Had an interesting conversation with Marcus yesterday about a variety of things, which got me thinking on the proper place of blogs. What do folks here (who presumably are familiar with at least two blog "communities") think on the subject. What purpose to blogs serve in the wider world?

As I see it there are several reasons on might keep a blog

1. Boredom. Reading and writing blogs is a great way to "kill time"
2. Therapuetic. Writing out one's thoughts is therapeutic.
3. Connection. Reading about others provides support and insight.
4. Efficiency. Posting a single blog is an effective newsletter.
5. Publishing. You have something to say and want to share it.
6. Tactical. Your publication furthers personal or political aims.

Among the types of blogs I see routinely are

1. Professional. Used by writers, consultants and politicians.
2. Familial. Used to efficiently convey news to distant family.
3. Sexual. Used primarily as a way to identify folks to date.
4. Display. Used to connect to others and find or assert identity.
5. Personal. Used in a combination of ways, from therapy to drama.

Some blog sites are more interested in one type of blog than another. TypePad, for example, is a good professional blog, while MySpace and Tribe are primarily sexual. LiveJournal (being one of the earlier and more popular blog spaces) has almost no professional blogs. Blogspot tends to be about display while MySpace and Tribe are primarily sexual and personal.

Stereotypical bloggers fall into one of several types

1. Teenager. Blog explores identity, finds allies, jockeys for position.
2. Political. Blog asserts opinion, channels rage, asserts identity.
3. Housewife. Blog narrates, connects, seeks support.
4. Networker. Blog advertises, prospects for clients/dates, connects.

Few blogs are purely of one type or another, and almost all ongoing blogs start with one primary purpose and then morph into several others, whether the author intends this or not. A blog that begins as a husband and father posting a few pics of the kids to save bandwidth for his far-flung relatives will (unless consciously designed to avoid this) almost inevitably draw comments and neighborly interaction as people ask questions or seek connections. An avuncular fellow he will offer jovial advice as he is able and may decide to pursue aspects of the other blog types. The sixteen-year-old who starts posting for a few friends will find support and expand into networking, perhaps finding new hobbies, friends, dates and then starting a small business of some sort (usually making clothes or crafts). In many ways this tendency for blogs to morph is one of the things I find most interesting about them.

A blog begins as one thing, but because it connects to a person it becomes many other things in an organic way. People are complex, and even the most stereotypical blogger is smarter and more interesting than one would expect. Frequently as one reads a particular blog one can observe how a person grows and develops in inspiring or cautionary ways. The man who starts off as a right-wing blowhard begins to explore himself and then destroys his family. The awkward teen finds support and community to thrive. The lonely soldier far away goes through hard times and becomes an activist. An individual in another country provides cultural and political insight that helps you see your world in a different light.

Blogs are alternately inspiring and banal because life is alternatively exciting and banal. Blogs are human connection because people are human connection, deep or interesting in proportion to the author behind them and the reader. As "social texts" blogs provide a way for people to bring themselves to the page, reading it but also others and themselves. Blogs are a useful tool for exposition and reflection, two of the higher callings for any letters.