Update: Creative Co-Location Pittsburgh

John Morris alerted me to a discussion about his Blogger Show. There are a number of comments in response to the lead post, but the one that resonates with me is as follows:

I like the way our personal networks expand as a result of what we blog.

An example: Sharon Butler of Two Coats of Paint mentioned my blog to her colleagues with regard to the spam they were receiving in their university inboxes. I had the same problem and turned the stuff into "Poetry from Cyberspace."(If you're interested: http://joannemattera.blogspot.com/2007/07/sonnets-from-cyberspace.html)

Here's another: When I was in Montana last month for a teaching residency, an artist from the community, who had read my blog and with whom I'd chatted online, came to my talk and introduced himself.

The ways we're able to communicate as a result of our blogs--farther into cyberspace, or back into bricks-and-mortar real time--are amazing and wonderful.

I'm asked from time-to-time about why a non-native Pittsburgher living in Colorado would put so much energy into a blog about the Burgh Diaspora. My motivation is entirely selfish. I'm seeking to improve my knowledge and connect with like-minded people. I started blogging to start archiving my ideas and contribute to the HiveMind. I don't mind writing that the satisfaction I get from blogging has greatly exceeded my expectations.