Mark McNease

I put this together as a handout for tonight’s writers’ group. We’ll be talking about someone’s blog/website and it got me thinking  …

The History of Blogging

Trivia Question: Where did the word “blog” come from? (Answer is below.)

Blogging had its beginnings in the early 1990s. The term “weblog” was coined by Jorn Barger in December 1997, and was later shortened to “blog” by Peter Merholz in 1999. Prior to that blogging can be traced back to the early online diaries and personal pages that began to appear with the advent of the World Wide Web. Early blogs were simple websites where individuals could post updates about their daily lives, thoughts, and interests, serving as a digital extension of personal journaling.

My favorite early blogs:

Pam’s House Blend (Pam Spaulding)
America Blog (John Aravosis)
JoeMyGod (still going after 20-ish years)

I even had my own! MadeMark (where my brand name/imprint came from: MadeMark Publishing).

Remember Blogspot? Wow!

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, blogging platforms like LiveJournal and Blogger emerged, making it easier for people to create and maintain their own blogs. These platforms provided user-friendly interfaces that required no advanced technical knowledge. Anyone could start a blog and thousands of people did. The accessibility and ease of these blogging platforms played a vital role in fostering a sense of community among bloggers, who often linked to each other’s blogs and engaged in lively discussions. (Called a “Blogroll” they invited readers to check out other blogs—although I don’t think mine was ever among them.)

About ‘Hay Fever’ and Noel Coward

We really enjoyed this play and this production marking its 100 year birthday! Noel was super-gay, and super-successful. He wrote ‘Hay Fever’ when he was 25,  and went on to become a cultural icon. Even more enjoyable was the Walnut Street Theatre itself (see some info below). Between this, the Bucks County Playhouse (New Hope, PA), and our beloved Music Mountain Theatre (Lambertville, NJ) we’re  never lacking great theater to see.

Noël Coward’s play “Hay Fever” is a perfect example of a comedy of manners, blending wit with farce to explore the chaotic dynamics of a bohemian family and their unsuspecting guests. Written in 1924 and first performed in 1925, the play centers around the Bliss family—a quartet of eccentric and self-absorbed individuals each obsessed with their own passions and pursuits. The family includes Judith, a retired actress; her husband David, a novelist; and their two children, Simon and Sorel. The plot thickens as each family member invites a guest to their rural retreat for the weekend, leading to a cacophony of misunderstandings, mismatched romantic entanglements, and humorous social faux pas.

I have to say I’ve never considered myself a teacher and I use the term “facilitator” in my workshops. I don’t see attendees as students, but as participants, and my role as encouraging their exploration and bringing-forth (I cringe at the word “manifest” for some reason) their own creative desires.

BUT … in the fiction writing  and self-publishing workshops I am teaching. There’s no flash writing or exercises, it’s all “how to” material. So yes, I’m a teacher. I’d never imagined it, until I did!

A client brought this back for me from her trip to Hilton Head. It’s now hanging at my writing desk with all my other magic objects and talisamans.

And a reminder you can see my photos these days at my Tumblr blog. I’ve left all things Meta (Facebook, Threads, and Insta-sham). Tumblr has been around forever and it’s a great place to share photos or blog.