Is Blogging Being Taken Too Seriously By Writers?

1. Do you feel that blogging should be a recognized form of self-publishing?
If you include this in the definition, you'd have to include all personal websites, would you not?
2. Do you think that you as bloggers can produce a whole "new" industry in this area?
I don't think so..
3. Do you think there is any connection between blogging and writing (let alone being a good writer)?
Yes. If you write well, your blog should be well written, no obvious grammar mistakes, clear sentences.
4. Do you secretly hope that with all the game of rank and tags and categories that you will be noticed above and beyond the millions of others and so have your work "discovered"?
That thought seriously never crossed my mine.
5. Are you blogging as a means to that end, or are you blogging cause you just want to get your ideas and thoughts out there?
I saw a lot of other people blogging, and I just wanted to share what's going on in my life.

I am not, as of right now, a blogger. I'm too busy with business stuff and actually trying to get some short stories done and my first novel through its final polish.

However, I have had an idea that is partially written to write a book on a blog that is attached to a website. The story is all full of vampires and genetic engineering and the internet... so I think it lends itself to the media of 'publishing' online. I never considered charging for it - how do you charge people to read your blog?

To speak in generalities... I don't think good writing has anything to do with blogging. Nor do I think that the fact that it is on a blog precludes the fact that it could be good writing. I would consider blog 'publishing' to be a way to create a fan base or connect more personally with the fans you already have.

1. do you feel that blogging should be a recognized form of self-publishing?

Only in the same way that publishing on a web-site should be - and therefore only with the understanding that it's unmonitored and un-edited.

2. Do you think that you as bloggers can produce a whole "new" industry in this area?

I have no idea!

3. Do you think there is any connection between blogging and writing (let alone being a good writer)?

Other than the compulsion to write, not really.

4. Do you secretly hope that with all the game of rank and tags and categories that you will be noticed above and beyond the millions of others and so have your work "discovered"?

No - I don't tag unless I'm part of a blog-chain and that's not for my benefit.

5. Are you blogging as a means to that end, or are you blogging cause you just want to get your ideas and thoughts out there?

I use my blog as a kind of notebook. It has the advantage of being in one place and searchable, which my "real" notebooks are not.

Feedback from others is a bonus and an indicator which ideas and styles have the greatest appeal.

I don't have a platform, which means my blog is not widely read - it's mainly for my own amusement. I can't promise that others feel the same.

Bearing in mind that my blog is a personal journal rather than a vehicle for my writing or a commercial venture, here are my thoughts:

1. do you feel that blogging should be a recognized form of self-publishing?
I think that blogging is too diverse to give a general "Yes" or "No" answer to this, but I think a well-written blog (fiction or non-fiction) could very well be considered a form of self-published work. There are some excellent blogs out there - some that I'm sure could attract a subscriber's fee if the owner was thinking along those lines. At the moment, the great charm of blogging is that it's free, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if some writers decided to make their work a paying concern. You can buy ebooks nowadays - why not subscribe to a blog? It's not much different from subscribing to a magazine after all.

2. Do you think that you as bloggers can produce a whole "new" industry in this area?
Me personally - no, or at least, not at this stage of my life. My blog is a fun way to keep my friends in touch with what's going on in my life, and a place for me to rant, and therefore probably wouldn't be very interesting for anyone outside my circles of friends. However, I do know a couple of people who (IMO) could blog commercially if they chose to. Their writing is that good. Actually, one of them is work his blog entries into a book, I believe.

3. Do you think there is any connection between blogging and writing (let alone being a good writer)?
Again, blogs are too diverse for one catch-all answer, but I think there can be a strong connection between blogging and writing. If you get down to the bare bones of it, nearly any form of writing is practice for being a better writer. Anything that forces you to think about how you're communicating something to an audience is bound to help you improve. I proof-read my blog entries just as carefully as I do my prose, for this reason. I think keeping a blog helps me to find my personal writing voice.

4. Do you secretly hope that with all the game of rank and tags and categories that you will be noticed above and beyond the millions of others and so have your work "discovered"?
No, not really. Not at this moment, anyway. I'm not writing for that kind of audience. I do hope that my aforementioned friends get discovered though. Their writing deserves a wider audience IMO.

