From Jay Cross' Informal Learning Flow Hot List for August, fantastic video with Seth Godin and Tom Peters discussing the value of blogging.
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They sound a lot like what I say about blogging and learning. This is going to be pretty good for an upcoming presentation to professional speakers about the use of social media.
Seth Godin
Doesn't matter if anyone reads it.
What matters is the metacognition of thinking about what you are going to say.
How do you force yourself to describe in three paragraphs why you did something.
You are doing it for yourself to become part of the conversation even if it's very small.
Tom Peters
No single thing in the last 15 years professionally has been more important in my life than blogging.
It has changed my life. It has changed my perspective. It has changed my intellectual outlook. It has changed my emotional outlook.
Best damn marketing tool by an order of magnitude.
Both
And it's free.
13 comments:
It is funny you posted this now. Yesterday I was thinking about writing something like: Five Years In Front of the World: how blogging has changed my life, my work and my practices. (or why every consultant, at the least, should have a blog!!! LOL)
Tony, Thanks. I blog foremost for myself and second for others. I hope your summer is doing great with the kids. Ray
Kia ora e Tony!
Thanks for this - I agree with Seth. But you know me by now - I'm a pragmatist. As Seth says, "it doesn't matter if anyone reads it".
I have attended writing groups and poets' meetings for years. Y'know what? They say the same.
It's not the blogging. It's the writing!
Who was it that said "writing for learning?" :-) If you want to sort out what you think - write it down.
Catchya later
While I agree that the writing helps you to think, the difference between blogging and journaling is the public aspect of it. While no one may read your blog (I often feel this is the case with my own blog), a blogger is writing for that mysterious reader out there...for someone that might understand what they are saying. When you get a great comment on your blog (not something like, "Great post" but a question that you hadn't thought about or a different perspective) you have more than an internal conjugation of your ideas.
"What matters is the metacognition of thinking about what you are going to say." - Bingo! I find that by explaining my ideas and opinions to someone else through blogging, I challenge my own understanding of the topic.
Thanks for posting this. Blogging is such a valuable way of communicating for me. I'm an author, so blogging helps me focus my thoughts so I can write better. It's also helpful in letting others know about my writing.
Isn't it interesting how universal this sentiment is!
@Nancy - Even though there's so much value, I'm still not 100% sure that EVERY consultant should have one. Certainly MOST should. I would love to see your post.
And it certainly strikes back to Top Ten Reasons to Blog and Top Ten Not to Blog
and the related:
Should All Learning Professionals Blog
Tony, you are right. Not ALL consultants. ;-)
I got carried away. Again. Heh!
Nancy - you just gave me a LOL moment.
Tēnā koutou katoa!
Paul Cornie's Green Pen Society is hosted by me this month.
The theme is "What gets you flying when you feel you want to write?"
If you wish to participate, just float along and read more about the theme for this month's writers/bloggers GPS post. I'd love to host your contribution.
Catchya later
thank you, that was a very powerful conversation for me.....SO much conviction!
There are so many voices in my head waiting to be expressed.However, I have been quashing most of them like a strict mother....expressing them out is critical, evn if it appears self-indulgent in the beginning :)
Shally - the issue of "self-indulgent" or vanity or self-absorbed ... seems to come up a lot from people. Aren't bloggers people who like to hear themselves talk?
I really question that. Sure, a fair number of us also present at conferences and such. But if you get into it for that reason - you want lots of people to listen - likely you will quit.
But I'm still not sure how to overcome it.
Thanks for this post and connection to the Godin and Peters video. This is great. I have been blogging for some time now. It has helped me develop my thoughts and the concept of Edgility (see edgility.net). I also posted about this video on my edgility blog (http://tinyurl.com/mglwwc) - as some of my students read my blog (at Colorado State University) and I continue to try to get them engaged and realize the importance of blogging and other web 2.0 conversation tools.
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