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More than anything else, the availability of blogging can reinforce the truth that we human beings do not all think alike. More than just cultural differences, which can be vast, the variations we find in our own communities, from people who look just like us, are as many as the leaves in a teabag. I should probably never be surprised by what people say or think, and yet, I am frequently baffled by what comes up.

The latest in this series of “Pam is baffled” is an interview of a blogger who covers family and parenting topics from a highly personal point of view. Heather Armstrong, who runs dooce.com, is a popular blogger who has managed to turn her website into a family business with annual profits that are enough to support the family. Pretty good job, I’d say, for any small business.

She’s now also published a book, which led to the interview on Good Morning America. The piece begins with a taped report on the phenomenon of “mommy blogging,” and then goes to the studio for an interview with Anderson. What baffled me about the interview was that the pov of the two interviewers was totally bogged down in “how could you do this to your kid and family?” Anderson was very articulate, very engaging, and very intelligent in all her answers, despite the fairly accusatory nature of the questions. Basically, the interviewers seemed offended that Anderson makes money writing about her daily life with her daughter.

It’s certainly not unique, nor even new, that parents can make a living from their kids. Child actors are exhibit number one. It’s also not new for parents to write publicly about their kids - Erma Bombeck, anyone? The permanent nature of the internet is not anything new either - films certainly live a long time and so do published books and even newspaper columns. So I’m at a loss to find any coherent reason for the “concern” shown about blogging on your kids.

But, here are my top possibilities for non-coherent, non-sensical reasons for the “concern:”

1. Unlike most print publications, blogs are not subject to editing, feedback, or review before they are published, which can lead to rash and unconsidered posts if the bloggers are not careful.
2. Women are not supposed to make money from traditional or exclusively female activities (after all, what else explains the fact that you can sell sperm but not eggs)
3. Some people just don’t get it.

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