5. Are you blogging as a means to that end, or are you blogging cause you just want to get your ideas and thoughts out there?
I already mentioned that one reason I blog is to keep friends up to date with my life. The other reason is that it's just a daily routine for me - something I need to do in order to maintain my equilibrium. This has been a habit for me since before I knew blogs existed - the only difference now is that I have an audience I never had before. I dunno, I just like doing it. It floats my boat

1. do you feel that blogging should be a recognized form of self-publishing?

If we define it as web publishing, and not conventional publishing, then yes.

2. Do you think that you as bloggers can produce a whole "new" industry in this area?

I think that we already have. Look at how many blogs are out there. Like it or not, blogging is a new industy.

3. Do you think there is any connection between blogging and writing (let alone being a good writer)?

In order to blog you must write. I do not define good writing as the only writing. I guess that is the elementary school teacher in me. Writing is writing and there are some very good blogs out there that have excellent writing.

4. Do you secretly hope that with all the game of rank and tags and categories that you will be noticed above and beyond the millions of others and so have your work "discovered"?

I hope that my blog reaches those that have an interest in what I have to blog about. I really do not want some body that has no interest in my blog topics reading my blog. I look at it like reading a magazine article, either you are interested, or you are not.

5. Are you blogging as a means to that end, or are you blogging cause you just want to get your ideas and thoughts out there?

I am blogging because I like it and I want to share my ideas. I also blog for our tea business as a way to create a community that shares and puts forth ideas and thought.


Great topic.

The cream always rises to the top. There have always been the same concerns about a glut of everything since time began. From too many painters to too many musicians et al. now to too many bloggers, and the response has always been the same - if it's good it will stay. The fact it is relatively easy and cheap to blog has democratized the activity but to have readers who will want to stay loyal and follow what you do requires more than just a scroll of rambly text. The fact there is quantity doesn't negate quality.

Blogs will probably become more corporatized and slicker and everyone will probably whine about the good old days when a few tekky boffins were writing to each other about tekky boffin stuff. The reality is like everything else - do the best you can, write about interesting stuff in a well written way and there will be an audience.

How to target your audience is a different game including all the usual devices of contacts and word of mouth. If you are writing about whatever pops into your head then targeting your audience is not really relevant, but if, like me your blog is a type of shop window, then I use it to inform clients and potential clients of what I am up to. Being glued to my Technorati rank doesn't really mean anything if the people I want to read the blog - aren't.

So read mine. Hell, I didn't say wasn't for shameless plugging either.


Os.

I am beginning to wonder just what we "expect" from our blogging. Is it a social endeavor? A place to get a point across? A showcase for our work? Or a place to house that work itself?

I think of my blog as my little (little) corner of the Web. A place where I can talk about things of interest to fellow writers and a place where friends and family can check out what's on my mind (particularly where it involves my writing endeavors). And hopefully, someday, a place where I can connect with folks who like my novels.

Moreso, is blogging becoming so central that we are forgetting about "writing" about working hard at the craft of good writing?

For me personally? No. Working at the craft of good writing is central to my mind, whether it's a novel chapter or a blog post. They're two very different kinds of writing, so they challenge me in different directions. And my fiction writing takes precedence over my blog.

1. Do you feel that blogging should be a recognized form of self-publishing?

Yes, as long as it's understood as distinct from commercial publishing.

2. Do you think that you as bloggers can produce a whole "new" industry in this area?

I think this is already happening - there are blogs out there that are huge in the sense of having a wide readership and significant influence.

3. Do you think there is any connection between blogging and writing (let alone being a good writer)?

If you're working hard at the writing craft in whatever venue, then there's a connection to good writing. But every kind of writing is different. Writing fiction is different from writing news is different from academic writing is different from blogging... (etc.)

4. Do you secretly hope that with all the game of rank and tags and categories that you will be noticed above and beyond the millions of others and so have your work "discovered"?

Not particularly. In fact, I tend to think of it in reverse. If I have readers who enjoy my novels, then they might enjoy my blog, too.

