Robert Scoble is back after a short break from blogging and has done some thinking about why he blogs. It’s a good read and shows that even top bloggers need to take some time out every now and again to rethink their blog’s direction:
‘See, a good blog is passionate and authoritative. Lately I’ve been going through the motions. Just blogging to keep blogging.
Over the past week I focused on rediscovering myself. What do I like to do? This is my blog. It better be fun. For me. Or else I’ll stop doing it.
So, I went back and made a mental list of why I do this….’
Robert’s reasons for blogging are an interesting read and range from that he likes to talk with smart people to getting things into the search engines. So why do you blog?
I blog because:
1. It’s a way to motivate myself to keep on top of the latest news and developments in my field – genetics and public health.
2. I like telling people about the interesting stuff I find.
3. I’m opinionated and I like to shove it in people’s faces. (HA!)
4. I love meeting people who think about the same things, not necessarily in the same way.
I blog to:
Keep myself updated on information
A place to collect that information
A site to be a resource for others to make use of the information
To Take a whiff of Micro-business
Frugal for Life
I blog because blogging is a great way to keep up with the latest news on what interests me. In my case its Digital Technology and lifestyle news, and also travel to name a few. It’s better to share what your passionate about when blogging.
At the moment, I am not trying to define why I blog, but should I be blogging so much? After watching my favorite movie of all time the other day (The Fifth Element), when it was over .. I checked my RSS feeds first! – before checking emails!
Blogging is a stress release for me. I know I have other work to do, but somehow everything I do while I’m blogging is justified in my mind’s eye, because I’m doing it FOR my business and the information and experience gained helps my business. This is quite an opposite view that I normally preach to other small business persons and my clients … trying to recognize that you are not actually working when you are sleeping and dreaming, or thinking of work.
I still am working as many hours with the “day job” as I did before, but my blogging hours are increasing exponentially. It seems every time my wife walks past me on the computer, it looks like I am blogging. So, now I have exchanged all types activities are now referred to as … “blogging”. E.G. “Honey .. I’ll be right back .. I’m going to blog down over to Tim Hortons and get me a cup of coffee” ~
Is it just me or did you forget the permalink to scobelizer’s post?
aaah yes I did. Will amend that.
Kevin, You slacker! When Darren didn’t link directly to scoberlizer’s post, I went to Google and found it that way. ;)
(TOTALLY JUST KIDDING when I called you slacker.)
I have started blogging because I think I have some important and relevant information to share with other home-based small business people.
I also blog because it’s a new marketing medium for me and I want to learn more about it and finally I blog because I see it as a new step in the evolution of our online business.
I don’t blog because I’m conceited enough to think that I’m in the same class as Darren or some of the genuine writers/authors out there. Compared to them I’m just a hack with ink stains on my fingers and a pencil stuck behind my ear. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t learn from them and so blogging for me is also all about learning.
“Robert’s reasons for blogging are an interesting read” — it’s all lies. Robert Scoble is blogging because his blog is THE ONLY REASON why he was employed by Microsoft and why he stays employed by Microsoft.
I don’t buy that Comic Strip Blogger – whilst I’m sure Robert has some motives tied up with his employment I like to think that there is probably some truth to his reasons.
I’m sure we all have a few mixed motives deep down – I’m cool with that.
He does dance a Microsoft dance though :)
Do people who work at this level at MS ever get disillusioned? I wonder if Robert is allowed to write negative stuff about his employer. Maybe he has an anonymous alter-ego slagging of MS – then how would we know, so many people do :)
I blog because it’s a kinda fun and a break from the daily grind.
Plus it’s SMASHING! ;-)
I always have nagging thoughts with everything I do that no matter how good I’m doing it … there’s got to be an even better way (i.e. products, services, technology, gadgets, new products, etc.), so I’m always seeking out a better method or a new perspective on an old standard. I started blogging as an outlet to document some of the stuff I find along the way.
My original concept was to develop a community blog where people could share their ideas/thoughts on stuff that has some quality they feel makes it better … from the obscure to the mainstream. Right now it exists only as a community of ONE because of the limited time I’ve had to develop it … none the less it’s fun for me and helps me eat up what little spare time I have in the first place!