by Kathe Todd-Hooker
http://www.kathetoddhooker.blogspot.com/
Click here for a printable .pdf of this article.

"Between Again" Kathe Todd-Hooker
“Fiat Lux” (Let There Be Light) ii
I use Blogger for my blog. I find Blogger simple and easy to use. Its gadgets, bells and whistles are amazing and easy to download from Google. However, the reason I chose Blogger was because my business partner, Pat Spark, and I took a class on creating an online presence and Blogger was the program used in the class. Pat acquired a good working knowledge of the program and was able to help me get started, not without, however, me loudly lamenting the fact that I had to learn more useless computer technology. Even with the simplified bells and whistles, I still have technological challenges. For example, I am still trying to learn how to create a slide show of my work on my blog.

"So Sought After" Kathe Todd-Hooker
“Fiat Homo” (Let There Be Man) [or Woman] iii
I am a very shy person. Through owning and maintaining the Tapestry List iv, I have learned, the hard and often painful way, the following things. I never post anything that I don’t want the whole world to know or comment about. I respect copyright issues. I never give out personal information. I am careful of using tags on the blogs (especially with a last name like mine). I expect to have information used by others without permission. I never write emotional posts. There may not be an Emily Post etiquette for blogs (perhaps there should be), but I feel that people have a tendency to share too much personal information on their sites.
My original idea for a blog was to develop a journal that focused on weaving technique, design and Ah Ha! moments. In addition, I wanted more contact with other tapestry weavers. I liked being able to place pictures next to my written words. And I could access my blog from anywhere in the world! With Blogger it is possible to keep the blog private, make it accessible through a password, or make it public.

Kathe Todd-Hooker's weblog April 29, 2009

"So Between Too" Kathe Todd-Hooker
I am not that interested in the technical aspect of blog layout. I try to focus on reading ease. The only tracking I use is a counter that tells me how many people have accessed the site since its inception in August 2008. At this point, that number is 180 nameless/faceless people. I don’t know if that is a lot and I don’t think I care. It is the discipline of creating the blog that is most important to me. I rarely get comments on my blog. I let Google and its programs promote my Blogger site. Usually, I post on the Tapestry List saying I have updated the site. I have also added my blog URL to my email signature.
Does it help me professionally at this point? I am not sure. It does add another layer of discipline and I have gained a few private students because of the blog. Does the blog itself enhance my artwork? It burns up time quickly and can be terribly frustrating, but the weaving journal I have created does enhance my art. It’s much easier to maintain then the paper journal I have kept for years and I can access it on my laptop anywhere in the world. And it is so easy to add images. I also enjoy reading others tapestry blogs instead of playing computer games while I am waiting for the printer to finish, or on hold on the telephone.

"Afterglow" Kathe Todd-Hooker
“Fiat Voluntas Tua”(Let Thy will be done) v
In the end, it all comes back to my love/hate relationship with the computer and technology. I am still asking myself, ‘Is this something I need to do? What are the end results? Is it needful or just vanity publishing? How many “needful things” vi do we need?’
Endnotes:
i Miller, Walter, Jr. A Canticle for Leibowitz. 1959-1960; J.P. Lippincott & CO, NY.
ii Ibid. Titled sections of book.
iii Ibid. Author’s notation. Maybe Miller would be in favour of doing away with the sexism of his time.
iv tapestry2005@yahoogroups.com or contact kathetoddhooker@comcast.net
v Miller, Walter, Jr. A Canticle for Leibowitz. New York: J.P. Lippincott & Co.,1959-1960. If you find all this confusing try the Wikipedia article on the book. It has a great précis.
vi King, Stephen. Needful Things. Viking Press, 1991. It became a movie in 1993.