I guess I’m the “ol’ lady” of blogging here - I’ve been blogging since June 2001. I started out at Geocities, moved to Blogger, used a friend’s blogging software, got my own domain (and used Movable Type), got another domain (MT again), went back to Blogger and now I’m at Vox (http://silverbees.vox.com/). I occasionally talk about having diabetes, but it tends to be a bit about everything and nothing.
This is great, Bernard!
My blog is at www.tnmtcur.blogspot.com. I originally started it more as a “mommy blog,” but since my daughter’s diagnosis, I have been writing about diabetes as well.
Blogging and reading blogs saves my sanity on a regular basis. I don’t know what I would do without the Diabetes OC and people like you, Bernard!
My blog is at: http://type-cast.blogspot.com/
I have been blogging since May 7, 2007. That is the day I got my re-diagnosis as Type 1, and it really rocked my world. Rocked it so much I started blogging.
I focus on one area - being a person with diabetes.
It has been extremely helpful. I created it for two reasons. First, as an emotional outlet. Not only is that a good thing for me, but I figure that if I can put it in the blog, that’s one less time my poor husband has to hear my go on and on about it! Second, as a means of keeping some key family and friends updated about the minutia of my status.
Although I was certainly aware that others would stumble across my blog, I truly did just envision it as an online journal that would always be available to me, and could also serve as way to keep my mom in the loop. I have since added some script to analyze the traffic, and that has been fascinating.
I haven’t really connected that much with others. But the few comments I’ve received here and there are just incredibly supportive. And, I get so much out of reading others’ blogs that I figure I’m giving back by making my thoughts, questions and experiences available to the rest of the d-community. I currently use Google Reader and have a “diabetes” folder with about 152 items…most all of them are d-blogs.
Advice: This is sorta selfish, but it helps your readers: Please, please, please hit that “return” key a few times when you write your posts. It is so difficult to read a post that is really, really long (and often really, really interesting) but has no separate paragraphs. I sometimes give up.
My blog is [now] called Insulin Junky [a nick name given jokingly and with love, to me by my son when I started on insulin this past Feb. 2007]. It resides as a subdomain on one of my websites and I use WordPress. I’ve been “blogging” about my D since just after I was dx’d in Aug. 2005. Rather sporradically tho. It’s more like random ramblings about my journey with D. :0) I don’t feel I’m a very creative writer, have always struggled with that, so I guess that’s why I don’t post too often? I do better at telling it just how it is! LOL I just hope that what little information I have on there, can be of help to someone along their way. :0)
Woah, I’m way late joining this party…
Where is it? Lemonade Life. Just moved it. Again. I’m amazed I still have readers.
How long have you been doing it for? Almost 2 years.
Do you try to focus on one area? It’s pretty much about my life. I have posts about diabetes, I have posts about college, my life, places I go to, people I meet, etc.
Has it been helpful? Yes, I love it.
Any suggestions for someone wanting to start a blog? Only write what you are comfortable writing about. There is no d-blogger format.
Oh, and of course join the Diabetes OC Directory. But please be patient with me, I have a back-log a mile long!
Bernard, I did not know this questions was out here. (Duh…I think it’s called a “senior moment”.
I started blogging a year ago at www.kathy4762.blogspot.com.
I am pretty private about my diabetes, have never been to a support group, and travel through various states of denial now and again.
I do not try to focus on one thing. Sometimes I don’t even blog about db. But, it is helpful to get my thoughts out on the printed page; to rejoice with the victories and offer support when the tough times surround us.
I feel very close to a lot of the bloggers on the OC. Blogging has helped me to be more honest about my db, and more accountable for taking care of myself.
It also opened up a nook of creativity - I have now joined a poetry group and a storytelling group. Blogging has been good for me in every way!
I have an “everything” blog at http://artsweet.wordpress.com
For right now it’s been pretty focused on our adoption proceedings… one week until our son is (knock wood) legally ours. But I have a post brewing in my head about how I hope diabetes will help me understand what it’s like to be adopted, and I’ve really gotten a lot of support, advice, and loooove from the d-blogging community.
I have been blogging for a short time at damdiabetes.blogspot.com. (for about the last 8 months)
I guess most of my focus has been writing my experiences living with a service dog.
Blogging often helps me focus on finding solutions to diabetes issues.
I enjoy reading other d-blogs.
I do have one…in spanish because i live in Argentina…and…well…I guess It´s easier for me to writte in spanish…
I started it in april 2007 and I do focus on diabetes and the day by day experience.
