Sometimes what I write is insightful and clever.
Sometimes not.
Now and then it's thought-provoking and confronting.
Occasionally it's deep and philosophical.
Confusing perhaps.
Periodically it's controversial, if not, politically incorrect.
It's even been labeled...
blunt.
I can't believe that.
So not fair.
Well anyway, today...
it's nunnathat.
Today, we're going with amusing, silly and creative.
My site, my rules.
No editors, no pressure, no deadlines.
Freestyle Craig.
Giddyup.
For me, the best part of blogging is the creative freedom.
There really is no right or wrong.
(Sure...
there's better and worse).
When I sit down to a blank computer screen with a mind full of ideas, it's like I'm five years old, I've got the biggest piece of paper in the world and an endless supply of crayons and paints.
Sometimes the heavy-duty, life-changing, let's-analyse-ourselves (again), grown-up stuff gets a little emotionally cumbersome and exhausting (even for me).
Kinda like walking continuously in knee-deep mud; laborious, smelly, tiring and draining.
Occasionally we need to get out of the mud, close our eyes and spin ourselves around in circles, head up to the clouds until we fall down on the freshly cut grass.
And then get up and do it again.
And then do a forward roll and stand triumphantly with our arms in the air while we wait for the judges score.
Unless or course we're too sophisticated and mature (self-conscious and dysfunctional) to have so much fun.
Remember fun? Those were the days.
So now and then it's appropriate, if not necessary, for me to take off my Craig-the-Coach hat and put on my Craig-don't-let-the-teacher-see-what-we're-doing...
hat.
Now and then, silly is good.
Let's not analyse, investigate or theorise on anything...
for a day.
To the uninitiated, the blogoshpere can be a daunting place.
It was for me.
It's very big (and growing like a weed), has it's own (rapidly evolving) culture and language, occasionally has credibility issues (due to the huge amount of cyber-crap some people call blog sites) and regularly seems to have identity issues..
..
in that, a large percentage of the general population don't have a clue about what they are, or why they exist.
Someone recently told me they thought a blog was like an online diary that teenage girls keep to update each other on their social lives.
Hmm.
Few (million) of those around too.
Just over nine months ago the bald man sat me down and did his best to explain the concept of blogging and the potential fun and creative freedom that might be had by me, in developing a site such as this.
I didn't really know what a blog was...
had a vague notion, but didn't totally get it.
Alright, I was clueless.
The first two months cruising the blogoshpere was like being a tourist in a non English-speaking country with no phrase book, no maps and no interpreter...
especially exploring some of the blog-development(?) sites with all the bloggerspeak.
So many words and terms.
"Johnnie what's a Post...
and why is it not called an article...
looks like, smells like and reads..
like an article?" "Err well Craig..
it just is.
" (He always had those enlightening responses for me).
And as you all know: 1) Language is a constantly evolving thing.
2) I have a propensity to invent (often stupid) words (Craig, the word-ologist) 3) All words are born somewhere (perhaps some will be born on this site).
Somewhere, some time...
someone breathed life into the very words you and I speak every day.
For example...
The term blogosphere was coined on September 10, 1999 by Brad L.
Graham, as a joke...
now it's part of a world-wide culture and language and used millions of times by millions of people every day.
So, rather than wait for these new words to appear on our screens...
I thought that perhaps you and I (being the creative forces that we are)..
could become linguistic pioneers, going boldly where few have gone and invent a few words (or terms) of our own.
Maybe we can become part of history.
Imagine creating something which becomes part of every day language...
Here are a few to get you started...
(I came up with these and then subsequently discovered that some of them...
are already floating in the blogoshpere...
Doh!..
not quick enough or creative enough!).
And yes, it's meant to be tongue-in-cheek.
Bloggette - a small blog.
Bloggersaurus - an early blogger (from the 90's).
Bloggernaut - someone who boldly explores the outer-reaches of the blogosphere.
Blogvertorial - an advertisement (or series of advertisements) thinly disguised as a blog site.
May also be a single post on an otherwise legitimate site...
usually promoting one or all of the five P's (pill, powder, potion, product or program).
Blogology - science of (or study of) blogging.
Blogologist - one who studies blogs.
Bloggerlicious - an attractive blogger (good luck finding one).
Bloggish - looks like a blog..
but isn't.
Blogoholic - someone addicted to reading and/or writing blogs (I actually know a few people who are heading towards this!)...
"Hello, I'm Kelvin and I'm a blogoholic...
" Bloginator - bad-ass blogger.
Bloggee - reader of blogs So there it is; a smattering of (newish) words to get you started.
Now it's your turn to create and define your own word (or two) to add to our blogger's dictionary.
The dictionary will feature on our home page (in the sidebar) for the next few months and will evolve with your help.
We will credit you for your word/s.
It is an exercise in fun and creativity but you never know...
maybe you'll create a word which will be embraced by the next generation of bloggers.
So we need: (1) The word (how you want it spelled).
(2) Your desired Pronunciation (unless it's obvious).
(3) Definition.
(4) Your name (or cybername if you prefer).
Okay, put your thinking caps on and have some fun.
(Don't be a scaredy-cat).
If you're struggling to come up with your own addition to our dictionary, let us know your thoughts on the evolution of the language of blogging.
See ya.