I think the idea of an ‘About Me’ page is great in theory but in reality, especially on the site of a traveler makes no sense. Man or monkey alike, unless you are updating and changing your about me section daily, weekly or monthly it is stagnant while you the individual are growing changing and always on the move. I know, you’re thinking the idea of a stagnant page sounds dreadful, even if you are spitting out dozens of posts weekly on the homepage. Yet, we are trying to convince our readers that we are the same person who wrote that about me section before we had that interesting experience with the 6’6” transvestite at the gay karaoke bar Le Boy in Copacabana. That is just a hypothetical example, I swear even if they did have awesome sangria.
More so, I was over eager to write like the pros, to tell stories of where I’ve been without telling you the reader where I am. I don’t mean geographically but as a monkey, the why travel aspect. The truth is I think this is more of a push for me to follow through with the traveling than a place to boast about my experiences abroad. In reality until I start my round the world trip/slow traveling experience (whatever it eventually develops into) this is more of a blogging about how I’m learning to travel and blog and less referring to why you should hurry up and visit the beaches of Kokomo, Indiana* so you could then take it slow. Don’t get me wrong I still have plenty of tips and trips to recommend but even then I’m no travel company so it’s more of my experience of the journey at the moment. In itself, it is no more valid for what you will or may have already experienced than if we both took a picture at Walt Disney World and compared them.
The question then is, can you write an accurate ‘About Me’ section on your website, honestly I don’t think so. Sure you can state the basic facts but if the reader wants any reflection of where you are since then they have to read your posts. I will then try to work on my own about me that just gives the basics leaving the reader wanting to learn more, because if I gave any more it would halfway be a lie or some off distant memory a week after I hit the post button. What you do with your ‘About Me’ section is up to you.
I haven’t rewrote my about me section since I first set up my site so it’s a good example of what I’m writing about.
*Ok I’m 99% sure the Beach Boys didn’t want you to visit Indiana and were probably more likely to be singing about the Sandals Resort now called Sandals Cay
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February 5th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
Good post!!! You have inspired me to rewite my about me section which is rather outdated and about as long as a Daniele Steel novel!!!
February 8th, 2010 at 7:07 pm
I still haven't written my About Me. It's too much pressure and I just keep procrastinating and doing other things for the blog.
February 8th, 2010 at 9:27 pm
I re-wrote mine don't like it and will probably rewrite it again, but even when I come across the perfect version of my About Me section it will soon probably grow outdated and need revised. I can relate to the procrastinating doing other things on the blog mentality. You can spend hours tweaking little aspects of the site that may or may not make a difference to the viewer.
February 10th, 2010 at 11:07 am
Aren't you supposed to put info in your About page which can't outdate? Like where you were born, what you studied, how many brothers and sisters you have and how your previous pets were named (just thinking out loud here).
Probably also mention why you started your webside.
If you add your weight and your current location, you might indeed be updating the page a lot.
February 12th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
That is true but besides your name and past accomplishments I think too many things change in life as is, especially if you are a round the world traveler you just sped up the process. Why you created the site may be different from why you continue to develop it. Where you were born may have less relevance to you on your quest to become a vagabond/location independent. What you studied in college may serve no more of a purpose than a funny joke of what you thought you wanted to do with your life at 18. The point being is nothing really is constant even who you consider family or how you define a brother or sister. Your 'About Me' page is nothing more then past truths and future lies.
March 5th, 2010 at 11:51 pm
=) This is a very valid article. I like it. I also like the idea of an ever-updating About Me. Now, if only my current about me was a good one….lol
March 7th, 2010 at 9:59 pm
Thanks for the comment, and don't worry I feel the same way about my 'About Me' section. I've changed it multiple times and never too my liking, but then again I guess it makes it a worthwhile attempt to be up to date with mine.
March 17th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
A really awesome About page IS constantly updated. When you see a site that has an obviously outdated page, it's hard to keep up with their news/events/posts/jobs/whatever. Great post!
March 19th, 2010 at 3:13 pm
Thanks! I think sometimes blogs worry too much on updating their site with new posts and forget to update some of the static pages, most importantly their 'About' page.
March 20th, 2010 at 6:42 pm
i'll have to agree with you there. i never feel my about me does me justice. at first i thought of linking all the things my about me says to its appropriate blog entries about it, kinda like i'm indexing myself as my story unfolds. but i'm way too lazy for that.. maybe eventually..
i like how your blog is a motivation for you to follow through with travel. i often feel 'saying it aloud'/telling people, etc. is a motivation for me to do X thing as well so i totally get it.
i hardly call myself a 'travel blogger' either. my lens is from personal experience so much so that i don't write like a travel writer normally would. i do travel, though, so i guess there's that.
March 22nd, 2010 at 12:39 am
I think your about me is doing a pretty good thus far, and I really like the idea of interlinking to posts that tie into who you are or more importantly where you are heading. I'm glad others follow the same motive of thinking it or speaking it to make it come true. I really hope my dreams of traveling the world do come true, otherwise this is just one big prolong fling, and not the good kind. @(^_^)@
October 18th, 2010 at 10:15 am
You know, Monkey, I totally agree with you on the updates on static pages in general. If we don’t like to visit those pages, then why should anyone else visit those pages, right? The only thing is– the About Me page… it sometimes feels like the hardest part of the entire blog site.
October 18th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
It really really is. I feel like I’m giving either too much or not enough. I don’t want to be boastful but I don’t want to be boring and Kong forbid I become conceited. It’s enough to make a monkey not want to even fling in that direction.
August 6th, 2011 at 5:21 am
True true – I should probably make it a habit to refresh my about section before and after each big trip…. Good advice!
Jade Johnston | http://www.ouroyster.com
August 10th, 2011 at 10:02 pm
Thanks, I’m bad about this myself but it is the nature of the page itself, we set it up because it seems common courtesy to tell others who you are and leave it even though we’ve been blogging for 1, 2, 3+ years.