Why I bother to blog Dog News or A blog's bark has bite

My reasons are best expressed by John Leo, journalist for the U.S.News in his article, A blog's bark has bite. I realized that I was reading and writing dog news stories anyway. and here was this incredibly web tool,  blogging, which could help me chronicle the news. I started with blogger, where I still have two dog blogs: Dog News and DC Dogs.

From reading other blogs on blogger.com, I soon learned about Radio Userland. I still haven't figured out how to link these two blogging tools up, even though Dave Winer, creator of Radioland and Scripting News has designed a tool to do just that from within Radioland, blogger.api.  Ah well, someday, far down the road I'll master it; I don't mind being a newbie (and what a newbie: don't even ask me how to upload pictures: I can't program in a picture of my pooch to save my life.)

I love dogs, dog causes, and the people we can help. That's the focus of these blogs.

The process of collating and writing about local news focuses attention on worthy causes. News stories that are swept under the rug are indeed found by bloggers and with the power of blogging, they can bring attention to them.

This blog is syndicated which means it can reach many thousands of people and it can be used freely as a news feed by non-profit organizations within their own news sites. This site is syndicated by the same organization, that also syndicates The New York Times. That's the power of blogging.

PS. In the process, I'm learning about communication. My goal as a writer is a connection, as put by A List Apart : "Undressing, literally (no way..) , figuratively, or emotionally, has always been a powerful force in personal sites and web logs. Pictures don’t matter in the long run; what matters is the trajectory of your relationship with the reader, the gradual growth of intimacy and knowledge between you..." To me, this is very difficult.

Perhaps the most important thing is to have integrity, to be as honest as you can in your writing. Try to document every thing you write. I find I make mistakes and I am willing to correct them. It's important to always go back and rethink an issue. Knowledge is power; that's what writing exposes for others: links, resources, information and self empowerment to join with each other in shaping a better world.

Related: How blogging has changed journalism : by chris mooney

'The central virtue of blogging, I've decided, is that in the proverbial agora, or online marketplace of ideas, bloggers are like Socrates on speed. They're constantly interrogating arguments and points of view, noting flaws, advancing more sound positions, and shifting the focus to new questions. The mainstream media are being watched more closely because of bloggers -- and kept more honest -- and that can't be a bad thing. And it's fascinating to think of new directions that blogging may take.'  [Post Gazette]