Hi Matt,
Cool, that’s an interesting question. Thanks for asking it. Unfortunately, though, I don’t have a whole lot to say or contribute to your otherwise good question. I’m pretty vanilla when it comes to how I write and blog and all that stuff. Nothing cool at all. Still, since you asked, you shall receive! 
1) What blogging tools do you use?
I use the editing area either in Blogger (for Tblog) or WordPress (for TOOT).
When I’m offline, or at least not on a web browser, I’ll use a plain text editor like Notepad to type up posts. I’ll add basic HTML tags if necessary. And then I’ll just copy and paste it into the editing area. Pretty simple.
BTW, I have tried to write in Emacs and vi, too, but I guess I lack the aptitude and/or interest to get more than knee-deep in learning these editors. I did like and use BBEdit for a while though.
2) How do you post?
Not sure if this is all you mean but I just click on the button that says submit or publish. And, presto! The zaniness that is my mind is unleashed upon the world.
3) How do you get your ideas?
Hm. Generally, I’ll be like browsing a website or weblog, then something someone has written will catch my eye, and then I’ll write about it in response. Or I’ll be reading something. Or watching something. Or something funny will happen on the way to work. Or whatever. In other words, something somewhere somehow will catch my attention and I’ll think to myself, “Hey, I’ll post on that!” So yeah, I’m mainly “reactive” when it comes to getting ideas (if that’s the right way to put it, although it sounds like I’m gonna go nuclear or something!).
4) Who is your target audience?
It depends. But most of the times I just write for myself. I’ll write on something that’s been on my mind or in my life somehow. Or I’ll post stuff that I’ll want to keep in the archives to refer back to later.
5) What do you hope to say or accomplish with your blog?
Actually, I don’t have my own blog. I only post because of the kindness of the Sebold bros. here on TOOT, and Steve Hays and the other Tbloggers on Tblog.
Over at Tblog, I posted a lot on the topic of theistic evolution when I crossed swords with Touchstone (who, BTW, at the time was a professing Christian but now is an apostate — sad but true — although several Tbloggers saw it coming from a mile away). So my goal then was apologetics. Nowadays, I do very little if any apologetics. Not because I don’t want to or don’t like to (I do! especially with atheism and science), but mainly because I’ve been so busy with other things. Then again, it’s probably for the best, as I don’t think I’m even worthy to be on Tblog. I must’ve slipped thru riding Charlie’s coattails! Anyway, nowadays, I mostly just post links and stuff like that for Steve — which I’m more than happy to do, and in fact, it’s honestly the least I could do, too, to support the Tbloggers in whatever little way I can.
I know I’m like the pinky of the body of Christ, little and insignificant. But, hopefully, if need be (such as in apologetics), I can at least give someone a “nyuk, nyuk, nyuk” and then poke ‘em in the eye à la the Three Stooges!
Here at TOOT, I don’t think I really have much of a goal, especially not these days. Also, I don’t think I’ve ever posted anything substantial, really, anything that’s good and edifying for others. Mostly the stuff I post is pretty insubstantial, even superficial. Again, my only “goal,” insofar as I even have a goal, is to post stuff that’s interesting to me.
In the past, though, I confess I had “delusions of grandeur,” thinking that I could post the kind of stuff that, say, Tim Challies or the Pyros do. Stuff that would…
- be edifying for my brothers and sisters, spiritually, drawing them ever nearer to Christ, who loves us so much and died to save us (e.g. I’d like do a sort of exposition on a book like Ruth or 2 Timothy);
- equip them to better know the Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit, and thus able to use it effectively in combating the ideas, worldviews, and other worldy paradigms of this evil generation so that my brothers and sisters could be confident, bold, disciplined, and intelligent witnesses for Christ, his kingdom, and his gospel; and
- reach out to unbelievers in a winsome, loving way, without compromising one iota of truth of course, since Christ and other Christians have done this for me (that’s how I was saved, by someone else telling me the gospel, time and time again). After all, who else has the truth but us, and if we have the truth, then why keep it to ourselves? We are to be Christ’s witnesses to a pagan planet, praying for, serving, and loving others, so that they, too, may know the kind of love and joy that we do, all because of Christ!
Of course, this is still ideally what I’d like to do here on TOOT, God willing.
But, I usually end up posting stuff just for myself. Mainly a whole lotta silly, wacky stuff.
Anyway, what can I say? I’m a work in progress. Under construction by and in Christ. Thankfully he hasn’t given up on me, and thankfully he never will, because of his unfailing love towards a lump-o-dump like me!
Okay, I think I may be starting to ramble now. I’d better stop before it gets worse.
Anyway, cool, thanks again, Matt, for the question.
patrick
