How long ago did you start blogging and why did you start?

It been almost four years, i have been blogging in the “blogging format.” before that it was almost like write, and create html pages manually and upload them. I started way back in December 2001.

When did you first hear the word blog and what was your first impression of the idea behind it?

It was sometime in early 2001, when Nick Denton had introduced me to the concept with blogger, and well, it was clear, how much simpler it made things for writers like myself to write and publish.

Why do you think blogging is so disruptive?

Why is it disruptive – i think it fosters conversations and adds a two way ability to a medium: writing, that has been largely static.

What is the most important aspect of a person’s blog to you? What keeps you coming back?

Personality, their ability to communicate clearly in a few lines and a fresh point of view are three things which make going back for more.

In the coming years and decades it will be increasingly hard to get a person’s attention. How can we as blogger and journalist help the consumer with this aspect? i am not sure how to answer thus question, perhaps you can rephrase.

Where do you see blogging and what is currently considered ‘mainstream media’ in 5 years?

I think when the internet publications started, people used to say where will it be versus traditional media. same questions are being asked again. i think it is all a big melting pot in the near future. I think many more of my colleagues in the mainstream media will be blogging.

Who do you think some of the most influential bloggers are and why? Also who do you think are some of the most influential journalist are and why?

Influential bloggers in my mind are people who have something smart to say about their areas of expertise. i would say david hornik, jeremy over at yahoo, russell beattie, pete rojas, the tao of mac is another one i love, i love daring fireball, paul kedrosky, and andy abramson. there are so many more… like the list is endless, i mean scoble, dave winer, james enck…. martin geddes, and stuart henshall at skype journal. journalists, well there are so many…. john markoff, lee gomes, rob guth, matt maier, michael kanellos, chris anderson, matt marshall.

Why is ‘Conversation King?’

No comment on this one….

What advice would you give a journalist who is trying to figure out the blogging world? And what would you tell a blogger who is trying to figure out the journalism world?

three words…. just do it. to bloggers, well, the rules of engadgement are pretty stringent in the mainstream media, so get ready for the grind. its a lot of work, digging up information, and checking and re-checking. and needs patience.

How has blogging affected your life?

helped me tap into the collective intelligence of my readers, who post comments, email and educate me all the time. i find their contributions make me a better informed journalist. that alone is a reason to be blogging. of course, there is the whole sense of community which lets you form one-to-one relationships with readers.

What advice would you give someone who is just starting to blog and what do you think the pros/cons of blogging are?

cons…. blogging can be very addicitive and consume a lot of life-cycles. so buyer beware.