The Sunday Roast

Give Him A Ring, For A Highland Fling

This week's interview is with Colin Campbell,
who writes the blog Adelaide Green Porridge Cafe.

The first of the standard questions. Why do you blog?

I blog because it has become part of my life. I originally did it for therapy, back in January 2006 but now I enjoy the spontaneity of blogging and the ability to immediately put something in writing and publish it. I rarely think too much about what I am going to write about and I have many interests, so blogging fits with my busy lifestyle and my irreverent personality. I also get to post pictures and stories about my family, which I enjoy as a virtual record of some of the stuff that we do and which the rellies can take a look at from time to time. I am almost at post 2000, so it must be good.

What's the story behind your blog name?

When I set up my blog on Blogger I was faced with the what are you going to call your blog screen. I lived in Adelaide, so that was first and I work in the environmental field, so green worked. Something Scottish? Porridge! I knew it would be unfocused and varied, so Cafe brought it together. My brother was a game keeper at one point in his life and he took the grouse beaters out drinking till early in the morning on their last night before leaving and fed them green coloured porridge early in the morning before their trip to the train station. I still find that funny. So it sort of just came together in five minutes in front of a computer screen. Not so different from the majority of my posts.

What is the best thing about being a blogger?

I get almost all my information from blogs and websites and the radio in the car. I used to watch much more television, but not any more. I like the mediation of news and information from multiple sources. Over time, you know where to go to get the kind of insight that you want. If you want straight news, it is there, but for more quirky, cynical, humorous or regional takes on issues, it is also easily found in the blog community. I am involved in a number of blog communities and enjoy the personal interaction and being part of the development of this medium. I am a great believer in participating rather than observing. Blogging allows me to do that in a satisfying way.

What key advice would you give to a newbie blogger?

Just do it. Make sure that it feels right for you and dive in. Don't take it too seriously. The software is so easy to use now, it is easy to personalise your blog in a way that works for you. Make sure that you participate with other bloggers. Blogging is definitely a two way medium and there is so much to learn and enjoy from other bloggers. Don't be put of with some of the snarky stuff and don't take it personally. It is very easy to fire off on the internet.

What is the most significant blog post you've ever read?

I cannot say that there is one blog post that is most significant. There are so many great ones. I can remember getting my first comment and being blown away that somebody would take the time to comment in an empathetic and interested way, so that was significant. Sort of like getting my first external email from my wife who had just moved to Nepal when our company email was opened up to external emails in 1994. That blew me away too.

What is the most significant blog post you've ever written?

I suppose it's If You're Happy And You Know It, which is the one I wrote for my 1000th post. It tells the story of how I ended up in Australia. Lucky me.


Today's Sunday Roast with Colin Campbell is the 48th in a weekly series of interviews with bloggers from around the world.