Blogging

by Jerry Bullock

One of America’s fastest growing and mass participation “sports” is blogging. It is a word that did not exist in any language only a short time ago, a product of the computer age. It is a noun derived from the word “weblog” and defined as a web site on the Internet in which an individual or group of individuals produce an on going narrative. They may be humorous--like the blogger who gave us a list of practical jokes to play at the office:

  1. Use super-glue to permanently attach your co-worker’s stapler/tape dispenser to their desk.
  2. Put “Out Of Order” signs on the bathroom stalls or on the elevator door.
  3. Put a sign in the elevator that says, “7th floor button does not work. Please press 5 and 2.”
  4. Turn the volume up on your victim’s computer speakers…really loud.
  5. Everyday, in the morning or after work, take out all but a few staples from their stapler. They will be so mad that they have to continually refill it.
  6. Tape down the phone receiver button so when the phone rings and when they pick it up, it will just keep on ringing.
  7. It’s always funny to hide useful office equipment from co-workers such as their chair, stapler, or if you are really gutsy, something they actually need to work like the phone or their keyboard.
  8. Take all of someone’s pens and replace them with crayons. Or take out all of the ink from said pens.
Most blogs are serious and they are changing the news and commentary landscape. Blogs have shaped new political careers and in the last presidential election played a key role in bringing several candidates to the fore. The church has not overlooked blogs; ChristianBlogs.com is an example of a Christian forum for the blogger. Copies of some of the best of Life’s Like That will appear in the pages of that web site.

There are humorous blogs, serious scientific blogs, blogs on just about every subject under the sun. Yes, there are pornographic blog sites. Blogs like everything else on the Internet runs the gamut of what people think about. That there is filth in this medium we cannot deny but on the Internet porn is easier to avoid than it is on television. It is also easier to establish parental controls than it is on television.

Like all media there are good and bad. Since it is an open and public medium and belongs to no one who can exercise control, blogging gives new meaning to freedom of speech and expression. To join a blog group is as easy as filling out a form and it is often free. Sites like the ChristianBlog.com do not charge for the membership in their blog. Other blogs such as YouTube.com have thousands of videos on most any subject that are free to view.

Blogging gives us all the opportunity to express ourselves. It is fun and it is free, so the next time you feel a message you want to tell to the world get on your computer and publish a weblog. Become a blogger … will anyone ever read it? I don’t know but it makes you feel better. It is a wonderful medium for witnessing to your faith. Your story may be the one that will reach a lost person with the good news of Jesus Christ.