The interview -- Murphyz.

After Snakehead and Hay have been subjected to the Spanish inquisition, it is now Murphyz' turn to 'fess up.

Murphyz, to you perhaps better known as Chicken (that's the name under which he sometimes gives comments on my blog), is someone I met, online, I don't know how long ago, and to be frank, and don't remember where and how, either. There's one forum we're both members of, and he runs an other additional three himself, which I am also a member of.

He's kinda wacky, very helpful when it comes to HTML-stuff, a good writer and an even better friend.

That said, it has no use for you mere mortals to visit his LiveJournal blog, because only LiveJournal members can see his posts. Just so you know.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Murphyz:

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1. Tell something about yourself.
• I don't eat brown M&Ms.
• I break spaghetti in half before cooking to ensure it's all been in the water for the same length of time...none of this 'half out of the water until it bends' crap.
• If I could get away with wearing the same type of dresses Grace Kelly wore on screen, then I would do.


2. How long have you been blogging?
• Since August 2001 - ish. I'm on my third 'blog' since then, if I don't count the side projects I have set up along the way.


3. Why did you start blogging?
• A friend had started a blog and I wanted to prove I could get more readers than he could. It was a fickle reason, but I succeeded in doing so.


4. How many posts have you written to date?
• Phonics.diaryland.com - I have no idea. Over 2 years worth of entries...so many many hundreds for sure. This was the best of my blogs, back when I was motivated and energetic and could actually write decent entries...unlike now.
• cluckbook.com/chicken.html - Blogger says 81, but I'm not sure. I got bored of this one real quick. Not sure why...was looking for something better than the blogger software I guess.
• murphyz.livejournal.com - 189 entries (with 1372 comments posted by moi, and 1028 comments received)
  
  That's a total of about 4.7 million entries. Rowr!


5. Which posts are you most proud of and why?
• I don't often do very personal entries so they're not really on the list - here's some standout ones that I can think of...all from phonics as the chicken blog is crap and the LiveJournal is all 'friends only', so your lovely readers wouldn't be able to see them.
• 'punctuation' - One of the funniest of the 'random' things I tried. People are crazy.
• 'Normal' - because it's true. I had several people thank me for this entry because it made them realise they, too, are normal.
• 'Echo' - this proved to be one of the entries that turned up in google the most. I must state it is actual fact that a duck's quack does not echo.
• Editor's note - The legendary Mythbusters do not agree.
• 'Fences' - again, I like this because it's true and a lot of people related to it. It was written whilst a friend was in hospital, just before she died, and I was missing her.
• There are hundreds more that are better, but these are the ones that I can think of on the top of my head. Unless, of course, you what want to hear about my having sex in front of the Notre Dame, almost being entrapped by undercover cops posing as hookers in Kings Cross, or the fact I sleep with old people who smell like soup? No? mmkay then.


6. Who was the first person to comment on your blog – outside of friends/family?
• I couldn't possibly remember. It was years and years ago and, obviously, not that important.


7. What would you rather have – less visitors but more comments or many visitors but no comments?
• Less visitors and more comments. I've had blogs that get 100+ visitors a day and it means nothing to me unless they comment. I want to know what others think, I'm writing more for them than for myself most of the time.


8. Is there something you would like to post about on your blog, but haven't yet?
• Yes, and doubt I will ever write them as long as some friends of mine read it.


9. Where do you get your inspiration from for a blog?
• Anything I see during the day, or just random crap I think about when drunk. Or random crap I do when drunk, perhaps.


10. Do your friends/ family read your blog?
• My best friend/housemate reads it, he's probably the only 'orignal friend' offline who does. Since starting writing, though, I have made new friends via the blogs, several of which have now become real life friends and we meet up a couple of times per year at various points around the country.


11. How many blogs are there in your links list?
• Currently I have 42 people listed as friends, 38 of whom read me in return. This does not count the blogger ones that I read - perhaps 50 in total.
  


12. Which blog do you check out first and why?
• Being on Livejournal I check them in order of writing, starting with the most recent, so it changes all the time - it's whoever has posted. It lists all of my friends entries on the same page - much better than blogger ;o)
  Truth be told, though, I read The Wet Noodle first as the rss is placed on my homepage and I can see when you update
  
• Editor's note: Yay! Emotional moment here.


13. Do you always leave comments at blogs you read?
• No, only if I feel I have something I want to say. Sometimes, even if that's the case, I will bite my tongue depending on how well I know that person.


14. What do you most like about other blogs?
• The fact they make me feel that I am as normal as everyone else. Also that there are other geeks who spend 87% of their day online.


15. What do you most dislike about other blogs?
• Teenage angsty emo crap and those who are not open to discussion about the things they believe in. One example of the latter being the 'shoot to kill' policy after the death of de Menezes on the London Underground. I appreciate those who have thoughts on this, but get annoyed by those who are not even open to discussion about it as they are scared that they may have to change their thoughts slightly as they realise not everything is black or white.


16. What single thing would you like to improve about your blog?
• Layout. The only bad thing about LJ is the fact you can't use javascript or php or anything, which is limiting on the design I can make for it. I'd also quite like to go back to the days of 'phonics' where I could write decent entries (I know that's not a singular thing...but tough).


17. In a conversation about your blog, how would you like it described?
• Intelligent, witty, thought provoking, different, weird.

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I don't think I have anything to add, so I won't.

Cheers