Monday, March 23, 2009

My Digital Friends, Volume I

Hi Everyone. Sorry that it has been six days since my last post. That's really poor form on my part. So I decided that I should do something about it. I thought maybe if I start a multi-part post, then that'll keep me on the hook to post on consecutive days. So this is Volume I (of three) about my digital friends. So this one is about how Kate and I are registered blogstalkers. Volume II will provide tips on how to audit your Facebook friends to determine if they are really your friends. Volume III will have something to do with how human interaction is different with someone once you become a fan of their blog. After that I might go another six days without blogging, who knows. Anyway, here's Volume I...

Kate's affinity for blogs and bloggers has been well documented. Again, 'well documented' means that I wrote a post once about how she liked to use the little 'next blog' button at the top of the screen and randomly surf the interweb for blogs. She has sharpened her blogstalking focus recently: honing in on 50 or so blogs that she now has bookmarked and checks on a regular basis. 

Editor's Tangent: Yeah, she uses bookmarks for all of these. And there's no organization to them at all, so even the bookmark list requires scrolling. I've tried to get her to use delicious or google reader or pretty much anything other than a laundry list of bookmarks, but have not been successful. Oh, and she doesn't even bookmark the homepage - she'll bookmark the 'about me' page or something, so she'll still have to navigate to the homepage, even after finding her bookmark. I've concluded that spousal computer skills and navigation preferences are the 's/he never picks up her/his clothes' of our generation.

And were back. So she's got this list of fifty or so blogs that she checks all the time. I used to make fun of her for this. I didn't quite understand how she could pay attention to the details of a complete stranger's life. Especially since most of these are like food or healthy eating blogs. So they basically just take pictures of the food that they eat and then talk about it a little bit. There are some exceptions (if you're reading this, just assume you're one of the exceptions). And then for some reason I started reading these damn things too. I think my blogstalking picked up when Kate moved back to Indy...it was basically something else that my pen pal and I could talk about, other than the uneventful 'how was your day' conversation...especially since neither of us were doing anything too exciting at the time. So instead of 'how was your day' the conversation would start with something like 'can you believe what [insert blogger name here] ate for dinner?'

A few things to keep in mind:
1. We don't know these people. We've never met them. Probably never will.
2. Most of these bloggers are pretty ordinary. Other than the fact that they take pictures of their food, they are pretty normal. They have ordinary jobs and ordinary lives. Except you, you're an exception, remember? And we don't talk about you. 
3. Not related to 1 and 2, but I should also add that I think I'm the only man who frequents these blogs.

So our digital friends are now a major topic of conversation at our house. Instead of awkward spousal silence or picking a stupid fight for the sport of it, we'll have exchanges like this:

Kate: So when do you think [insert blogger name] and [blogger's boyfriend] are going to get married?
Me: I'm not sure. I don't think he's ready yet, and she's still in school, right? And this isn't really the best market for [boyfriend] to sell his condo.
Kate: Yeah, I guess you're right. I bet they'll get married next Spring, she seems to really like the Spring. 

Again, we've never met these people - we've just created our own little soap opera. There are also times when Kate knows what blog I'm reading because of my behavior.

Me [singing] - I had some dreams/they were clouds in my coffee/clouds in my coffee
Kate: You're reading [insert blogger name here] again, aren't you?
Me: Yep, how'd you guess?
Kate: Because you always sing Carley Simon when you read that blog. Did she post another glamour shot of herself?
Me: Yup, a blatant ass picture for no apparent reason

I'm thinking about starting a new blog where I'm some sort of food blog critic. I'd channel this (unhealthy) obsession and do a daily roundup of what all of the food bloggers are writing about on a given day. Sort of like Perez Hilton but without the inappropriate doodles or actual celebrities. 

I think it's a good idea, but since I'm currently lacking the motivation to keep one blog up and running, it's probably not the best idea to start another.

Stay tuned for Volume II tomorrow (or whenever I get around to it). It'll have something to do with auditing your Facebook friend list. Should be fun. Oh, and Volume III is about the bloggers that I know and how reading a friend's blog changes your interaction with that person. So if you're a blogger and you're reading this, you'll have to stay tuned for Volume III. In other news, don't the Roman Numerals make this multi-part post seem like a big deal? Yeah, I thought so too. 

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

hahahahahahahillllarious!!!! + I vote yes on the blog about blogs!!

Amber said...

That sounds like such a cool idea! You must! I too have invested much time reading about complete strangers meals and random thoughts

Jessica said...

loving the blog food round-up idea!

Anonymous said...

HAHAHAHHAHAHHHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!

