Lasar's Letter on the FCC (LLFCC) celebrated its second birthday this month. Yes, as of November 22nd, LLFCC was two years old, with over 500 blog entries under its belt.

I will not retell the story of the exotic and glamorous origins of this site, which can be thrilled to here. But I thought I might share some thoughts, conclusions, and uncertainties about blogging so far.

1. There's no point in trying to compete with the trade press for breaking stories. None of the big news aggregators, especially Google news, pick up this site. So it's better to write background pieces based on FCC filings than to ricochet the latest agency announcement. Breaking stuff will be up on major trade press sites way faster than I can get it out.

2. It's hard to find other people to blog with. Everybody wants their own blog with their own content management system, news aggregator, template, widgets, and archive calendar. I guess it's like having one's own private universe. Periodically somebody I know threatens to write for my site, but with the notable exception of my pal Bob Mason, they just don't seem to be able to get past the writing part, which is a formidable barrier if you want to be a writer.

Nonetheless I will continue to search for blogging partners. If I could just find a few obsessive/compulsive media regulation writers like myself, we could crank out a hell of a site.

3. It's good to get out of the house sometimes. Turns out that if you want your social networking site to work, you need to be social. Some of my best interviews and stories have come from actually meeting people (in person) at some event, then subsequently interviewing them. Gotta do that more.

4. Am I a blogger or a journalist? Some months ago I got an anonymous tip from someone charging that the FCC had ordered its Consumer Advisory Committee not to talk to the press. I called the FCC and they denied the assertion. I printed the charge and the assertion. That's journalism, right? Maybe?

5. You never know what stories will be popular. For the life of me I thought that my piece on the cost of phone calls from Iraq would win the Blogitzer Prize. But nobody gave a plop. On the other hand my rant about a recent obesity study was the flavor of the week. I've got to stop having expectations about which stories will rule and which will drool.

Ok. That's enough wisdom for this year. Thanks to the Benton Foundation, Free Press, and Techdirt for picking up my work on a regular basis.

And thank YOU for reading what I write. If you have any requests, suggestions, or non-negotiable demands, I'm always available via e-mail. So don't be a stranger.

Matthew Lasar, LLFCC.net