Why do bloggers blog?

Frank Ahrens recently had an interesting article in the Washington Post quoting bloggers on the reasons behind their daily words.

"Last week, I asked: "Why do you blog?"

"I want to know why they blog. What drives them to live out loud on the Web? I had heard the standard blah-de-blah about "community" and "self-expression," but I was hoping that bloggers, who spend a lot of time and bytes thinking and writing about themselves, could lay some real introspection on me.

"They did. I got more than 70 e-mail replies from such far-flung locations as Japan, Australia, Finland and Spain.

"Some bloggers do it as part of their business "Internet strategy"; some blog to flack books and other products. Others flout niche issues, such as the "fiber arts," "calorie restriction" and the apparently alarming demise of fire-fighting aircraft. (Who knew?) Other enthusiasts blog to report on activities, such as opera and local politics, they think are undercovered by the mainstream media. Some chronicle their disabilities; others blog to stay in touch with friends and family."

For some interesting individual perspectives, see the Washington Post.