Rhys Wynne Interview - The Gospel According to Rhys

Its about time that we did another interview with a blogger, but with so many blogs out there, how do we choose? Well we like to pick blogs that are different, interesting and can offer something that other bloggers can learn from. Oh, and lets not forget it should also be good to read! So we looked to our very own blog reviews to see what stood out from the crowd...

His friends think he's a geek, we think he's a great blogger. We didn't think he would agree to it, but maybe miracles do happen and Rhys very kindly agreed to put aside his hectic drinking and socialising schedule to answer a few questions for our second blogger interview. Rhys's blog stood out for many reasons, it's entertaining to read, it looks good, there are features such as forums, a toplist and links for free software.

We think that Rhys's blog The Gospel According to Rhys is well worth a read, don't forget to let us know what you think by submitting your very own blog review.

So anyway, enough of the compliments, lets get on with the interview before Rhys's head explodes!

A year later, I started blogging.

RMB - Your blog has been running for a number of years, how much has it changed and evolved in that time?
Rhys - Largely it has evolved due to it's readers. In the beginning I took a little bit of a detached role. There was me, the blogger, and the readers. Then about 2 years ago the blogger/reader line became blurred: my girlfriend at the time as well as a few of my friends started blogging, and this year I went down to London to meet two of my readers (themselves were bloggers). Before I blogged just to tell stories to people I don't know, now I blog to let my friends know what I'm up to, who then respond (of my top 10 commenters, 5 are people I've met in real life, be it school/university friends or other bloggers I've met).

As well as this, I think my blog has got a lot more serious. In university, almost every day had something where I thought "wow, I could blog about this!". As good as my job is, a lot of it is either unbloggable (due to client confidentiality), or not really blogworthy. I'm in the process of importing an old blog I ran for 3 years (http://chompster.blogspot.com) into my current blog. Maybe I've gone misty eyed, but a lot of those older posts I do find brilliantly funny.

RMB - Your blog gives the impression that like a beer or two, are you currently drunk or sober?
Rhys - I do like a beer or two, I will state that. However, unlike a lot of people my age I very rarely go out binge drinking. I don't like being drunk, and I don't like being around drunks.

With that said, I am currently very, very hungover.

RMB - Have you ever written a blog entry while drunk? Did you regret it the morning after?
Rhys - I have blogged and made a podcast drunk. I have regretted the podcast! But that hasn't been done for a number of years, as I'm generally sober whilst blogging.

RMB - If you had to choose between blogging and a night down the pub with friends, which would it be?
Rhys - A night down the pub, it usually gives me something to blog about!

RMB - Your blog has a new entry almost everyday, as you are always in the pub, how do you find the time to write?
Rhys - Simple, I don't watch much TV. With the exception of sporting events and Top Gear, I generally spend my time in front of the PC or with friends and family. I just feel I can be doing something more productive than vegetating in front of the box.

Also, I usually blog a number of entries, then save them for future posting. Of course, current events style postings I do post immediately, but things like reviews/past stories/opinions are kept within the archives (I've got a post saved for my blog that I wrote two months ago).

RMB - A more serious question - do you think blogs are a good way of informing the world about current events or do they do more harm than good by spreading false information?
Rhys - I think it's a great way of informing the world about current events. Wherever something happens, you can be pretty sure that a blogger will be nearby. As far as spreading false information, isn't the mainstream media (particularly the tabloids) guilty of it? I'd like to think that we, as bloggers, are largely an intelligent bunch of people, and if a blogger spreads false information, then I'd like to think that the blog readers would eventually tire of the lies and leave the said blog.

RMB - Would you write an entry about a subject you had strong views on even if you thought it might offend some of your readers?
Rhys - No. Reason being is by and large I would probably get caught out. I do have strong viewpoints on a number of controversial topics. For example, I am for fox hunting - the rationale behind it is that I live in a largely rural part of the country and know from a number of people the damage that foxes do to people's lives. However, I doubt I could put that viewpoint into a rationale argument, and would not do it justice. Therefore, I probably wouldn't blog about some of my strong viewpoints.

