Site of the Week (Dancing About Architecture)
1.) How long have you been blogging?
I have been blogging since May 30th, 2004, first on Live Journal and then moving over to Blogger in November 2007 and then Wordpress a month or so later.
2.) Is your first ever post still available? May I post it along with
this interview?
My first ever post is available here http://riayn.livejournal.com/2004/05/30/ from when I used to blog on Live Journal. You certainly can post it along with the interview.
3.) Are friends and family supportive of your blogging?
My parents have no idea that I blog, they know I "do things on the internet" but that is the extent of it, they are still trying to figure out emailing.
My girlfriend is very supportive of my blogging. She will frequently send me things that she will think I would enjoy and might like to blog about and she reads and comments on my blog.
Some of my friends do know that I blog and since most of them are geeks, they understand it. However, it isn't really something I talk a lot about to them.
4.) Three subjects which you are passionate about:
Gay rights, technology and anything remotely geeky.
5.) You've just been told that your next blog post will be read on
National Television. What subject will you write about?
I would probably do a piece focusing on gay rights and why it is important that gay, lesbian and trangender people have the same rights afforded to every other citizen of the countries they live in.
6.) Tell us how blogging has enhanced your life?
Blogging has allowed me to improve my writing ability and to get out of my head what I think about certain subjects. It has put me in contact with some amazing people and to learn more about people who are living completely different lives to myself . It has allowed me to virtually walk a mile in someone else's shoes which I feel is very important breaking down stereotypes and learning more about the wonderful people that make up our world.
7.) Do you think there are subjects that should not be blogged about?
I don't think any subjects should be taboo to write about, but for some people in certain situations there are things that they should not blog about. However, if blogging about something is going to put your wellbeing or someone else's wellbeing or livelihood in jepodary, then it is best to step away from the keyboard.
8.) How do you handle flamers?
Given that I write a lot about gay rights and queer culture, I have had surprisingly few flamers. Maybe that is because my blog readership is quite small and I am still trying to make a name for myself - and the Christian Right have not been able to track me down. For most flamers, I try to poke holes in their arguments or mock them with sarcastic humor and others I just leave them alone.
9.) You're invited to teach a blogging seminar for young women - what
five topics do you cover?
1. The pros and cons of the major blogging platforms
2. The importance of social networking
3. Tips to help improve traffic and gain readership
4. Advertising on your blog - why should you or shouldn't you have ads?
5. The myth about generating income from blogging
10. What do you find the most challenging aspect of blogging?
The most challenging thing about blogging for me is the writing of the posts. I struggle with being able to express my thoughts in the written form, which is why I began blogging in the first place. Sometimes I can type and the words just flow, whilst other times I just can't get down what I want to say. I do a fair amount of editing on my posts trying to express what I am thinking.
11. Who are your favourite bloggers and what do you like about their blogs?
Two of my favourite bloggers are Neil Gaiman (http://journal.neilgaiman.com/) and Wil Wheaton (http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/wwdnbackup/) - both of them are self described geeks and writers (Wil is also an actor). I love the way they write as it is with such passion and joy. It is also interesting to get an inside view of the writing process and how they approach their art. Also both of them, even though they are well known, still geek out about meeting other famous people and get star struck just like the rest of us, which I just love as it makes people who we regard as famous a bit more like us.
Among the non-famous bloggers, I love reading Transman Diaries (http://transmandiaries.blogspot.com/)written by Jamie which is a diary of his transition from a woman into a man. Also, The Junk Drawer (http://www.junkdrawerblog.com/) written by Kathy, another geek who is a brilliant observationalist blogger and Whitterer on Autism (http://whittereronautism.com/) who blogs about the challenges and joys of being the mother to two sons with autism. All of these blogs allow me to gain a greater insight into the lives of people who live a different life to mine and all of them are gifted with the talent of translating their lives into the written word. I am extremely envious of them.
Frances says: May You Live Long & Blog On!
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