August 13, 2010 at 8:35 am
I may be a bit of a stick in the mud, but to me the self-aggrandizing element of blogging turns it into a non-starter for me. I appreciate that it is useful for learning to think, organize one's thoughts, and write -- in that sense it is the computer equivalent of a journal or a diary. (Isn't it cute how each generation discovers the same things anew, and considers them their own?...:rolleyes:)
If the defining characteristic of the >=boomer generations are their over-weening narcissism (I count myself among the guilty, by the way), then this tendency to take a private thing and publish it for all the world to see (building a brand! As if I was a 'consumer product'!!) would seem to be the perfect example of what it means to be of the post post modern age. I'm not sure it's an improvement, really.
August 13, 2010 at 9:01 am
I don't know about the self-aggrandizing thing. If somebody wants to bloat their own horn - let 'em. If they seem extremely arrogant or cocky about the topic - that's their choice and it is the choice of the reader to continue reading that blog.
I thought about all of those same counter-points to blogging before I started. Such things as this is only a fad, everybody thinks they have to do it, it's for the younger people, etc. But in this society, it is a very good tool for the Database Professional. It can prove very helpful in the employment arena. It can also open doors to getting to know other people you would not have ever met before. There is plenty of good to come from blogging - and for me it outweighed the cons.
By putting myself out in the public like that, I force myself to work harder at making sure I know the topic and that the material being posted is good.
Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
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August 13, 2010 at 10:03 am
I think in terms of the "I don't know enough about x" argument, I was very much on the same wavelength for a long time, even when I decided to give it a go recently (I'll admit it, a large part of the reason was just to see if I could get my name showing up in Google more! :-), but then it occurred to me that a lack of knowledge also has its advantages in blogging.
I'm sure we've all come across blogs / guides / articles when first starting out on a new subject, that skip over very basic yet very crucial elements of the subject, and I think for those of us not at the top of a field, it's those areas that have most value writing about for others. When you're new to something you tend to have a different outlook, and periodically have those epiphany moments, which later on just seem completely obvious. A beginner writing about these things, what they were stuck on, and what the solutions were, are most likely to be of use to other beginners later on. I've actually started trying to do just that with PowerShell since I'm trying to learn that currently, so I'll see how that goes! :-S
August 13, 2010 at 11:25 am
Great responses, thanks for reading and taking time to comment. If you do blog you'll soon learn how much the odd comment means:-)
Blogs can be whatever you want them to be, and I agree that if you don't like a particular blog, you just drop it and move on. I see value in establishing a personal brand just by writing about the things you interest you, the problems you solve, what you find interesting. Rather than flipping a bit to visible/not, blogging is a spectrum where you can decide from 1-100 (zero=no blog!) what you want to show people and how hard you want to work at getting people to read what you write.
I'm a believe in brand building, but I try to avoid much in the way of self promotion when I write. Of course, that's my intent, which isn't necessarily the same as the way it might be perceived.
Drop me a note if you get started bloggingand looking for feedback, glad to help as I can.
August 14, 2010 at 12:55 am
I have a blog, started it as way to help the community. I find that I don't blog as much as I would like, and hope to change that, especialy with my recent job change. Since I can't bring my work home, I am hoping that I can start blogging a bit more in the evenings, but then I am also trying to get a second job teaching at a local college that wil take away that free time in the evenings.
We'll have to see what happens...
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