Apr 06 2008
Blogging Can Be Hazardous
Another off topic conversation. This is a great article from the NYTimes that will give readers an understanding of how stressful blogging can be for bloggers, especially if you start to build a large audience and a small empire. Blogging can be hazardous to your health and very addicting. I have written many of my own opinions as to why blogging can be hazardous to help you understand what many bloggers in the industry face daily.
The successful bloggers in the domain industry love writing and it shows thru in their blog posts. They write effectively and in such a way as to get readers involved or feel involved. Additionally, they work hard and long hours to deliver a post that will beneficial to at least 1 reader, if not thousands.
Is it easy, absolutely not. It does get a little easier once you have mastered your procedures to publishing a post. However, if you publish good posts all the time, readers expect this all the time and it can take a toll on your health. You can not sustain this expectation, even bloggers get writers block. Talk about stress. No content=no visitors or decline in visitors.
Stress: Plenty of it in the blogging word. You have to really think things out before you post something, or it could have a negative impact on future growth or credibility. The average blog post takes me a minimum of an hour to construct, with the more detailed conversations taking 2 hours and more. Important topics sometimes take days to write. Why does it take so long? Effective writing and delivering the right perspective are the main reasons. You have to ensure you are using proper english grammar as much as possible and project a professional/knowledgeable individual thru your writing. The whole world has the opportunity of reading what you publish and possibly using it in their lives.
Interaction: The best part of blogging, but can also lead to frustration. I find it very exciting to interact with strangers with like minded goals and interests. It is also very time consuming responding to posts timely, but still very enjoyable. However, there are those who love to cause controversy, drama, and arguments on blogs. These type of people bring stress. Sometimes it is good, but it is all in how you present your disagreement that will determine how it is taken. Many of these people speak on emotions at the moment, rather than think things thru. This frustrates all bloggers.
Fitness: Most bloggers gain weight because everything they do is in front of the computer. They eat, drink, watch tv, and even sleep at their computer. Of course, this is the domainers lifestyle. :) It is important to excercise at least one time a day, preferrably in the A.M. I have found it helps in finding new topics to blog about and gives me the energy to take on the days workload.
Family: They want all your time. The computer deserves non of it. If you are married, you know what I am talking about. This can be very hazardous to your health and marriage. You have to find a balance.
So after reading this post and the NYTimes article, you now have a great understanding on what it takes for successful bloggers to deliver content for your reading pleasure. There are 3 things you can do that will help your favorite bloggers continue doing what they do:
1. Advertise and Visit Sponsored Links. Support your blogger for the time they take daily to deliver enjoyable reading content. The benefit of this is common sense. It gives a blogger the motivation to continue to deliver effective content and take on the health risks of blogging. Time is money. Pay your bloggers for their time.
2. Think things thru before you write a comment. Go back and read the post again to ensure you read it the way the blogger intended it to be perceived. Too many readers react on emotion, and miss the main idea of the post. Later some find themselves saying, sorry, I didn’t read it thouroughly. Take the time to read all first objectively, before disagreeing publicly. You will find most of the time that the blogger addresses concerns of his readers, not the concerns of those outside of the blog. What I mean by this, is blog readers have a voice and bloggers listen. Even if it is sometimes a controversial topic. Think things thru.
3. Interact. Bloggers love this and it encourages them to provide more content. It also makes them a blogging addict. So do it! It will only benefit you and thousands of others. Pretty easy thing to do, yet people want to consistently take, and not give. Give a little, it goes along way. :)
“I haven’t died yet,” said Michael Arrington, the founder and co-editor of TechCrunch, a popular technology blog. The site has brought in millions in advertising revenue, but there has been a hefty cost. Mr. Arrington says he has gained 30 pounds in the last three years, developed a severe sleeping disorder and turned his home into an office for him and four employees. “At some point, I’ll have a nervous breakdown and be admitted to the hospital, or something else will happen.”
“This is not sustainable,” he said.
You said:
“Family: They want all your time. The computer deserves none of it. If you are married, you know what I am talking about. This can be very hazardous to your health and marriage. You have to find a balance.”
I’m with you on that. Probably the most difficult part of blogging, and what has caused me the most problems and stresses.
I would like to play around with this subject. Back in 1990 I had a neighbor that, like me, had a computer. We were both on intranets like Prodigy and Compuserve and did a lot of the cerfing I do today. He used to have lots of problems with his computer and he would always ask me to come help him. When I sat down at his computer everything would work fine for me. It was strange to him that he always had “computer” problems and I would not. He used to say “computers just like you” or “computers hate me” like there was an entity in that box. I sort of think of a computer screen like a mirror and a “genie in a lamp” combined. Be careful what you ask for or wish for.
Many of us put so much time and effort into our computer/internet that the same care and time in a child/wife would also create a wonderful family. I can usually tell what someone is doing during the day just from watching their interaction or non-interaction with their computer. That means we are spending a great deal of time and energy on this portal. We have to be careful of our fears, needs and desires in that they can control us when we ultimately need to be controlling them.
Blogging must be like a “catch-22″ whereas the more time you put in the more you get back. So you push harder to write and make sure your visitors know you are there 24/7. People on the internet seem to want to know that someone is always there for them but when you are not they will go looking somewhere else. The may be back but as bloggers you want them there every day maybe several times a day. That is good for your blog but not so good for your health so you had better manage that time efficiently.
Is the internet becoming that “parallel universe” we always read about? My brother and I have always asked the ultimate question when we make major decisions about our internet future and time spent there. Are we having fun? That question is the great equalizer for our businesses.
***SMO**
This is very true Michael. I think what causes many to forget about that control is the revenue you can earn online. This is the greatest factor of online obsession at least for the domain industry. I agree with you, if people devoted the same amount of time and dedication to their families as they do their successful businesses, they would have super families.
Somewhere you have to find balance. It is tough for people who are trying to build an online empire. The best thing to do is get your family involved. I have my 12 year old daughter blogging now. =) My wife now understands my vision. Took awhile, but it will always be a work in progress. We do have to control our online obsession, as it will only get worse as technology advances.