blogging a major part of your life? How so?
Yes. Some people have a car, some people play guitar, some work at wal-mart, some are sport enthusiasts, I blog.
2. Do you blog for any specific reason?
Attention, potential wealth and fame and for creative output, it’s something I enjoy
Do you write for yourself or for an audience?
Both, mostly for me and friends, to make myself laugh however because blogging is an individual thing and no one is managing or in control of what you do save for you, it’s an experiment in how to effectively entertain the public and keep them interested in what you have to share everyday.
If you write for yourself, do you mind that the public has access to it and can read it?
No I don’t mind, I mean, I chose to publish my blog publicly instead of privately. If i didn’t want people to have access to it then I would take it down. Easy.
If you write for an audience, why did you choose to do so?
Again, potential fame/riches and recognition
If you write for an audience do you have a persona you use?
Myself.
Who is your audience? Who do you want to read your blog?
Everyone reads it , all over, friends, family, strangers, perverts, white collared, moms, dads, teenagers, the FBI, celebrities, losers, morons, smart people, republicans, liberals etc etc. I don’t care who reads it as long as it’s being read.
INFLUENCES
3. What influences you as a blogger?
A good, simple song along with music, books, poetry, a great story.
Do you have outside, or real life influences?
Real life influences, I’m assuming you mean do I write about my real life, if so yes that’s the majority of what I write about.
Do other bloggers influence you?
No.
If other bloggers influence you, in what ways?
Well they entertain me which is what I would expect of/from them.
SOCIAL GROUPS
4. Do you think that there are well established social groups in the blogosphere?
I guess so, it’s pretty high school.
If yes, are they similar to real life social groups? If no, why not?
High school definitely, there’s the popular ones, the ugly ones, the funny ones the crazy ones the romantic ones on and on.
Is there etiquette to follow?
Sometimes people enforce it like if a new reader/blogger comes along and is preaching in the comments the ones who feel they have hierarchy cos they’ve read/been around longer will decide to gang up on the new person or break them in. it’s interesting to watch while also pretty embarrassing and lame. From my perspective anyway cos they fail to recognize that they are EQUALLY LAME for treating this like some little club though in the end it makes sense cos it IS a little social club. Basically, these people would not act like this in real life at a party I might host, hopefully.
Are there any central figures? If so, what makes them central figures?
Yeah, I am. People claim Tony is. I’m central cos I post frequently I’ve been around awhile and I know how to keep people interested and involved. People who read and live in small towns like reading about my city life and also my relationship with fil and the drinking and the humor, there’s something for everyone.
5. Are you in a blogger social group?
I think this term is really gay, me specifically I socialize with everyone and then some on the internet. My goings-on online are not restricted to one area which is blogging.
If yes, how did you become a member of the group? If no, how would you?
I was here before all the clowns.
Where would you situate yourself in the group?
At the top. I don’t care how arrogant that sounds, it’s the truth. Would you agree?
5. How do these social groups form?
Are there individuals who are in charge?
I suppose so, I’m pretty passive about taking control though, I do my thing and then I hear about such and such going on. I don’t let the social bullshit take over my life.
Who would you say are the key figures at the top of these groups?
I could care less.
6. Is it easy to create friends in an online environment compared with a real life one?
yes
Is popularity an important factor online?
yes
Do these online friendships often extend into the real world?
yes
If they extend into the real world, is the social structure changed in any way in the transition from an online environment to a real world one?
Typically it takes a little bit of time to get over the social real life anxiety but once that’s sorted people carry on as if they’d known each other years.
