The time has finally come for me to attempt that daunting task all bloggers must face at some time or another: writing an “About” page. Whenever I find a new, enticing blog, the first page I look at is always the “About” page, and yet I haven’t had one here since April. What an oversight! Personally, I think a blog without an “About” page is like a map without a legend — fine if you already know what everything means, but tough going otherwise. If the purpose of an “About” page is to act as a legend for a blog, however, what should one put on it?
Well, that’s the ultimate question, isn’t it? Truth be told, I’m not sure of the answer. When it comes to writing my own “About” page (which I still haven’t completed yet), I’ve just been keeping in mind what I’m looking for when I check such a page. There are three main things I want to learn from them, and these are:
- What do you write about? Some blogs — such as mine — exist because their authors want a place to dump idle thoughts that may occur to them. Others have more specific purposes, such as to raise awareness about a political cause, or to analyse sporting results, or to post recipes. What appears to be an ordinary diary may be designed to illustrate life in an unfamiliar environment, rather than merely to record the author’s life, and as such takes on a different meaning. I like to find out what I am reading, and why it’s there for me to read.
- Who are you? What background information should I know before reading this blog? What experiences have moulded you into the writer you are today? Different types of blogs necessitate different types of answers — if your blog reviews technological gadgets, for instance, I probably don’t need to know about the family pets. On the other hand, if your blog is more of a diary, then perhaps the family pets would be relevant. If you talk about politics, what do you see as your political inclinations (and why)? If you write about music, do you like to hear? Just use some common sense and tell me some things which will prepare me for the “good stuff”.
- What are you like? Personality should really make itself apparent through the style of writing rather than a description characterised by adjectives. If you are self-deprecating, go ahead and self-deprecate. If you are boastful and arrogant, boast and be arrogant. If you’re funny, be funny. If you’re morose and brooding, be morose and brood. If you ramble a lot, ramble on! If you’re concise and to the point, devise a concise, well-structured page. If you tell a good story, tell me a story. And so it goes.
However, as I said, despite all this thinking I haven’t got around to actually writing the page yet. Perhaps I should have added another sentence to item three — “If you are a master procrastinator1, why not prove it by giving your visitor nothing to look at at all?” Then, at least, I’d have an excuse for not taking my own advice! In all seriousness, though, what information does everyone else think should be included on an “About” page (or am I the only one who bothers reading them)?
- Speaking of procrastination, guess who has five essays on the history of China’s foreign policy due tomorrow that I have only done half of? And guess who, instead of finishing those two and a half essays, wasted her evening watching Family Guy and writing this entry?
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