Why blogging is fun

I blog because it's fun. But what's fun about it? That is a fair question, and the answer changes almost daily.

Mostly, it's a variation on two themes. First, I like to share things I'm thinking about. This can have the effect of exposing others to things they might not have known about or considered. But just as important is that blogging about my interests provides me with a record of the roads I've traveled, so to speak. I find this hugely valuable, even if it sometimes seems it's the same roads over and over again.

Second, I just love playing with publishing tools. I am fascinated with the various ways I can take words and make them available on the internet. I've learned a lot just tinkering with blogging software. I try databases, then static sites. Hosted tools, then go completely DIY. It's fun. It's interesting. It's a hobby of mine that I enjoy. I need to remember this when I'm fretting about which tool I should be using. Use the one that's fun today, I say!

I asked myself the "Why is blogging fun?" question after posting over on baty.blog, then opening this Tinderbox file to do the same thing. Writing Markdown in Emacs is fun. Using Tinderbox for blogging is fun. Why should I limit myself to just one!?