I told a friend of mine that I was keeping a blog and he asked me how much money I was making out of it. This is not an unusual question because I make websites for a living and he just thought that this was a money making extension of that. But it’s also an obvious question because blogging has started to be seen as more of a money making tool than a way of sharing information freely – basically there are a few people making a lot money out of telling a whole lot of other people that they can make money, the majority or people populate the blogs of the cash rich few and make the rich richer whilst buying ebooks about how to get rich. Capitalism is a hoot!

I don’t want to do that really. So if I don’t want to get rich bloggin why DO I do it. Here’s why:

1. I used to write a diary. It was disorganised and scribbly because, well it just was. With the advent of computer technology I can write my thoughts up, pop images in all and be creative with far more panache than my old diaries – they had their appeal but nah, this is it.

2. It keeps the people I love up to date with what I’m up to while I’m away.

3. It’s a great photo album.

4. I work on-line making things like websites. I actually like what I do, it funds my CyberGypsy lifestyle and pays for my trips. So, I like to learn more about the language of the medium I inhabit and that happens to be the world wide web. I use all sorts of tools to find out what is going on out there and some time soon I’ll tell you all about those.

5. It’s cathartic. I felt silly writing at first because I thought I was only writing to myself, but isn’t that what we’re doing anyhow. We create ourselves in this sphere and can use it as a testing ground if we so wish. And I do.

6. It prepares me for things I do commercially. For instance I will be setting up an online community soon and the tools I use to make this will prepare me for that little number.

7. I truly believe that we are going through I major shift as a species and this is it, I want to be a part of it. But let’s not get too weird or I’ll lose you before number 8.

8. I’ll be going through this blog when I’m old and grey trying to figure out what it was that I was up to.

9. My CyberGypsy ego demands it.

10. It’s liberating. It’s like public speaking but you get to edit your lines. Although I haven’t even bothered to market it really so until I do there are only a few of you out there – please leave a message or two as it’s getting weird talking to me. Having said that I used to write my diaries and get awfully pissed off if people read them.

There we go.