My web 2.0 activity (as in self publishing) seems to have diminished; one week I’m blogging, twittering and yammering with anyone who is likewise bitten by the bug and the next week, apart from some occasional facebook activity, it’s all stopped. I’ve waited to get re-bitten but it hasnt happened.
Being a reflective sort of person I’ve been wondering what’s changed and my conclusion is…… nothing.
And therein lies the answer. I haven’t blogged, twittered or yammered and it hasn’t made any difference.
I’m still over-working, under-studying, spending my weekends walking, seeing family and friends; my life is just as busy, just as much fun – nothing has changed. I haven’t lost or gained. Whether I divulge innanities online or keep the daily minutae to myself, I’m still living exactly the same life. It doesn’t seem to have made any difference at all.
I don’t blog. I have nothing against blogging, or bloggers; I advocate usage of the technology; I have at least 2 blogs set up that I’ve always felt I should use, yet somehow I’ve never got round to it. So this post got me thinking about the reasons why.
For me it comes down to 2 of the fundamental requirements for effective communication: PURPOSE and AUDIENCE. I don’t feel comfortable posting into the ether: I want to say different things, in a different way, to different groups of people, whether friends, colleagues, family or strangers.
I have the same reservations about Facebook (which I DO use to a limited extent). What can I say about myself that is relevant to my work colleagues AND to my teenage nieces and nephews? (Fortunately my own sons are mortified at the idea that their old man has a facebook site, so don’t even want to be my ‘friend’)