Lately I've spent more time perusing weblogs of other North Dakotans. Blogging seems to have caught on in a big way at colleges in the region. I am quite surprised at how may Dakotans are typing away on the web.

I have been "blogging" longer than most people out there. Rambles was up in 1998, possibly before blogging was even a word. But I have noticed a few differences between my Rambles and the other blogs out there.

These differences include:

• Technology: Most web logs make use of some special software. My site is all straight-up HTML. I think this gives me more freedom. But for the moment, I don't have the ability for my readers to comment on what I write. The ready-made blogs have this. Perhaps I will add this some day.
• Content: Many writers feel compelled to write every day or as often as possible. They fill up their web space with musings on books they're reading and music they like. Or perhaps just gossip. My site has fewer entries about more substantial topics. Months may go by when I have nothing to say. But when I do have something to say, it's not that my roommate left the dishes on the counter. Nope, I've taken a trip somewhere. Or maybe I bought a house.
• Society: Other writers discuss the world around them. Politics, the arts, friends, and other issues they are interested in. Me, well.... I write about me. You won't find me discussing other people too often. And politics? I can barely spell the word. This is a reflection of my personality. My life is just like my Rambles: self-centered and constantly self-examining. Is this bad? I suppose in some ways it is.