It has been very helpful…
Yup. http://insearchofbalance.wordpress.com . I’ve been blogging for about a year, and mostly about diabetes. It’s been instrumental in helping me feel connected and less isolated. I love the diabetic blogging community! What a wonderful, enthusiastic, varied, supportive group.
Thought I’d share this very useful post by Catherine Seda on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques for blogs:
http://catherineseda.blogspot.com/2007/07/seo-your-blog.html
Catherine is a very famous internet marketer and author of two books on the topic, both of which I highly recommend.
I have one. It is:
http://canddbishop.com/blog
Now, I have only been blogging for about a week but I love it. It is fun and it helps me get more informed about Diabetes. I try to to focus more on type 1 issues but that sometimes crosses over into type 2 as well. The blog current has more about what is going on in the world according to Diabetes but I add my own stuff in when it comes. It has really helped me look at my Diabetes closer and see what is good and bad that I am doing or not doing. It also has helped me make some steps toward better control.
The best pieces of advice that I can give anyone who has thought about starting an online diary or blog is to talk as much as you can about what you know. It doesn’t matter if it is right or wrong because if it is right, other will benefit from it. If it is wrong, someone will catch it and you will benefit from it. What I do to find out as much as I can is sign up for “Google Alerts.” This will give you up to the minute, daily or weekly links to areas you want to know about. It’s like an automatic search engine. You create an alert with a word or phrase and setting the intervals you get the alerts and google then searches for you and sends you an email with links to the information. It works great.
Take care and stay in control
I have a blog called Major Bedhead on Blogger. I was inspired to start it by the diabetes blogs I had been reading. I started blogging at the beginning of October, 2005 and it did start out as sort of a d-blog, talking about my daughter Olivia and our life with diabetes. Now it’s mostly about anything and everything. I also review books on my blog for MotherTalk which is a lot of fun (and they pay me! To read books! Incredible.) I will have a new diabetes-related blog in August sometime and will post the link then.
I also blog on New England Mamas, a group blog that has just started up and is still trying to find its voice. It has nothing to do with diabetes and lots to do with, um, being a mum from New England, surprise, surprise.
So late to this thread…
Tell us more about your diabetes blog.
I’ve blogged about trying to conceive, dealing with infertility, doing IVF, getting pregnant, staying pregnant, having a kid, and now, new mom-hood, all with type 1, at Managing the Sweetness Within.
Jeez, that all sounds exhausting, no?
Where is it?
www.thesweetnesswithin.blogspot.com
How long have you been doing it for?
Since December 2005
Has it been helpful?
Immensely.
A tip and something I am happy to share too:
Catherine Seda is a very famous internet marketer and the author of two very well known books on Internet Marketing.
Yesterday, she posted on her blog about the use of Yahoo! Answers for developing business and raising awareness and TuDiabetes was mentioned in there!!! 
http://catherineseda.blogspot.com/2007/07/want-more-business-answer-question.html
I highly recommend her blog as many of her posts can be applied to optimize blog posts and ensure that their mileage is extended as much as possible and exposed to the largest possible number of people:
http://catherineseda.blogspot.com.
I’m kind of late to this post, but my blog can be found at http://sstrumello.blogspot.com/. I’m a veteran d-Blogger myself, going back to 2005. I was one one of the earlier members of the Diabetes OC. I focus on a three key areas: dissecting what diabetes research really means (if anything … there’s a lot of dumb diabetes research out there that doesn’t contribute much to our well-being, yet it often gets a lot of press), looking at “The Business of Diabetes”, and to a somewhat lesser extent, the politics of diabetes. Personally, I have found blogging to be a good way to relieve some of the stress related to managing a chronic condition. My suggestions are to find a niche that you believe isn’t addressed by someone else, and join the Diabetes OC – original content goes a long way, but so does offering your own perspective on something. I hope everyone will get a chance to check my blog out!
I blog too. http://trunkles.blogspot.com is the spot for all my rants and raves. And some diabetes stuff too. I’m new to the blog world but rather enjoy it. I can get up on my soapbox and rant to my heart’s content.
I’ve been trying to get my blog accepted by one or two of the webrings but with no success. I guess they don’t want a loudmouth like me on them! LOL
Simon.
My diabetes blog: myType2. Also, I have a diabetes section on my web site: piece-by-piece.net/Diabetes
On my blog, I mostly focus on Type 2 diabetes since that’s what I’m learning all about. On my web site, I put information about books I’ve read, URLs, and diabetes log sheets, etc.
I enjoy blogging but you really have to get a readership to accomplish anything with your blogs.