Confessions of a blogophobe

Though I’ve been editor for Blogs for months now, it is admittedly odd that I haven’t owned or written for a personal blog before. In fact, I have a fear of writing them.

When discussing my phobia with my co-editor, Valerie, she put it best: “It’s so personal but so public at the same time.” The very notion of having to write something with my voice makes me cringe — some thoughts that race through my head when I try blogging range from “I don’t really have anything to say” to “Will this post haunt me ten years from now when my friends rediscover this and post it on Facebook?”

Every other month or so, I’ll go through a phase where I consider starting a blog and actually feel comfortable about its existing online presence. However, the idea always bites the dust and I return to my old-school habit of journaling before bed. It wasn’t until this semester, when I became blogs editor, that my once-adamant fear of blogging began to subside.

My responsibilities as a blogs editor consist of sending out and evaluating story pitches, editing posts and more. Every night, I dedicate an hour or two to sit down, read and edit all the posts that have come in through our inbox. While it may sound tedious, it’s actually one of my favorite parts of my day.

Reading other people’s musings on a variety of topics is incredibly fun; it’s almost as if you’re engaging in a face-to-face conversation with them. I love the pitches that writers send in, from starting up a tech column to discussing the lack of a plus-sized male model in the fashion industry. In many ways, the section really belongs to the writers as it progresses with their feedback and the suggestions they make.

Today, I’ve learned why blogging shouldn’t be feared, and I have our writers’ enthusiasm to thank. The passion with which they push forth ideas for their columns and stories continually inspires me. Blogs serves as an extension of not only the paper, but also the writers themselves as a platform for self-expression and to see their out-of-the-box musings come to life.

Now as I’m nearing the end of my first post, starting a blog or writing a piece sometime soon doesn’t sound bad at all. As for now, baby steps.

Allison Toh is a senior majoring in communication. She is also deputy blogs editor of the Daily Trojan.