You better be nice Nate!!

*Crossing my fingers I get a link over in Volulme III*

Anonymous said...

PS. HILARIOUS about Kate's bookmarking!!

As usual, I laugh out loud every time you talk about Kate. I can just imagine her!

Unknown said...

Now I'm so curious - you and Kate have to come up with a blog roll. And if you can find the time to follow through with the blog about blogs idea I think you'd get to a KERF-like following in no time.

Anonymous said...

I haven't even finished this post yet, but I had to stop to comment. I'm so pathetic that I'm trying to guess whose blogs you are referencing. Sad. Because not only do I not know the bloggers themselves, but I don't know you, the blog commentator, either. So this is third-hand gossip. Sigh.

Anonymous said...

My husband has totally started reading them too, and yeah, we definitely make up our on dramz about them as well. Hilarious post.

Anna said...

Well, this is a relief. I thought I was the only one! Now I feel like less of a freak, haha.

Meghann said...

haha this is great! Fo rmy friends that do read blog we always have the same itneraction. It's like we really don't know these people but we feel like we do. it's like Blog Reality TV.

And I would LOVE for you to at least do a Perezze Hilton style post if you're not willing to put your heart in the whole blog concept. Pretty Please?!?!

Nicole said...

hahaha, this post made me laugh! my real life blog friend and i make references to blogs/bloggers far too often.

Nate said...

Damn. Look at all that blog action...gotta love those KERF shout outs.

Kath - You'll get a link, although I'll just be sending all of the Kerfies back to you.

Stephanie - Don't think too hard, some of the details have been changed to protect the innocent

Graduate Meghann - you know that you'd make the Perez post, right? I mean, with the Derek situation AND Caitlin potentially moving...that's good stuff.

Anonymous said...

Hysterical post - my fiance teased me when I started blogging, but he's come around :)

Anonymous said...

I just died laughing. PLEASE do this.

Anonymous said...

lol hilarious! Please do it.. i'd bookmark it! :)

Danica's Daily said...

OMG - this is so true as funny as it may be. We have the same conversations in our house other than it is The Husband looking over my shoulder and asking what the latest is on this blog or that and which one is this or that on :)

Thanks for the great story!

Danica

Anonymous said...

you are hilarious! We're all anxiously awaiting volume II, so please post tomorrow! Followed the link from Kath's site ...

RhodeyGirl/Sabrina said...

Hey! I do the same thing. I have tons of random bookmarks, because google reader was getting too stressful.

sometimes I say things like: "Well I asked my friends about good lunches and they suggested this" and then my fiance rolls his eyes at me and replies with "uhh you mean your blog friends right?"

the best part is that he then guesses which one i am talking about! (he doesn't read them regularly, but i sometimes send him links to recipes and such)

Anonymous said...

Dear Nate.

For the record I gave you the first shout out + you got your very own post!! (insert blog drama/sarcasm here)..

Sincerely.
B+B

Nate said...

Kelsey = B+B. Kanz can find his own abbreviation.

Anonymous said...

I think Kanz should do the opposite of the current blog trend of abbreviation.. He should go with something like "Kanz the Monkey learns how to brew + bake!!!"

Anonymous said...

Totally hilarious...just hope you weren't talking about me with that glamour shot comment (hee, hee pretty sure I know who you were talking about though!)

Anonymous said...

you just got added to my Google reader...please do a blog about blogs!

Thanks for the laughs!

kathie said...

i was going to subscribe in my gooreader but instead i just bookmarked your site without category to be more like kate. my husband and i do the same thing with several blogs. our conversations start with, "did you see?...did i share that with you?" so it turns out he didn't share it so he explains the post and then shares it and then i go read it. all this sharing has really kept our marriage sparked!

Anne P said...

ha... this is so true. i am particularly excited about Part III ;)

Anonymous said...

Very funny. My wife (also Kate) recently became obsessed with blogs (food ones in particular) and frequently forwards things to me, and I assume I am the only (other) man reading these. We have started a joint blog but I can only assume the women reading it skip my posts because they are relatively insignificant.

Anonymous said...

I try to avoid thinking too hard in general, so no worries

Meghann said...

haha I just went back to read your response to my comment. I figured I would be up there. Can you believe that when I made my little side note on Monday about Derek that the stats on my site reached an all time high? Who knew my personal life would bring about such a following. ;)

Caitlin at Healthy Tipping Point said...

i would love some perez-type action on other bloggers. that would be hysterical. :)

Nate said...

HTP - Don't you worry...it's coming. HTP won't be in this week's episode, but next week for sure.