Thanks to those who have made contact re the previous blog http://learninglab.lincoln.ac.uk/blogs/sue/2009/04/16/blogging-whats-it-all-about-again/
Still I ponder on the process of blogging and the divide between the avid and the reluctant blogger. I wonder if there are clues. Are bloggers natural reflectors? Do they see blogging as a pleasure or a chore? Does it appeal more to the technical extrovert or the digitally competent introvert? Do bloggers blog strategically? I’m still curious about how people manage their blogging lives? Do they catch up on their blogroll rss feeds over lunch? Is it considered a work or an après-work activity? Or is blogging simply another indicator of a digital divide; one that isn’t about access to computers but the way in which they are used. Are bloggers also Twitters and Yammers with a Facebook profile?
Am I typical or not? The written word appeals to me; texting, email, even assignments and papers; I complain about deadlines but favour the written over the verbal every time. Words suit me; either once removed so I can cut, paste, smooth and polish – or as in stream of consciousness verbiage on demand. Words always have been my preferred method of communication.
I’m also a fan of the Internet; the idea of a network of like minded souls looking for digital connections has always appealed. Me and my laptop are best friends. I miss it when I’m not connected. If this is an addiction then it could be worse – as they say ‘if it harms none do as you will….’
It’s not that I have nothing to say – its almost the opposite – there’s too much – the top layer of my consciousness at this moment includes three paper deadlines (so why am I blogging?!) the practice based research unit on my OU course, if I can use optical illusions to demonstrate critical thinking, identifying other LD tools for prospective students and who or what has eaten the asparagus tops on my allotment. The only reason I’m sat here with my laptop on a Saturday morning is recurring iritis and several looming deadlines; shortly I’m going to plant a jostaberry and cover the asparagus bed with netting!
So it’s not lack of computer confidence or content. I’m an early adopter rather than later or laggard but I’m not consistent; I still find it difficult to get into a blog routine and I’m curious about how others manage. Back to the Cadbury crème again – how do you do yours?
Like you, I’ve been blogging here at work for the last year. I started doing so as a way to write up events I attended and note significant stages in my work. More recently, I’ve switched to using my blog as a way to help construct my ideas. By writing through what I’m thinking, I tend to come to a better understanding of my initial idea. By writing in public, I tend to think about how it relates to other people. I’ve also relaxed a bit more about what I write. I still labour over the accuracy of my spelling and stuff like that for some reason, but I don’t labour over trying to get the message across in a complete and polished way. Better to get some rough ideas out there and, hopefully, get some feedback on them.
The more you write, the more feedback you will get. Your blog will start to get picked up more when people search and there are techniques for making what you write stand out more. I’ve also found that talking about what I’m doing on Twitter has increased my readership substantially. For the most part, it’s not that people aren’t interested in what we’re writing about, but rather that they don’t know we’re writing in the first place.
I see some people who are posting to their blog a couple of times a day and wonder how they find time to do it. But I think it’s a technique that needs to be learned – writing about what you’re doing, while you’re doing it. We could learn from Journalists who are used to producing copy quickly and coherently.