Which kind of blogger are you, a Tortoise are a Hare? We grow up learning the story of these two rivals, and taking away the lesson that slow and methodical overcomes fast and impulsive, but does that lesson apply to blogging as well? Or, more specifically, to all forms of blogging, or just some?
I find myself thinking upon this after coming across two blog posts today: one arguing for quick blogging, the other for slow blogging. They both seem to raise valid points, but they also seem to be looking from different perspectives. Amy, the author of the post How to Blog Without the Time Sink, makes some excellent points about blogging for professional development. She recommends using your blog as your “backup brain”, and making it part of your “ongoing process”. I highly recommend reading her post, as it is an excellent framework for how to use a blog for professional development and social networking.
On the other hand, there is the Slow Blog Manifesto, written by Todd. Todd seems to be looking at blogging more as purposeful writing and art, and currently “publishes words and images with deliberate infrequency”. He makes a rather nice argument for thoughtful blogging, but ironically seems to have a “quick blog” of his own as well. I guess that he also agrees that not all blogs should be slow blogs, but I for one am glad that there are slow blogs out there. I keep a few in my reading list to dip into when I escape from the work/study cycle. After all, “all work and no play…”
So what about this blog, is it a slow blog or a quick blog or a slow blog? Currently it seems to be more of a slow blog, based purely on pace, not the quality of the prose ;^), but that will change with time. This blog, and site, were created as a reaction to my studies in Educational Technology & TESOL. I found that in addition to reading information, I needed to also create and discuss to better internalize concepts and develop deeper understanding. To meet these goals, I think that will focus more on following the three suggestions of Amy in her post:
- Blog your initial brainstorming
- Blog your research and discovery
- Blog your interactions
I wont say that I will go as far as to stop using my draft folder on the blog, but I do think that I will focus more on sharing ideas, and less on polishing them. The learning is in the discussion, not the editing. It is better to put up raw ideas and discuss them than to leave them both unpublished and ignored…
So, although I know that the tortoise always wins the race, I think that the hare may have more interesting discussions and make more connections. Also, learning is a path, not a goal, so let the tortoises focus on the finish line. Personally, I don’t think there is one.
:”Image source(Cropped slightly, as permitted by the CC license)”:http://www.flickr.com/photos/99136715@N00/63271035
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