5. Are you blogging as a means to that end, or are you blogging cause you just want to get your ideas and thoughts out there?

More than anything else, I blog because it's fun, and when somebody is helped or touched by something I post to my blog, it makes me happy.

Thanks, Teddy, for a thought-provoking topic!

I started blogging because everyone else was doing it. I didn't tell anybody that I had a blog; I was afraid someone would read it. And I'm not going to link to my blog here. I use it as a way to stay in touch with my Dad, who lives in another state, and I've made a few friends who stop by, other writers that I met through other writing blogs.

I do appreciate the agent and editor blogs. I think there's a lot of information--and entertainment--that comes through those blogs.

I would never claim to be published because I have a blog.

I think there is a connection between blogging and writing, if only that the majority of bloggers are working or aspiring writers.

I don't put my work on my blog, so I don't see how I could be 'discovered' there. I just blog because I like to, and I get a kick out of the number of people who come there by googling for odd terms.

1. do you feel that blogging should be a recognized form of self-publishing?

I think by its nature and purpose it is automatically a form of self-publishing, that's part of it's appeal to people.

2. Do you think that you as bloggers can produce a whole "new" industry in this area?

I think the subject that I write about, royalty, is fairly specialized. When I started my blog I don't think there were many royal blogs out there, now there are about 6 - and I'm referring to ones that actually write about royal subjects or make commentary and aren't "I love Prince William" sites. It's slowly growing.

3. Do you think there is any connection between blogging and writing (let alone being a good writer)?

For me, blogging encouraged me to become more serious about writing. I asked this very question a few months ago on this board. I think people are divided on whether blogging helps with writing or not because its not edited and it can encourage bad writing habits (spelling and punctuation errors, etc). The writing on many blogs generally seems to lack some "structure" and sometimes it's more stream of consciousness, things which (in my opinion) don't necessarily go with the craft of writing.

4. Do you secretly hope that with all the game of rank and tags and categories that you will be noticed above and beyond the
millions of others and so have your work "discovered"?

Yes, of course! I would LOVE to be discovered! But I don't like playing games with tags and ranks - maybe I should but it's just not in me. I'm signed up at Blogburst and some of my articles have made it onto the Houston Chronicle website - which is cool. For the most part, I try to keep my subject matter timely and varied so that it encourages traffic.

5. Are you blogging as a means to that end, or are you blogging cause you just want to get your ideas and thoughts out there?

I started my blog because I wanted to make a career out of writing about royalty. It didn't have any particular focus at first, it was more for my own enjoyment than anything else. It was wonderful in a way because I think my writing was a lot more casual and free, I could be as irreverant as I wanted to be. Once I put a statcounter on it I was surprised to see that people were actually reading what I had to say and coming back. Now I look upon my blog as a resource, something to inform people, a place people can learn about royalty and hopefully enjoy it as much as I do.

Teddy

Blogging is today what automanufacturing was circa 1900, that is, in its infancy. What I foresee is a syndicate of bloggers readers will access via subscription.

I had a long discussion with a regional newspaper editor. I told him "it's over" for his paper. The dozen or so hack writers he has will be overwhelmed by incredible talent once a profitable venue is discovered to showcase these new writers. I told him he cant possibly saturate his area the way independent bloggers can, in terms of collecting the news.

He disagreed, but newspaper circulation continues to dwindle.

Mayor of Moronia said:

Teddy

Blogging is today what automanufacturing was circa 1900, that is, in its infancy. What I foresee is a syndicate of bloggers readers will access via subscription.

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That's been happening in the business and high tech sectors since 2002.

I had a long discussion with a regional newspaper editor. I told him "it's over" for his paper. The dozen or so hack writers he has will be overwhelmed by incredible talent once a profitable venue is discovered to showcase these new writers. I told him he cant possibly saturate his area the way independent bloggers can, in terms of collecting the news.
He disagreed, but newspaper circulation continues to dwindle.

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I'm sure he was overwhelmed by your tact and perspicacity.

Paper circulation of newspapers is dwindling but online paid subscriptions are rising. And they're paying bloggers.

