5/30/06

He Blogs, She Blogs, They Hath Blogged

I'm not entirely clear on the use of the verb "blog."

Would you say I'm "blogging" this uncertainty, or am I blogging about it? Is blogging the entire act of thinking, composing and posting an insight or idea (or question)? Or is it just the posting part?

Personally, I think of "blogging" in its intransitive sense, as basically a synonym for "writing."

*****

Hello, John.

Hello, Mary.

Tell me, Mary, what are you doing?

Well, John, I am blogging.

I see. And what are you blogging about, Mary?

Syphilis.


*****

Like that. I can't "blog" something, in my understanding. I can blog, as an activity, or I can blog on a certain topic, but in neither case do I need a direct object. People say it this way, though: "I blogged my junior prom." "I'll probably blog my physical examination." I even saw a t-shirt that read, "I'm blogging this."

Great shirt.

But is that how you use the word?

I mean, I come home just like anybody else, and say to the Mrs., "Hey, I blogged. Did you read it?"

But maybe that's *not* like everybody else... maybe Mary says, "John, I blogged syphilis just now. Did you read it?"

John: "I most certainly did, you skank!"

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

ditto.
xo Wee

Thomas said...

I don't know if I'm digging the 'blog' scene anymore. It's giving us all a voice, when really it should only be writer's writing. I think YOU should blog about and I should cease. I REALLY think it's about time to start on a book.

Colin said...

Wait, are you saying it's a bad thing that people who aren't officially "writers" get a voice and a chance to express themselves?

You crazy, Tom.

If there's one thing I know about writing, it's that anybody can get better at it, and if there's one thing I know about blogging, it's that it can always make that happen.

Thomas said...

Optimism is a disease Colin. Go scrub yourself!

Courageous Kat said...

Hear, hear, Lope. It's "blogged about." Most definitely.