10 Questions with Andrew of My Blog Rules

1. Describe your blog in five sentences or less.
While I run a number of niche blogs, My Blog Rules is totally just me. A personal blog that just lets me share my true geeky self. I try to mix things up between neat and unique things I’ve found online, along with all sorts of just fun posts about anything under the sun. Since I’m a big fan of the ’80s, sushi, midgets, monkeys, comic books, video games and sci-fi, you can expect a lot of posts touching on those topics. My sole purpose with this blog is honestly just to have fun, which I am and I really hope shows through in my posts.

2. Link us to one post from your blog that best defines who you are.
Not as easy as it sounds, since half my posts are usually just short write-ups about fun things I’ve found online, or Top 10 type of lists. So no one post really “defines me” I guess, but the one that most just gets my style and humor across is probably: The 80 Best (& Worst) Band Names Up for Grabs.

3. What sets you apart from other bloggers?
I’m not shilling or selling anything. I don’t like doing all those “link farm” type posts that have really no content other then listing 500 links from someone else. (Memes or Awards are different, as there’s actual content in them.) I’m also quite drama free. And I’m not a big fan of negativity. So many blogs out there spend their time bringing you down or complaining about something or other. I’d rather just have fun and mix things up. My favorite all-time quote is by Oscar Wilde: “Life is too important to be taken seriously.” So I try my bestest to live up to that. Plus, I blog about midgets, monkeys and White Castle as much as I can. Go find me someone else who does that. Go on. I triple dog dare ya!

4. When and how did you first discover blogging?
I had always seen something or other I imagine, but when I started working for a semi-startup dotcom company back in 2000, I became friends with one of the programmers named Brian. He was a techie/video game geek and he had a blog he updated somewhat frequently. So that was the first real blog I got into. From there I guess I started clicking on links in his blogroll to see more and more examples and it just grew from there.

5. What is your biggest pet peeve related to blogging or the internet?
Besides SPAM (which I imagine everyone on the planet, even some Spammers themselves, despise), I’ve got to say it’s ignorant people with ignorant posts. Words are pretty powerful and just because it’s so easy to hide behind the anonymity of the all-knowing Internet, doesn’t mean people have the right to bash others or preach hatred. I guess I’m talking more about “anonymous” folks who leave nasty comments, but it can apply to some regular bloggers as well.

6. Name one plugin, blogging widget, or service that you can’t live without.
Google Reader. Before I had any clue what I was doing, I was merely bookmarking my favorite blogs and going back every day to all of them to see if they were updated. Super time consuming and frustrating. Then some smart Blogging Gal named Tish introduced me to Google Reader and the rest is history. So easy to keep up to the minute on dozens of blogs without ever leaving the same browser window.

7. If you could choose anyone, living or dead, to write a guest post for your blog, who would it be and why?
While I’m not a big fan of guest bloggers (unless you’re doing sort of an instructional or tip-filled type of blog), I’d have to say Jim Henson. There was just something inherently innocent and childlike, yet devilishy wicked at the same time, about all his work. The man was one of the most creative people of the modern day, and I’d love to hear more of what was going on inside his head. Either him or Mr. T, I guess.

8. How has blogging made you a better person?
Are you saying I was a bad person before I blogged?!? Honestly I don’t know if it’s made me a better person, but it certainly has opened my eyes a little to new ideas and thoughts, as well as introduced me to loads of new friends from all over the country. Heck, all over the world for that matter. Some of whom I’d say are probably my best friends, even though we’ve never even met. Crazy, huh?

9. What are your tips for becoming a better blogger?
Just like all good writers, you need to read. A lot. So read a lot of blogs. Different types of blogs. Not just for content, but style too. And the one other biggest lesson I’ve learned (thanks again to that BloggingGal Tish) is to really foster a community. Don’t just talk to your readers, but listen to them. And talk WITH them. Answer any comments they leave. Follow them back to their blogs if they have one and leave a comment there. Nothing turns me off more on a new blog I’ve found then when I leave a few comments and the author never replies or bothers visiting mine.

10. Name one great blog that you read on a regular basis. What makes it unique?
Hmm. This is a tough one as I subscribe to dozens upon dozens of blogs, and lately, some of my favorites haven’t been updating too much on a regular basis. But without sounding like a total stalker, BloggingGal is one I don’t miss for any new posts (as I said earlier, Tish has taught me loads about the technical and social side of blogging, so there’s always something new I can learn there). But I’ll also check out VH1 Game Break every day because Harold posts some great info on both old-school and new video games, always with a personal touch, and yes he does respond to my comments. And since I already broke your rule and mentioned 2 instead of one, I’ll honestly toss BlogsWeLuv in the mix. I may not love every blog you guys cover, but I’ve certainly found a lot of great new sites just from coming back here every single day.

Categories: Humor, Personal, Ten Questions