It got me to thinking about a T-shirt I have that my friend Toby Bloomberg gave me, many years ago, now. It says, "A-list blogger - You May Be Blogged." I always thought it should say "you will be blogged" because... if you're a blogger, you blog about everything - your cat, your coffee, your next business meeting, the weather... all the same things you talk about. I also began to wonder - if that's true, what's a person to do about not being blogged about? I mean, maybe I don't want you blogging about me. 

So, I came up with the Top Ten Ways To Spot a Blogger at Ten Paces...

• A blogger is usually dressed casually but might, sometimes, be in a business suit or high heels if she's a woman. Pay attention to clothes; they're a dead giveaway.

• A blogger usually has a smartphone pressed to his or her ear. They're listening to another blogger and already composing a new blog post as they pace back and forth during the conversation.

• A blogger will ask you a lot of questions. "When did you start here?" "Where do you live?" "When was the last time you traveled to China?" They don't pry too much, but they pry.

• A blogger might be clutching the worn leash of an adorable Pug or a German Shepherd, the better to strike up conversations with unsuspecting passers-by. "Oh, what a cute dog!" you'll say, and the blogger, with a gleam in her eye, will say, "I know! I thought so, too, when I saw her in the litter at my best friend's house. Say, aren't you..." And so it goes.

• You would think a blogger would be pasty-faced from spending so much time indoors blogging, but the truth is... bloggers blog from anywhere, on their smartphones. They don't stick to home base. They blog at the park, they blog at the supermarket, they blog in church. Oh my, yes, they do!

• A blogger is eager to learn. Regardless of what the blogger blogs about, a blogger needs information the way others need air. S/He studies their topic and researches it and keeps a log of everything learned. Often, bloggers accost the other bloggers they know, who are expert at their topic, hoping for an interview, and they read other blogs like you drink coffee - with a passion! You know it's blogging that consumes them because they have that, "I need to talk to you," look in their eyes when you meet them...wherever that is.

• A blogger respects other people's privacy when it needs respecting.  So, you won't find a blogger lurking about your house spying on you. You will find her checking up on you if you're a public figure. You won't find her sneaking up to a conversation at a networking event, hovering just within earshot. She'll barge right in and introduce herself...and you will be warned, "I'm a blogger." With a smile.

• Bloggers want to accomplish things. They want to communicate. They look like reporters - but without the hats. They sometimes wear badges to let you know they're media - but it's a courtesy given proudly because... well, they are proud. Proud to be a voice for their topic. The badge is one of honor - don't misjudge it as a boast.

• Bloggers can write like journalists... but, most often, they write like... people. Like you. Or me. There's a conversational quality to their work. When they talk to you, they talk like... a person having a conversation. Generally, they aren't afraid of approaching you - whether they know you or not. Sometimes, they are. Yes, there are shy bloggers. Shy bloggers smile a lot and wait for you to make the first move. 
  
  
• Bloggers are up at dawn. Or, sometimes, they sleep in. Sometimes, they write late at night. They're on Facebook and Twitter and Pinterest and they love meeting new people. They ride the bus, and they drive to a regular job. Or they work at home; they network online and offline; they lament over missing conferences; they walk their dogs and shoo their cats from their desks... 

Sound like anyone you know? Sound like anyone you should know?