Moroever, like conventional print publishing, someone has to wade through the crap in the slush pile. With online publication, particularly blogs, an active community of readers, and various digital metrics, help winnow the crap.

medievalist

My momma told me "You cause me more problems than all my children combined, but youre the only child I can trust." Honesty has always been my cross to bear.

Hmm. I started my blog because a few of my friends had them. They showed me that is was a way to communicate with out e-mail, or letter writing, or the obligatory phone call where something might be left out.

Since my mother is for ever complaining that I never write or call (which wasn't true, I wrote her letters all the time...I just never mailed them) I decided this was a great way for me to keep her up to date.

The one time I put any of my work on my blog, was to show my friends and family that I had finally started to write again.

Mostly my blog is filled with boring stuff that no one other than my friends or family would care about. On the other side of that coin, through my blog I have made contact with other bloggers who read my site and I their's because of similar interests.

I don't use any of the bells and whistle's like a stat counter to see the traffic on my blog. Mine came with a built in stat folder that I do check from time to time. Do I not get happy feeling when I see that my numbers are higher than they where? Uh hello I'm a writer and someone is reading what I wrote of course I get a happy feeling!

I never saw(and don't now) my blog as a means to discovery. I have heard where one's blog opened new doors for someone,but they were already a published Author. They had more than just their blog to offer.

As far as blogging as an industry, I have already seen cases of this. I can only assume it is going to grow just as the e-publishing industry is.

I still prefere my books in paper form. Ever tried to cuddle up with your lap top during a storm and settle down for a good read? just not quite the same to me.

oswann said:

The cream always rises to the top. There have always been the same concerns about a glut of everything since time began. From too many painters to too many musicians et al. now to too many bloggers, and the response has always been the same - if it's good it will stay. The fact it is relatively easy and cheap to blog has democratized the activity but to have readers who will want to stay loyal and follow what you do requires more than just a scroll of rambly text. The fact there is quantity doesn't negate quality.

Blogs will probably become more corporatized and slicker and everyone will probably whine about the good old days when a few tekky boffins were writing to each other about tekky boffin stuff. The reality is like everything else - do the best you can, write about interesting stuff in a well written way and there will be an audience.

How to target your audience is a different game including all the usual devices of contacts and word of mouth. If you are writing about whatever pops into your head then targeting your audience is not really relevant, but if, like me your blog is a type of shop window, then I use it to inform clients and potential clients of what I am up to. Being glued to my Technorati rank doesn't really mean anything if the people I want to read the blog - aren't.

So read mine. Hell, I didn't say wasn't for shameless plugging either.


Os.

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I agree with you totally. There are now more than 50 million blogs (most of them are spam blogs, I guess) but only a few thousand of bloggers are doing well. I don't see any conflict between writing and blogging. People come to visit my blog for my writing not for the Ads or the design of the blog. If they like my writing they conitinue to come.

1. do you feel that blogging should be a recognized form of self-publishing?

i have no idea

2. Do you think that you as bloggers can produce a whole "new" industry in this area?

ditto

3. Do you think there is any connection between blogging and writing (let alone being a good writer)?

My blogs tend to be written on the run and have very little editing. Not so with the more serious stuff...


4. Do you secretly hope that with all the game of rank and tags and categories that you will be noticed above and beyond the millions of others and so have your work "discovered"?

no

5. Are you blogging as a means to that end, or are you blogging cause you just want to get your ideas and thoughts out there?

Currently I have 4 blogs and 2 websites. I have one unpublished book and another being researched at the moment. It would be nice to have the blogs and sites support my writing but that won't happen. Instead what I'm seeking to do is develop my own on line portfolio showing my strength in a certain field, in my case South East Asia, and the areas where I specialise.

There is a stage 2 which I have not yet reached and to be honest with other commitments is some way off.

TeddyG said:

Is it a social endeavor? A place to get a point across? A showcase for our work? Or a place to house that work itself

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For me it's social more than anything. I include links to some of my stories that have been pubbed online, and have just posted a story that had been pubbed once and I didn't think I could get it placed again, but on the whole what I like about blogging is that I can whitter on about what I like, if no one reads it it's no biggie, if they do cool.

