Reprinted from The State, April 15, 2005

Blogs across America
How online journals — diaries that live on the Internet — let 4 million people reach out by reaching in

By Justin Chappell

There’s an article in the paper today about blogging (you know: Weblogging, the on-line journaling phenomena that exploded a few years ago) — about the way it naturally appeals to those who want to rant, write or ramble.

Oh, and it says blogging documents snippets of life that pictures could never capture — like difficult life decisions or trivial musings from a trip to the grocery store: Could green ketchup ever look right on a hot dog?

Such is the life of a blogger, listing the inane details, describing larger-than-life ideas and connecting with others — even if only for a second — at a personal pit-stop on a superhighway rife with chatter.

And that’s why there are easily 4 million bloggers today — up from roughly 100,000 two years ago — hammering away at keyboards in an age of push-button blogging and bringing a galaxy of computer users thoughts both silly and sincere.

For example, take Eugene Mah, a 34-year-old medical physicist in Charleston. He blogs about technology, trivia and weather. (One post reads, “If (weather anchor) Jim Cantore is in Daytona, it’s time to leave.”)

“It’s another outlet,” Mah said. “It gives me a place to write about the stuff that nobody really cares about — a place for me to write down stuff for posterity.”

Mah got into the blogosphere about a year ago as a way to remember how he’s spent his days, each blog being a detail of life. How often? Almost daily.

That’s partially what makes blogging so radically popular — the sense of presence a regular blogger creates, said Paul Bausch, co-author of “We Blog.”

“Blogging is sort of the global bowling league — it’s the alternate place people go for social interaction,” Bausch said. “I think a big part of it is water-cooler chit-chat, or stuff you might discuss over a beer.”

While the beverage likely differs from blogger to blogger, it appears most hit the keyboard for the same reason: to connect.

We’re not talking a neighborly friendship here — Bausch, incidentally, met his wife through his college blog — but a relationship with ongoing, in-depth discussion.

“I tend to process life by writing — with a journal, you can kind of do that — but now with (a blog) I can process my life, and maybe it clicks with a visitor,” said Rick Stilwell, 36, a computer analyst in Cayce. “It’s the processing together that draws people together.”

In his living room, a tall, wooden armoire, made by his parents’ friend, holds Stilwell’s computer and other items, ranging from books to family pictures to children’s toys. There’s a couch and a couple of armchairs, all a mix of patterned burgundys and greens.

There’s no regular rhythm to his blogging; early morning, during slow times at work, in the evening — it’s more a byproduct of inspiration: “You’re just surfing (the Internet), you read CNN, stuff you like, and then you say, ‘Hey, I know so-and-so would like this.’ And that’s what blogging is,” Stilwell said.

He took a swig from his coffee mug, the other hand still navigating the mouse. “You’ve got to have coffee to blog,” he said. “If you don’t, you’re not doing it right.”

In the past two years, he’s posted more than 1,000 times, for a total of roughly a quarter million words. “I think a lot of bloggers are wanna-be writers,” he said.

His daughter, Cameron, 6, popped her head in the room at times, asking for juice or her diary.

Stilwell noted the more than 100 links to friends’ blogs on his blog (ramblingadventures.blogspot.com) that he’s archived because he reads them often or doesn’t want to forget the address.

“You connect with people, which is really cool,” he said.

Writing mainly about Christianity and everyday life, he said the appeal of blogging is its ability to tackle problems and grow as a community.

“Some of it, sure, is ego-driven when you realize the hits are up,” he said. “But it’s more about making that connection to people.”

But what’s different about this community — than, say, a local social club — is the lack of geographic boundaries.

Amanda Clouse, 23, a Web designer in Charleston, has only been blogging for roughly four months. She’s made friends in New York, Florida and Australia through her blog and surfing other blogs.

“You meet new people all the time,” she said. “It’s like a different community. You find people who have the same interests as you have but don’t see every day.”

She said the communication starts with a comment post and in some cases grows to a revolving conversation.

With an estimated 15,000 new blogs created each day — the specific niche blog becoming all the more abundant — it doesn’t look like the communities will quiet down anytime soon.

“ In my perfect world,” Bausch said, “everyone would be a blogger.”