July 2008 Archives

There are things you learn about yourself over time.  One of them is that I'm not a very good work-blogger.  However:

• I really enjoy work-podcasting: I have said publicly that I would come to work on a vacation day, just so I wouldn't miss the opportunity to record an episode of ETS Talk.
  
• I'm a good work-wiki-editor: if you look at what I'm doing with the 2008 Learning Design Summer Camp, I'm constantly in the wiki, editing and shaping the event.  
• I'm a good recreational-podcaster: Jeff and I have a running/training podcast called Running with the Pack that has a fair number of listeners.
  
• I'm a fair recreational-blogger (more or less): I like posting race reports, gadget updates, movie reviews, etc..., but I don't enjoy it as much as I enjoy podcasting.

I think that part of my hesitation with work-blogging is that I like to spend my time working instead of writing about work.  With the wiki editing, the writing is the work, so I don't mind doing it.  This also reminds me of something that occasionally happens when I'm in the middle of writing an e-mail to someone to ask them a question: if I can think of a way to answer the question myself, then I delete the e-mail draft and look up the information directly.  After all, e-mail is the most cluttered channel.  Plus if people put the effort into creating online reference material, then I have a duty to try using it before resorting to the easy way out.  I hope other people would give me the same consideration.

Is blogging about work doing work, or is it just writing about work?  I'm guessing that Cole will say that it is doing work since it exposes my thoughts in the public and it helps him (and others) learn about what we're doing.  I think I need a little more than that.  Blogging about work will feel like doing work to me only if it is illuminating.  If it helps me think through issues and come up with creative solutions, then it will be worth the time invested.

This sounds like a learning style issue.  I may be the kind of person who learns more by talking through issues than by writing about them.  And actually, I usually have my best thoughts while doing something physical (walking to work, running, swimming, etc...). 

I may never know unless I try something new, so I've been thinking of writing one blog post per day for the month of August, as Cole is planning to do.  That should answer my questions one way or another.