Moreso, is blogging becoming so central that we are forgetting about "writing" about working hard at the craft of good writing?

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No. In terms of craft, Blogging at best is a warm up or block beater. Working hard at the craft is not something I'd want to forget. I don't count my blogg entries in my daily word count. I do try to make my blogg entries a good read, but I don't consider it as work towards the craft. It's not the same as writing fiction. Might be different for writers of a more journalistic bent perhaps.

However, what I get the feeling is that many people feel that blogging is also another and respectful formulation of getting published. Something like the bastar* child of POD or vanity publishing.

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This is a big no from me. I've had a few publications at minor online (mainly) non paying ezines and I don't really consider myself to be published yet. Not properly. POD, or vanity I think are bad for writers. If there's not an editor to say yea or nay, it's not publication. I won't really consider myself published until I get a decent print publication, min pro rates or one of the well thought of online publications.

Given the fact that most of the worlds blogs are still nothing more than sophisticated personal diaries, or they are an attempt to "sell" some product, I would like to ask this audience what it thinks.

1. do you feel that blogging should be a recognized form of self-publishing?

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No.

2. Do you think that you as bloggers can produce a whole "new" industry in this area?

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Corporations and market men will inevitably latch on to Bloggs becasue like all mass communications they have potential to reach customers. This might be good for some bloggers if they can capitalise, but it's not necessarily a good thing for bloggers or blogging. I not sure if we as bloggers can create this industry ourselves, if we do, the suits will gain control of the new industry and put with all the other ones.

3. Do you think there is any connection between blogging and writing (let alone being a good writer)?

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No, because clearly most bloggers aren't writers, they are however enjoying comunicating through the written word. I think there's a certain fasincation in Blogging for writers that is only natural, but I don't think of blogging the same way I think about my "writing."

4. Do you secretly hope that with all the game of rank and tags and categories that you will be noticed above and beyond the millions of others and so have your work "discovered"?

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Hahahahahahahahaha. Ha.

My blog is about trying to become a writer. I don't expect that to happen through blogging though.

I'd like it if a few people dropped by regularly and read a page or two, left a comment, clicked a link to one of my stories, tried one of the recipes. I guess for me the ideal is that the Blogg is about communicating with people on an informal friendly basis.,

I can't imagine editors rushing to bloggs. It would be like the worlds biggest slush pile.

No doubt though, as marketing men are head over heels in love with memes and viral marketing, and word of mouth hype they'll be on the look out for someone or something just so they can latch onto Blogging.

Here in the UK, one of the biggest selling ablums and now one of the country's big bands (The Arctic Monkeys) came out of nowhere and had a number one single, ablum and sellout tours all from myspace. A female solo artist has just had simillar success with myspace. They both used myspace to bypass the whole music biz set up of major labels, A&R men, managers, etc. It's DIY but it isn't hype, they both have a ton of talent. Problem is market men spot this type of thing. myspace started off as one of those really cool net things, but I read this week that Rupert Murdoch (who has invested heavily in myspace) sees it as a great way of introducing younger consumers to his media brand. Meh.

If a writer is 'plucked' from the blogosphere it's more likley to be about hype and marketing and probably not that good for the writer in the long run.

5. Are you blogging as a means to that end, or are you blogging cause you just want to get your ideas and thoughts out there?

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It's nice to think up a snappy title each day and talk about whatever's on my mind, stuff I'm doing, be able to go off on tangents, rant, pontificate, navel gaze, chit chat. Things I don't do in my actual writing - well not on a good day!

I think these are questions we all must ask ourselves, deep down and find the truth to them.

I would love to hear and read all remarks. It is intriguing.

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Thanks for the post it's been intersting and thought provoking.

As a professional trade journalist, I have not created a blog. Simply, my time is too important to be spent on non-paying pursuits (with the exception of AW, of course!). As an economic necessity, I spend what writing and marketing time I can in the pursuit of magazines and organisations which pay for the research and thought put into my work for them.

It yet remains to be seen if blogging can become a profitable venture - the recent announcement by the Washington Post is but an 'experiment', and the accepted and listed bloggers will receive no money, but will in turn receive 'exposure'.

