The first blogger to contact me was Mover Mike.
In a comment he posted to my blog several months ago, Mike wrote that he had linked my site on his blogroll. Such a message is every blogger’s payday. In his comment, Mike alerted me to his own blog. I paid his site a few visits, linked him to my blog in return, and have been enjoying his posts ever since. If you need some pithy financial news analysis mixed with no-nonsense social commentary, Mover Mike can connect you. (By the way, Mike, have you given up on counting the days until John Kerry releases all of his military records? LOL!)
Hugh Hewitt’s terrific idea of blogger symposiums on critical political issues have been an invaluable boon to the bloggers. “Vox Blogoli” topics have ranged from liberal media coverage of North Korea to the controversies over judicial nominees. I have participated in several of the symposiums, and it’s always a thrill to see your own blog linked in Hugh’s. After all, Hugh is known as the “godfather of the blogosphere.”
I’ve become familiar with dozens of blogs through my surfing in the blogosphere, and it’s safe to say that many blogs (not all) provide better commentary and analysis of current events than the morning newspaper. With the passing of Pope John II, the blogosphere exploded with coverage. Hugh Hewitt linked my April 2 posting, and I’ve gained new blogging friends as a result. Alan Riley of In the meantime was kind enough to mention my blog several times, even quote from it on April 8, and it's been exciting to watch the traffic to my site soar as a result. As Hugh Hewitt wisely noted in his most recent book, “Blog: Understanding the Information Reformation That's Changing Your World,” “Bloggers love traffic.”
A reader named Winston7000 has also left thoughtful comments on my recent posts. It’s always a thrill to hear from a reader, even when the feedback is negative. A readership means that you are reaching people. It means that they have thought about your words and feel compelled to answer with their own perspective. That reality is a huge responsibility for any writer.
But for bloggers, who are the pioneers of the new Internet media, it is especially important to acknowledge our readers and extend our thanks to those who strengthen our web-hold. It’s impossible to know where the blogosphere will be in ten years, but it’s safe to assume that it will still be here. As we bloggers continue to explore this new channel of communication, I hope we maintain honest opinions and accurate facts as the hallmark of our postings. I also hope we continue to support each other's blogging efforts. By doing so, we not only strengthen and enrich the blogoshere’s potential for good, but we also diminish MSM’s ability to inflict harm through agenda journalism.
That’s the real payday for any sincere blogger. Thanks to all of you for reading.
