Why Blogs

          Blogs are a tool to help me learn a new skill, or as a source of entertainment.  If I am looking to learn a new skill or get past a place I am stuck, then I will hunt down a blog focused on that issue. My friends usually point out the entertaining blogs. I know that there are personal blogs that are used to keep family connected, but it’s not what I would call entertaining.

          The only times I will seek out a blog is if I wish to learn a new skill, or if I have ran into a problem with a car I am trying to repair. These blogs can be hit or miss on actually helping me. When I look for a blog of this type I look for good explanations on the steps and hints. I also hope to see some pictures and videos of the processes.  I had a car I was changing the struts on and ran into an issue on how to get to the top of the strut. Most cars I have done this job on have had the strut mount in the trunk. However the Toyota Corolla has the mounts under the back seat. This car also does not have the fold down rear seat that most cars are equipped with. The blog eHow.com  had a good breakdown of what tools were needed and a step by step on how to remove the struts. This blog did not have any pictures or videos to help me see what I problem I was having. The next blog I looked at was very helpful in finding my problem. The blog They might be racing not only used pictures, but used them with the step by step instructions.
          When I read the entertainment types, it’s usually because someone has pointed me to them. I have more of a tendency to enjoy the blogs where the poster has exaggerated something that has happened in their daily lives. One of these I use to read was a blog by Sailor Jim at sailorjim.com. He originally posted to the Alt.Callahans, news group. He can take something as simple as, “My hens got loose,” and change it to a story of how he was trying to breed a rooster so tough he could defend himself. But all he got was a bunch of hens so tough that they could peck through sheet metal.