Why do we blog?

Here is an interesting article from the 21st of September. It quotes some stats collected by AOL concerning blogging etc. So, why do we blog? What do we blog about? et hoc genus omne! Let me check if I fit in by comparing to the 'What people blog about' stats.

• Anything and Everything - YEP!
• Family - YEP!
• Friends - YEP!
• Hobbies - YEP!
• SelfEsteem/Self Help - YEP!
• Job -YEP!
• News - YEP!
• Gossip - YEP!
• School -YEP! (In my case whatever I am studying lately! I'm not actually AT SCHOOL)

Okay, I fit into all of those! What about you? Let's compare myself to 'Reasons for reading other people's blogs':

• Entertainment - YEP!
• To get a different, fresh perspective on the news - NOPE!
• I like interacting with participants through posting - YEP!
• For Gossip - YEP!
• It's the easiest way to get the latest news - YEP! (Off Slashdot in my case)
• I like the format - HUH? (What's so different to formats that websites had before?)
• To Stay Up On The Competition - Huh? What competition? I'm supposed to be competeing?

To say another one not present, I also like fresh persectives on things I like thinking about - not the news so much, but other perspectives to philosophies, life, religion etc etc. How about you? Can someone explain the 'Format' thing to me? Let's compare myself to the 'Reasons for keeping a blog':

• It serves as therapy - YEP! (It's replaced my personal diary)
• To stay in touch with family and friends - NOPE! I have to get friends now? What's wrong with hanging out with computers? :-)
• To improve my writing skills - NOPE! Definitely not. In fact, I usually write so fast on my blog, that I don't spell check nor think too hard about anything. (Same as my comments! Straight out of the brain - no re-writes, no deep thought, no polishing to make more diplomatic or savoury)
• Because my friends, family and colleagues do - NOPE! Don't know anyone who fits into that category (other than my 'friends' I've met through the internet).
• Interested in Journalism - NOPE! Not really.
• It's the latest trend - NOPE! Arrrgh~! If anything, I see this as a reason to STOP blogging!
• To stay ahead of the news or gossip trends - NOPE! Is this possible, considering that most blogs get their news/gossip etc off other sites? Just subscribe to the websites that generate this news.
• To expose political information - NOPE! I'm no Jeff Ooi. I occasionally give my opinion of political stuff, but expose it? Nope!
• Information on the web doesn't fulfill me needs - NOPE! If I can't find what I want on the www, I can normally find somewhere on the www which will sell it to me in some form. Besides, BLOGS are on the web! Ptttthhhh!
• Hope it brings fame or notoriety - NOPE! Not me! I prefer to avoid fame. Can't think of anything worse. Notoriety probably means you are deliberately antagonising others for some reason. I can do that by accident! :-) Besides, isn't notoriety just 'fame for the wrong reasons' ???

So, why do I blog. Obviously for me it isn't just the 'therapy' aspect of it all. There is the creative release, the hope that sometimes I write things which will help people, a means of self expression. Why do you blog?