I do not wish to sound like I am blowing my own trumpet, but I neither need nor require the 'exposure'. I have been in the 'business' for a long time now. The editors I contact can readily discern from my clips and CV that I have experience, ability, maturity and reliability. They don't need much more than that. What remains of course, is our ability to agree on price and conditions. Most editors who have taken me on now do so regularly. I am quite sure that these editors would not have 'found' me via a blog - they are pretty busy people, and generally harried on a daily basis.

Perhaps if I had a blog, it might be oriented to other trade journalists. Yet, I would have to choose between the creation of such, or utilisation of the BBS for 100% non-fiction writers / journalists already available.

1. do you feel that blogging should be a recognized form of self-publishing?
BB: Recognized by whom? By definition, (Having one's writings published by oneself.) it is a form of "self-publishing" unless the definition of "published" is limited to print on dead trees.

2. Do you think that you as bloggers can produce a whole "new" industry in this area?
BB: If the question is limited to the publishing industry, no.

3. Do you think there is any connection between blogging and writing (let alone being a good writer)?
BB: To the extent blogging allows a writer to communicate with others so afflicted and have easy access to information on the craft, yes.

4. Do you secretly hope that with all the game of rank and tags and categories that you will be noticed above and beyond the millions of others and so have your work "discovered"?
BB: I got into blogging when the site I used that provided author websites went belly-up. Blogging gives me a "presence" on the web where I can showcase my work, hopefully build up a fan base, and direct others who might want to read something I've written.

5. Are you blogging as a means to that end, or are you blogging cause you just want to get your ideas and thoughts out there?
BB: As a means to an end. Blogging reminds me a bit of the Citizen's Band (CB) radio fad that swept the US (don't know if other jurisdictions also came under the influence) back in the '70's.

Bayou Bill

Gad Teddy, I didn't know I had so much to say about blogging!

Do you feel that blogging should be a recognized form of self-publishing?

Yes, excluding online journals where the blogger only intends to communicate with friends/family etc.

2. Do you think that you as bloggers can produce a whole "new" industry in this area?

I think bloggers already have. Whether that industry will be financially viable and/sustainable is another matter altogether.

As Oswann says, “blogs will probably become more corporatized and slicker and everyone will probably whine about the good old days when a few tekky boffins were writing to each other about tekky boffin stuff.”

That would not close the door for indivivually owned blogs to thrive, I think, but as many here know, blogging takes time and effort.

Remember the good old days when ezines and newletters were first getting started and a lot of writers wanted to start one. Turned out to be a lot of work, and while some people have managed to make it work ( e.g. Jenna), others eventually quit so their efforts were more focussed selling writing for paying markets. Then there were those who eventually sold their pubs to larger companies, and even in those instances that was no guarantee that the pub would be sustainable (e.g Inkspot)

So I think blogs will also go thru the same weeding process, and some people may eventually abandon their blogs.

Do you think there is any connection between blogging and writing (let alone being a good writer)?

Blogging may help some writers practice their craft, but as someone already said here,there are different types of writing. So while blogging might help improve essay writing or doing reviews, it may have a limited impact on one’s copywriting endeavours, for example.

Do you secretly hope that with all the game of rank and tags and categories that you will be noticed above and beyond the millions of others and so have your work "discovered"?

I don’t have the time or inclination to play that game. I only installed a traffic counter on Saturday.

Are you blogging as a means to that end, or are you blogging cause you just want to get your ideas and thoughts out there?

I blog to put my ideas on a topic I write about out there. It’s platform to showcase my writing, and communicate with my readers ( who generally come to my blog from offline contacts) to gain a better understanding of me as a creative writer, the literary environment I work in and to read some of my stories. At present, the number of blog readers is limited because I am not actively promoting it.

However, I’m reading my children’s stories at the Soweto Arts Festival on the 25 September ( yay!) and the blog address will be included in the press kit. Hopefully, that it will be easier for journalists to profile me for their pubs, attracting more crowds etc.

If some journalists include the blog address in their articles, some readers may choose to visit the blog and maybe get curious enough to attend the festival.

