The New Blogger's Support Team

     Behind every blogger there’s a support team. From the blog master at the website to the teenage computer whiz at home, the new blogger depends on someone else to get him up and running. But you don’t even know what a blog is much less how to manage one. You need someone younger and smarter, someone with computer savvy to explain it to you. 
    I remember well the day when I first learned what a blog was. It was May 29, 2005, and the conversation at my house went something like this. 
            “Hey mom,” Claire, my nineteen-year-old said excitedly, “we just got an e-mail from TOS. They have a new website called homeschoolblogger.com!”     

“What’s a blog?” I asked.

“It stands for web log, mom—a log, like a journal entry—on the Web,” she explained.

“You mean people just write about anything that they want to?” I said.

“Sure!” 

“But, what’s the point?” 

“It’s fun mom. It’s just for fun!” Eric, my fourteen-year-old said.

“Oh…,” I said, trying to remember the last time I did anything just for fun. “Explain it to me again!”  
    Suddenly our family dynamics changed. There was a new energy in the air. Eric realized that he had a place to publish his writing – a place where people would actually read it. No managing editors, no query letters, no rejections! Imagine that, writing just for the fun of it (did some homeschool mom come up with this idea, or what?). He had kept a journal for years, but now he has a captive audience—a BLOG audience. 
"Look out!" I said to myself.              
    Both of my kids jumped at the chance to blog. They picked templates, chose blog names, filled out user profiles, uploaded their pictures, and posted their first blog faster than I could say, “Remember who taught you how to read!”…And just as fast, they got comments back on what they wrote. In fact, they lived for them—even dreamt about them. And there I was, standing on the fringes of the blogosphere, knowing how much I love to write, but did I really want to cross this new frontier?
            “Okay,” I said to my in-home blog support member. “How do I get my own blog?”

The rest is history!  

7:39 AM - Aug. 30, 2005 - post comment

Hmm... Wonder what my love language is?

I read all 5 and was just so happy to see a post from you again. I have you & Claire both on my friends list and hadn't seen anything from Claire either in a while. I'm starting to realize though that the friends list will only pick up a certain number of posts, so I still need to click on my friends' names.

I kind of think Physical Touch is me because Iove to describe all that is going on or on my mind here...and.... can be a bit of a computer hog. But the words of encouragement spoke to me as well. I've convinced myself that sometimes I just post at odd times of day and surely that's why a post didn't get any comments! I've just had to remind myself that I don't always comment on every post that I read and enjoy. It doesn't mean that I didn't like it just because I didn't comment on it.

Oh I am so glad that TOS started HSB. I really do enjoy blogging and meeting others through the blogosphere. It really does help me to connect to others and that is a very good thing!
Blessings,
Nancy

tn3jcarter - 7:48 AM - Aug. 30, 2005

Spying again, Huh? *grin*

What is it about this blogging? Even dd10 who hates reading, writing, and school (What does that say about her teacher...me?!?!?!) loves blogging! It has been tremendously motivating for her. (Maybe it was a homeschool mom *smile*.)
Keep up the great work!
~Drewe Llyn

DreweLlyn - 3:55 AM - Sep. 29, 2005

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