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Name of Blog: Chicagoland
Real Name: Whet Moser
Start Date: March 2007
Your Life Story in a URL: I spend my days and nights in front of a computer, so my life story isn't especially interesting. So... OnlineExclusive.net?
Why do you blog? I try to follow the cabinet of curiosities model--assembling a collection of stuff that hopefully reflects some vital balance between importance, humor, obscurity, vitriol, and beauty. When that doesn't work, jokes and vanity will usually get me through the day.
What topic gets people going on your blog? Not much, actually, which means I'm either very convincing or very boring.
What's your favorite local blog that nobody has heard of? People should check out Robot Wisdom, which is pretty much defunct, for its historical importance to the form. City of Destiny is like what Richard Nickel might have done if he'd had Flickr. LeeSandlin.com isn't a blog, but there's lots of amazing writing there.
What have you learned from blogging? The good: concision. Most stuff I read and write is longer than it needs to be. The bad: Dilettantism is seductive, and thoughtful, long-form essays and reportage are good antidotes. I'm still learning how to balance the two.
