The Blogging Journey – Part IV
Alright, I have to admit I’ve become a bit of a blogging junkie and I think I might need some help. Blogging is amazing and frustrating all at the same time.
Here is the amazing part – intellectual thoughts, ideas, and opinions come to the individual – literally dropping information at our finger tips. Information and resources that we never knew existed are being shared with a whole community, and I am a part of that community.
Here is the frustrating part – so much information and so little time. I am currently subscribed to 40 bloggers including classmates, educators, and literacy (adult and family) practitioners, which is exciting in itself. BUT I find that I’m easily distracted. I’ll be happily reading a blog and clicking on all the links (you never know how much additional information is beyond the next link). Then I’ll come across something that I’ll want to learn more about so I’ll google it or check the links within the links. Next thing I know I’ve spent over an hour on one blog. This explains the 183 blogs waiting for me to read them. This would be fine if I had a coffee pot next to the computer and my double taking care of all of my other life celebrations and challenges.
So I’ve come to accept that I am not managing my blogging skills or time very efficiently and I ask for some help. If any of you have some recommendations (beyond getting up two hours before the rest of the family and squeezing in moments when I think no one will distract me), I will gladly hear/read them. As a student, mother, spouse, and career woman, I will take all the advice that I can get – not to mention how many more blogs I can read. Tee hee hee.
Have a fabulous blogging day.
Well Tam, the first step is realizing that you can not read it all and it is OK to mark all as read sometimes. One has to find balance.
As for tips, I usually use the short cut “ctrl click” to open the link in a new tab. Unless I need the linked info immediately I leave the tab until I am done reading the blog. Then I glance at the open tabs and usually close them with a quick skim. As you surf you will figure out your own strategies and one does get faster surfing as they practice.
[...] Well, I haven’t been blogging as much as I’d like to be; I can really relate to Tam’s post about how time-consuming blogging is! I’ve been reading, thinking, and taking little notes [...]
As Kyle suggests, balance is key. Sometimes I just nuke my blog list (mark all as read) except for the folders I need to read (such as this blog!). Some things have to wait ….
1 – Use a good RSS reader and start being more selective about which blogs you read on the original site.
2 – Use folders to organise your feeds
3 – Delete some blogs from your reading! You don’t have to read everything that everyone has to say… You will find that you will naturally filter some people out and you will tend to read just a few religiously… this usually happens about 18 months after you start…
4 – Read other people who read lots of blogs. They will do a lot of filtering for you! (eg: CoolCat/David Warlick)
5 – Keep an open mind… don’t just read edublogs. Read Design blogs (like Presentation Zen) and humour blogs (like icanhascheezburger)… You’re just as likely to get a good idea for education from blogs which have not been written by anyone in education!
6 – Never feel guilty if you don’t manage to post as often as you’d like.
And the best advice of all:
7 – Read Johnny Bunko… now… go on, do it!
(Oh, and PS: Raed Alec’s blog… it’s really good!)
I too have the same problem. I spend way too much time reading and checking links in one blog!! I’ve started only scimming most blog entries untill something really intrigues me. Or like today, I lot out an hour or two anddevote it to catching up on all the blogs I’m subscribed too. It’s tricky
Thank you to everyone who has commented so far. These are really great suggestions.
As a new blogger, I know that my skills to select what will be read now and what will be read later will continue to develop during my blogging journey. It’s all a part of my learning process, which I am enjoying so much.
Once again thank you. Your support and guidance is always welcomed and appreciated.
Have a glorious day.
[...] about interesting finds. Then the smack in the forehead came when I had so many responses to the Blogging Journey IV post. I was struggling to keep up to all the blog postings that I subscribe to and I was reaching [...]