What Matters Most To You & Me As A Blogger

Darren Rowse posted an interesting question: “What matters most to you as a blogger”. Here’s my answer:
1. Blog as repository of knowledge. I am an avid reader; I learn new things everyday. However I keep my RAM (quick search memory) very small. Consequently I frequently refer to my blog and then to Google to find something I discovered earlier (read: My brain is in Google). First and foremost I use the blog to jot down new information and knowledge I gather in course of my work and while browsing.

2. Blog as communication media. I use the blog to communicate my thoughts with the world at large and to get their feedback and ideas. My blog readers often actively contribute to my understanding and knowledge of a subject.

3. Blog as PR media. I don’t advertise my products. My blog serves quite effectively as my PR media.

4. Money. It does provide some income too after deducting the cost of dedicated hosting etc.

5. Helping people fight diseases. My stem cell, diabetes and eye blogs, among others, were created with the sole purpose of helping people know more about life threatening diseases, latest researches on their conditions and how to effectively cope with their diseases. It is a labor of love, pure and simple. The stem cell research blog also serves as an advocacy forum for promoting stem cell research (yes, embryonic stem cell research too) and to dispel myth and false propaganda surrounding embryonic stem cell research. The greatest pain with these blogs is that I cannot get sufficient time to answer tons of questions posed by patients and their relatives. I have plans to dedicate someone full-time to research and answer their questions. Volunteers are welcome.

At the end of the day when I am tired, I think the basic fact that we are able to help people in our little way is what keeps me going.

What matters most to you as a blogger?