RMB - What is your favorite blog entry and why?
Rhys - My favourite one is this entry: http://www.gospelrhys.co.uk/2006/08/the-sexual-karma-fairy-owes-me-big.html , reason being is that it is a genuinely true story, with no exaggeration. Also, I manage to blog about The Sexual Karma Fairy - which is my mates' belief that any decision made in your past will affect any future relationships (that just happens to be in the form of a fairy). The fairy has now become hugely popular amongst my mates and blogging friends (everybody mentioning it), and it has it's own myspace site: http://www.myspace.com/sexualkarmafairy

RMB - Your blog is one of the more personal blogs in that you blog a lot about things in your life. Do you wear your heart on your sleeve in real life or do you find it easier to express your self via your blog?
Rhys - I'm actually quite shy in real life! I do express myself rather a lot on my blog, but nothing that I am ashamed of. However, there are things I do keep to myself that I'd never blog about, that my friends and family do know about. I do have two rules regarding posting personally: not to blog anything that I wouldn't be comfortable in saying to my mates (which is quite a lot as some of my mates have no taboo subjects), and not to name names of any of my friends or family unless they make themselves known on my blog (through a comment, for example).

RMB - What do you consider to be your greatest blogging achievement?
Rhys - I'd probably say I was most proud of getting on BBC Radio Wales (read all about it here: http://www.gospelrhys.co.uk/2005/10/famous-for-15-minutes.html) was my proudest achievement. The whole interview - in hindsight - was terrible (they had to scrap large amounts of it as I was nervous and shuffling, and you could hear it on the tape), and it didn't bring me really any more traffic. But at the time I worked in a call centre and going through a bad time emotionally with a few people, so personally it was a huge achievement as I loved the fact people from a world-renowned organisation such as the BBC found my blog interesting and entertaining, and 15 minutes on Radio Wales on a Sunday afternoon was all about me.

RMB - What is your favorite blog and why?
Rhys - I can't pick one! I suppose I'd have to say Eruanna.net (http://www.eruanna.net), but that's because it's my girlfriends blog. Other than that, I enjoy Neurofern.net (http://www.neurofern.net) as Fern - the writer - has a brilliant sense of humour. Ducking for Apples (http://duckingforapples.blogspot.com) has very intelligent writing and - though I've never met Ally - she has an extraordinary writing talent, that makes you feel as though you've known her all your life. Simply Me (http://simplyme.mu.nu) and Tilesey.com (http://www.tilesey.com) are two excellent writers that I read daily.

RMB - What crazy stunts did you do as a student?
Rhys - Gosh, loads. They weren't really stunts, but my personal favourite was going out for a posh meal in a hotel in Liverpool as part of the University of Liverpool Athletic Union, and then waking up 8 hours later on Chester station, about 50 miles away! We found ways and games to amuse ourselves, such as golfing up stairs, a form of cricket that could be played on the landing (the neighbours didn't like that one), and a kiddies party whereby we all got a massive sugar rush and played "Pin the tail on the FHM Pin Up". Good times.

RMB - What do you think blogging will be like in the future?
Rhys - The good thing about blogging is that anybody can start a blog. The bad thing about blogging is that anybody can start a blog.

I believe the blogging world is at a crossroads - does it continue growing as an all powerful media beast? Or does it fade away? I'd like bloggers to get more recognition: at the moment it's still very much seen as a fad. I think the amount of bloggers will decrease over time, but the quality of the blogs remaining will increase, as those who start blogging for all the wrong reasons (because they're bored, or for a way to make a quick buck) will get bored, leaving the rest of us to continue. These remaining bloggers (which I hope to be a part of) will be fairly powerful, with companies and the media taking notice, and realising we are here to stay.

Technologically speaking, I'd like to see it grow. One thing I'd love to see would be a Ceefax-esque channel on digital that has your very own selection of RSS feeds. If this becomes the future, you heard it here first!

RMB - If blogging was banned what would you do instead?
Rhys - Campaign to get the ban overturned! I don't know. I used to pass the time by making PC games, but found that it was very difficult to get recognition as quickly as through blogging. I'd find something that gives me that same "hit", if you will!