And if I manage to attract people to my readings, the organisers will be happy, which means I may get invited again.

My plan is that the blog and offline work complement each other in a way I don’t think the tagging and SEO would ( for me). Mostly, the blog is supposed to make the work of people who want to learn more about me easier (having found out me somewhere else, I expect.)

Honestly, sometimes I wonder why I blog. I barely do it, and actually I was on the verge of letting it go by the wayside when I came here and decided to go ahead and keep it up.

Well, more to the point -- I started blogging for two reasons; At the time I had no group to discuss things with and there were issues that I just needed to vent about, and also because of my web page and the regulars there wanted news from me all the time, and blogging was easier than emailing back all these strangers that would ask for updates.

Do I think it's vanity publishing? I don't, no. But then again, I don't ever blog fiction there.

Do I think it's a whole new industry ? I think it is as far as news goes, but not writing. Not fiction, that is. Maybe some day, who's to say - but I don't see it happening.

I think the only blogs that will be read and enjoyed at all by strangers is one that's free of grammar globs and poor writing. But I also blog the way I talk, which is to say the way I post here.

I barely understand technocrati, so competitions and recognitions are beyond me and I care not for such things.

There are days when I wonder why I blog, and days when I do it anyway. It's just, in pure naked honest, catering to my Igo. The blind belief that somewhere, someone might actually read what I said, perhaps comment a like experience or at the very least, get a slight chuckle for five minutes then move on.

Every other day I consider deleting that blog and doing away with it. Which means every other day I decide not to

Great questions...

1. do you feel that blogging should be a recognized form of self-publishing?

I suppose it is a form of self-publishing. It's a very diverse form, though, so it is hard to generalize, as others have noted.

2. Do you think that you as bloggers can produce a whole "new" industry in this area?

Some have. Darren Rowse comes to mind. Daily Kos is another. To me, blogging is nothing more than creating a content-rich website that is updated frequently by virtue of a handy page structure and a good content management system at the foundation. Asking whether bloggers can create a new industry is sort of tough to answer. Sure, they can make some bread. It's nothing new, though, in the sense that some sites have been profitable long before "blogs" came into vogue.

3. Do you think there is any connection between blogging and writing (let alone being a good writer)?

I maintain a blog. I use it to discuss issues that are relevant to me as a "for the web" writer. It's also a marketing tool. I don't think the act of blogging makes me a better writer any more than would writing in some other form, but I do know that it serves as a nice soap box and brings in clients.

4. Do you secretly hope that with all the game of rank and tags and categories that you will be noticed above and beyond the millions of others and so have your work "discovered"?

I'm not in a traditional "looking for a publisher" situation, so my experience might differ from some others... I do get business via my blog. People find it, read it, decide that I might be the writer they want and drop me a line. It works in that respect.

5. Are you blogging as a means to that end, or are you blogging cause you just want to get your ideas and thoughts out there?

Occasionally, I feel like a little expression and/or ranting for the sake of expression creeps into the picture. Primarily, though, it is a means to the end of advancing the business.

CDB

I have a little blog where I post my interconnected short stories. These come from what I call "thoughtlettes"- I have an idea racing in my head and get it out so I can refocus on my main WIP. I don't particularly care if anyone reads it (I doubt anyone does), but it's a nice creative outlet.
I think with "content brokerage" set-ups like scoop, the buying/selling of blog content might change what we read in mainstream newspapers, magazines, etc.

Blogs don't mean much. I mean, they mean more than a "Poetry.com" credit. but they mean about as much as saying you're in print because you printed a story you wrote off your computer. It's too easy, and the only editing and censoring (which isn't all bad, some things just should not be broadcasted) comes from the poster themself. Jason Pinter recently posted a blog essay about saying too much on your blog, or making personal attacks on them. Blogs can definitely come to count against you.
But I started my blog for self promotion. I do have some friends who want to know what I'm working on. Some relatives as well. Now I have some networked friends and writer friends who read my blog. But mostly it's for my friends and family, so I don't have to say the same thing over and over and I know everyone knows when I've got something new going on.