To Blog or Not To Blog

That is the question. What even is a blog? What are they supposed to be about? Anything in particular? A play-by-play of one's life? A venting session about certain things? A cathartic release? A time to keep friends and family updated on life? An opportunity to write about situations and ask for advice? What really is the point in writing a blog?

I ask all these questions, because, in all honesty, I have no idea what the answers are. I just started blogging in December and it seems I hold a different philosophy of blogometry than others I've read through. The majority I've read through are the x's and o's of one's life, the play-by-play. It could be referred to as "The (name of the blogger) Daily News." It's nice to read about an exciting event in one's life: A trip that one took, a first date that went well, a graduation, a new job opportunity, amongst other things. But, sometimes, I think people go a bit too far. I'll give an exaggerated example:

"At 6:43 am, I woke up, groggy, not wanting to start the day. At 7:01, I found the strength to shower and get ready. I used tone soap and head & shoulders shampoo. I finished my shower at approximately 7:20. In a hurry to get to work by 8:00, I put deodorant on, cleaned my ears with q-tips, got dressed, did my hair, brushed my teeth with aquafresh whitening toothpaste, made some toast, and was out the door at 7:43. I made it to work just in time, at 7:59..."

Okay, I'm sure you get the idea. I love hearing great news or funny stories, but do we need to know everything? Even when talking about a special date, are there some things that people really want millions of strangers to have the opportunity to read? Surprisingly, some people don't mind. I also read love letters from one person to another. Can't that be done in private? Does there really have to be a blog posted about it? "Oh honey, I love you so much. I miss you. You only left 3 minutes and 22 seconds ago, but who's counting? Who am I kidding? I am. I can't wait for you to get home and give me a call. I will always love you. I really look forward to our date this upcoming weekend." Ahh, yes, isn't that shpeshal (special)?

I don't get it. When I started blogging, I thought to myself, "Why in the world would any stranger want to read about my daily life? I'm going to try and write about topics that the majority can relate to, discuss, or debate. It'd be nice to add some humor as well. A good laugh can never hurt." So, I've done Late Show-like Top Ten Lists, written random comments about holidays and celebrities, done movie reviews, written about political issues, and covered other topics. When I got personal, I shared some humorous date stories from my past, just because, well, they've gotten plenty of laughs from when I shared them previously. But, the more I browse bloggerworld, the more day-to-day personal news stories I read.

Is there an official blogger's manual one can read? I'm a newbie with this sort of thing, so, I'd like to catch up on all the secrets I'm obviously behind on. "To blog or not to blog" isn't even the question anymore. The rest of the questions I opened this up with are.