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What Type of Blogger Am I?

by Micah on June 14th

People love to classify things. 

I thought it was because it was just the way we were taught, but I read recently (cant remember where), its actually how our brains remember things.

For example, if each time I saw a chair, I had to run a quick test in my brain (it has four legs, a seat, a back and its near a table) I would be crippled from forming any higher level thought. (What exactly is a leg and a seat? or a table?) So, we humans, classify things. We make assumptions. We take the complex, and make them simple. Just so we can think.

People have to classify things. People have to assume.

Of course, that action of assuming and classifying can sometimes be bad. (I classify all men as evil; and assume that if they are Jews, then they are untrustworthy). And, sometimes, it can retard our ability to grow (I assume college is just too hard for someone like me). But mostly, it makes life easier to live (I classify rocks as things I dont eat).

So, when I began to think about what kind of blogger I am; how I would be classified, I stopped. You see, my first boss out of college taught me a very important lesson.

Assumptions about people are usually wrong. And therefore, are not good pieces of information for basing an opinion about that person.

I dont make assumptions about people. I can tell that I am about to, and I stop, and I think to myself, “is that actual information or assumed facts.” And I ask questions.

My friend Aaron Brazell, recently launched a site called Pain in the Ass Blogger where he attributed a quote to me that I never said. Initially, I was annoyed, but knew that Dave Taylor knows me well enough to assume that I would never say such a thing.

Shoot, I am even on the thing, which I guess is a compliment (careful when looking at the picture, my greatness may be seared into your eyes like when people looked into the Ark in Indiana Jones.)

But it made me think about what kind of blogger I was.

Robert Scoble calls himself a “tech geek blogger” - but he blogs about trips to Yosemite.

Gary Vaynerchuk calls himself a “wine video blogger” - but on his personal blog talks about personal branding and connections.

AJ Vaynerchuk, who might be the most fearsome Cranium player I know, says he blogs about “social media, twitter and web design”, which I guess makes him a social media blogger - but he has been writing about his internship at Revision3.

Chris Brogan blogs about “community and social media” - and out of most of my friends, I would say that he is pretty true to that, except when he blogs about his family.

Erin Kotecki Vest is a “mommyblogger” who blogs about political things.

Chris Pirillo is a tech blogger who blogs about tech, mostly.

And I could go on. It seems that most folks have a core focus, but dabble in other topics. 

Not sure if that fits me. I tried to blog about politics, and it just didnt feel right. They were my thoughts, but not what I normally write about. I try to keep politics off the table in any discussion.

I write about startups, and the feedback is good. I write about my personal issues and values, and the feedback is generally good. (BTW, the medication seems to be doing wonders, which is why I havent written about it in awhile). I write about things that just make me laugh.

But what kind of blogger am I? Do I need to be a type? Can’t I just be a blogger?

I was approached by a member of a Techstars team the other day, and said “you have been really tough on some startups, I would love it if you would write a post that was critical of us.”

Is that the blogger I am? The mean one?

(BTW, my response: “I am never critical of companies, only people. Do something stupid and I will write about it.” Guess I did, punk!)

On my ride home last night, I saw a quote by Mark Twain on the back of a bus.

Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest. 

I think thats the kind of blogger I am.

What kind of blogger are you?

Micah Add to del.icio.us  Digg This

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