So, I'm wondering, what delicious sort of name do you call me? No, silly, I don't mean the one you utter in the dark behind tightly-closed doors. I mean, when you're talking to someone else about an article you've seen, or story you've heard, on my site. I mean, do you start it out with, "A friend of mine.....;" or "A blogger friend of mine.....;" or "An internet freak I found......;" or "Some brain-washed Oregonian...." Exactly what is it? I've found that I've struggled, only slightly, when referring to things I've discovered on your sites. I've used "friend," and then suddenly realized that many of you I don't even know personally. So, can we still be friends? And I've used "Blogger," and had people stare at me like I've got a protrusion erupting from my left ear because they are so in the dark and have no idea what a blogger is. And I remember when I first was on my way to Orlando, nearly a year now, to meet with this bunch of hot guys. I was with people that I didn't know and they were wondering what I was going to do in Orlando. I said, casually and stone-faced, "Oh, I'm going to meet a few guys that I found on the internet." Talk about stirring the pot! Which is exactly what I love to do, I must say.
So, now I'm feeling pretty good about just using "friend" when referring to each of you, which I do regularly, I might add. Your lives have become intertwined with mine in mysterious, wonderful ways. I've learned from you, listened to you, shared with you, even a couple of tears here and there. We've emailed, blogged, texted, phoned, met in person, and sent cards and letters and gifts. And we've met on levels that even some live, breathing bodies aren't able to accomplish sometimes. I think that everyone should try out blogging. It's an element that adds dimension, happiness, and depth to one's life. And so, today, I'm more than happy to count you as my good friends, my comrades, and my mates.
32 comments:
I must comment about what I think is a typo, but a marvelously delightful one - did you intend "dimention" (dementia) or "dimension"? The first evokes images of insanity and blogging can do that to a person. LOL!
I speak of you to SomeoneElse as a "blogger from the northwest by the name of Lewis". Her reaction, btw, when I further mention that I talk via phone or email to other bloggers, is to question how safe that is. She thinks every one I "meet" online must be an axe murderer. So, are you? **GRIN**
I've adopted the term 'blogger friend' when I'm telling others. It seems to work quite well.
I usually preface any blog reference with "you're familiar with blogs, right?" Then either briefly explain what they are or proceed directly with "this guy whose blog I read said..."
You know my term for you, "stud muffin"
And as a bud of mine, you are entitled to "mega hairy muscle hugs" unconditionally, any time.
With people who understand blogging, I refer to you as "one of my imaginary friends" if people are unfamiliar with blogs you would be referred to as "a website I follow".
Oh, and I have the nicest imaginary friends!
I use blogger friend or friend, especially if we've swapped texts, e-mails and...ahem...other things "off-blog."
i call you "lover". :)
I've thought about this issue before, and after much deliberation, I've determined that a sort of synecdoche is in order here. Everything online becomes "the Internet." You read something interesting on a blog? "The Internet says that Bermuda shorts actually come from Iceland." Get an evite to a party? "The Internet wants to know whether we're free next Tuesday." Gay.com hookup? "While you were in Miami, I fucked the Internet twice. It was tied to the bed the second time. I think the rope marks will come out with some Pledge."
This is a very convenient solution because many of my gay friends are people I initially met online, so when they come to a party, I can just say, "Hey, Internet, come meet Internet. You'll like him."
Well now, most bloggers I refer to as a person I know from the net(or a blog). However, when talking about you, I say, " was reading this sexy stud's posting on his blog when I got a raging har..."
Well, you get the point!
Love,
-C
The Internet is a new world we visit and live in. It is its own world, in its own right, so I think it completely fine to use words like friends, community, etc, when speaking of folks here.
When I speak of you and your site, I simply say something like, 'this guy named Lewis who has a blog'.
But, of course, you're more than just a guy on the web. You are a real person who brightens my day with your thoughts and images, and I hope our paths cross in 'real' life one day. Cheers!
I call you Lewis.
Thank you for the comment.
He doesn't really see anything
wrong. He gets the picture when I
don't talk or when I just shrug my
shoulders in answer.
