who do you blog to?

I have a question for anyone that blogs.

Frank Sinatra used to pick out one person in the audience and sing to (presumably) her. My creative writing tutor at university told us that and also encouraged us to do the same when we write. After all, no matter how many people end up reading you, each incident is a one-on-one.


I got thinking about this recently in regard to blogging. It's a slightly abstract question, but when you blog, how many people do you imagine talking to?

Do you think of one specific person?
Do you write to an imaginary, anonymous and infinite crowd?
Do you write as though you're addressing a small group?
Do you write as though it's just for you - like a diary?

I've found that it has changed for me over time. Initially, I wrote as though this was a diary. After all, no one read it. Once a few comments trickled in, this changed. My work also influences me. I often put together presentations to walk clients through marketing strategies and the like - and I'm sure this has affected my tone at times.
More recently, since becoming more aware of the rough numbers that read this blog - and being influenced by the style of others, it's evolving again.

I think at the moment I write as though I'm a third person - neither the writer, nor the reader, but someone observing both. Huh. I guess this is magnified when you catch people linking to you and quoting you. I'm sure there's something clever in Patrick Berger's Ways Of Seeing about this...

I might try Frank's technique for a while and see if anything changes. That alright with you, Mum?