chuckography

"Book 'em, Danno!"

It originated online as Web Log.

Not sure exactly when but one day it became known as a Blog.

So, 8 years ago, I became a Blogger.

I hear comments like "Yeah, you write a blog that nobody reads."

And others not quite as nice. But I write the blog for me. 

I recapture fine memories and events and write about them. I get to enjoy that moment again. And, yes, I share them online, along with a lot of other talented local bloggers.


Have met some really nice blog people here in my hometown..

Dan Conover is the fellow who encouraged me, explained how to do it and got me active back in March 2006. 

He and I had worked at the Post & Courier newspaper. He was a true journalist while I was having fun with InfoLine, the paper's
early foray into providing 24-hour access to information. As close as your phone.

At the daily afternoon editorial meetings, I would suggest the paper could invite readers to call the InfoLine number for updates on stories and what had happened since that morning.

Silence.

"And for breaking news stories that we are conceding to the 5:00 television news." No reply except frowns around the table.

An editor explained we could not tip our hand on stories being worked on for the next day's paper. (I mumbled to myself, it'll be on television and radio this afternoon and this evening.)

I was about to retire so I stopped beating my head against the "way we always have done it" mindset.

Meanwhile, Dan gathered together a batch of bloggers and created an umbrella place in the paper so readers could see how to find and read our blogs.

He and Good Morning Lowcountry started running excerpts and links to blogs.

I covered Spoleto one year as one of several bloggers who attended events, took pictures, wrote copy and had them posted online even before the paper hit front porches the next morning.

It was good being retired  and seeing awareness of our efforts growing.

Naturally, we in the blogging community got together socially.

Facebook and other social media were starting to sprout but
we liked to temper our computer time with some face-to-face contact.

We met in bars and restaurants and had laptops handy when Wi-Fi was available.

We brought our families to blogger picnics. A Blognic.

One lady, in particular, is an ongoing inspiration to me.

Heather Solos was raising three children while blogging helpful household hints.

She published her efforts in a slick book called Home Ec 101 .

Heather continues today online with the household props as well as recipes, nutrition guidance and lots, lots more.

As a bachelor, I have often sought her suggestions on keeping thing clean and healthy. I even tried my hand at brewing my own beer with help from fellow bloggers.

I decided to drink the craft beers instead of trying to make them. LOL.

Other bloggers showed an interest in weather forecasting (Hey Jared Smith)  and daily walks with her camera - Joan Perry, take a bow.

Yes, lots of fond memories of dining and partying with bloggers and their spouses.

Many venues around town were pleased to have 20-25 people, who wrote things for the internet, come into their establishment.

Some set out a buffet or poured nice wines.

We gathered information about the place and made sure to write about them afterward.

Many bloggers have hundreds, even thousands, of followers.  Joan Perry's blog is awash with 20-30 comments  almost every day. As she tells her readers "Send me comments, they make me strong."

I write about my memories and things I have been lucky enough to experience.

I was a staff photographer for the daily metro San Diego Union-Tribune and often recall a time when so and so did this and that.

Sometimes celebrities. More often "real people" leading normal lives.

I delve back into my Marine Corps days often. It was quite an education for this South Carolina teenager!

I blogged about the time my kid brother kept me company on a fast round trip up to Camp Lejeune, N.C.and back, when I was home and our dad suffered an accident.

The trip turned into an all night/next day procedure so I had to "hide" him in the barracks overnight. We found clothes for him to fit in.

He recalls going through the chow line afraid that the name "Boyd" on a shirt twice in a row would be noticed.

In the back of my mind - and perhaps for most bloggers - was the fear that one day, the internet would "eat" all their postings.

Yikes! It's true. Computers fail and work is lost. Nothing remains. Zero.

Remember, it's not REAL, it's all created with 0s and 1s.

People are advised to back up what they have on a computer.

So I thought I would print out my nine years of blogs.

Or maybe make a PDF of each page.

Then I found a site called Blogs2Print. Yep. That's exactly what they do.

So now I have three thick bound volumes containing words and color pictures of almost a decade of my blogging efforts. Worked out to cost an average of about $107* per book.

Relatively cheap for peace of mind.

(Click on the images for more detail.)

* Volume I (2006 - 2008) has 189 pages - including a 9-page index by topics - and cost $71.00
Volume II (2009 - 2011) grew to 323 pages - including an unnecessary 10 pages of an index - and cost $111.00. The thickest, Volume III (2013-2015), was the maximum 450 pages - no index - and cost $141.00

Labels: 8 years of blogging, Blog2Print, Blognic, bound books, Charleston Daily Photo, Dan Conover, Heather Solos, Home Ec 101, Jared Smith, Joan Perry, WeB Log = BLOG

posted by chuckography @ 1:09 AM