I refer to most of them as "a fellow gay blogger" or "a blogger friend." When talking of you, fritz and I invariably say "Sweet Lewis."
Ha! That last comment was not anonymous but from me--for some reason Blogger decided to conceal my name.
I always say your name.. .then when my partner looks at me blankly. I say you know a blog I read.
I have and always introduce you as one of my dearest friends from Portland. Because you are!!! Have a great weekend.
I call you Lewis, you know that blogger from Oregon. [If you're the only one who's blogging from that fine State]
Oh honey what was going on there in the 70's/80's with that picture???? LOL
Loves!
Jimmi
you can call me al, i mean friend... tee hee... friend is good for those bloggers like us who comment and exchanged emails and advice... when i was going to san fran last year, i called it a bunch of blogger friends getting together...
I call you my "just-in-case-I-ever-give-up-on-this-whole-heterosexual-lifestyle-emergency-life-partner"... but that's only for people in my life that don't know what a "blogger" is... like my grandmother. For everybody else, I use "blogger friend" or "friend."
YES! Exactly! I usually refer to my blog buddies as friends to those who have no idea what a blog buddy might be. Because really those I consider blog buddies are truly my friends. And you know I met that crazy crew of sexy studs in Orlando, and they were exactly what I expected them to be. I was talking to them in person instead of online, but that was the only difference. Oh, and I hope to see them again on Sunday when I get back to Orlando. I know you are jealous.
And before I went out to meet them, Mama and S both worried that they'd be ax murderers or something. I wasn't worried. I was right.
Although I have quite a few blog friends. And I talk about you to the live faces in my life. It gets confusing sometimes when I'm speaking about many of the friends. I'll say "Lewis, you know St Lewis? In Oregon? (because the whole St. Lewis thing sounds like maybe St. Louis in Mo. but you are spelled differently and located far far away) well, he said..." That gets clumsy sometimes but that's part of the fun, IMHO!
And let me tell you about friends. I have missed my friends here online a whole bunch while I've been away. Which is why I'm sitting here in the computer corner on the ship as I write this, instead of doing some lame party thing on this crazy boat. My traveling companions are playing mini-golf. I'd much rather blog. The ship is pitching quite a bit tonight. I bet mini-golf is even more challenging than usual. But I digress (again).
I can hardly wait to get back to full blogging mode. Does it show?
I just call you 'poodle'. Always have.
I say blog buddies. I've found that more and more people are aware of what blog means nowadays too.
I call you the blogger with the cute nose.
To myself I think of my blog buds as soul friends. I rarely talk about blogging to anyone other than other bloggers/readers. If one comes up in conversation, I generally refer to the person by their blog name ... as in "that Spirit of Saint Lewis really moved me in his last post" or "Have you been following Designer Blog Will's epic house building journey?"
I usually say 'blogger buddy.' And then if that is met with a stone-face I'll qualify the statement with a short 'blog' definition. Which sorta complicates matters.
"...So, like you know this guy from just the internet? Uh huh. Got pics?.."
Or I use the term "internet crush." I have a lot of those...
"Good friend and fellow blogger."
Somteimes "hot blogger"!
I use the term fellow blogger.
If I've actually met the person, then it is blogger friend.
If the person actually reads blogs, I usually refer to them by name. I refer to you as Spirit of Saint Lewis.
Friend works for me, after all I sometimes refer to people I hardly know as:"A friend of mine went to South Africa and loved it". The "friend" might be a perfect stranger I met at a party at work. In many ways, you are a friend since I feel I know a little bit more about you than some of my "real"friends. Great post.
I'd say "blogger buddy".
But people who don't blog, just don't understand.
i use the term blogger-buddy.
so long as i don't call you
late for dinner.
This Hot motherf*&%$r from Oregon is what I usually say Lewis. :)
I don't share a lot. I like to keep my blogging persoanl but when referring I will say a blogger friend and let them ask questions.
I will refer to my blogger buddies as friends if I can speak of them without having to justify their existence (i.e. - How do you know Lewis? Where did you meet? Who is he?) But I also like Cooper's reference as "soul friends" as there are things that I have revealed or things that I have asked advice on that I would not have done with real-time friends here.
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