Thursday, March 1, 2012

Bah Humbug to Blogging? Not So Fast

I wasn’t going to do it.  Nobody was going to make me do it.  What was “it?”  Blogging, that’s what.  I absolutely railed against it.  Well, you get the picture. 

The Future World Order
Or is it Here?
But, because many people, including my publisher, said I must, I began the blog.  No, actually, the truth is, I began learning about blogging.  My poor husband sat next to me many evenings trying to give as much help as he could, which turned out to be quite a bit.

A vocabulary had to be unlearned and a new one learned with words such as, widget, gadget and attribution.  I had to trust that one could move pieces around the site as if I were putting together a puzzle, and they would stay.  I have to admit it, but one evening I sat far too long a time trying to figure how to embed (another new’ish term for me then) a video into my lily-livered blog.

Bit by bit, though, like a creeping vine, I was taken in by technology.  First I hated it.  Then it was okay.  Then it was bearable.  Then I couldn’t live without it!  How’s that for being seduced by a new world order.

Now it is a part of my everyday life, and I can talk widgets with the best of them, and I do.  Have to admit, though, it did take me longer than I thought it would to feel comfortable with tech talk.
 
And what about today?  Even after an entry is posted, I’ll pour over it from every angle, perhaps move a photo a centimeter or two, recheck links to be sure they’re working, read my witty words for the zillionth time and be, well, blogging addicted. 

 

This post, then, is a cautionary tale of what can happen to one if s/he lets the guard down concerning blogging.  It’s habit forming and quite impossible to give up.  Take it from me, a used to be, non-wanna be, habit formed, blogger.








62 comments:

  1. I'm right there with you! For years, I had been blogging on blogspot, just posting my little ditties. Taking the Blogelina class for beginners challenged me to move to Wordpress and I had to learn everything techy all over again--challenging but fun, too. It's a good feeling when you "get" it though and actually learned new skills!

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  2. Pretty funny, very true. I started blogging to give me a sense of accomplishment and to help others. I am a stay at home mom of four and I got asked all the time how I do what I do. Some people call me "Supermom" and I wanted to debunk that reputation right away. My passion lies in helping parents be better parents!

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  3. I can see what you mean. Blogging definitely takes a new vocabulary; I'm still working on figuring it all out! I have loved blogging because it has helped connect us (my sister and I - we blog together) with new friends.

    http://wholesomewomanhood.com/

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  4. Blogging can be addictive and some of us, even after a few years of blogging, are still figuring things out! Cute post!

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  5. I started my first blog to learn what I would need to teach my journalism students about this new platform to reach their audience. Since then, I've moved on from that blog and now have a much more heartfelt sense of purpose in connecting with my audiences. That was the main thing I learned from the first experiment.... a blog has to have a clear focus.

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts about blogging!

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  6. I can relate to this completely because I just moved my blog from Blogger to Wordpress and had to learn a whole new world of website design. Sometimes I have to remind myself not to invest too much time in the tech side of it, because it can be a Rip Van Winkle experience where you look up from the computer and realize that 3 hours have passed without you even realizing.
    -Viva, from dailycitron.com

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  7. This was awesome. I feel the same way, the more I blog the more I like it. I have yet to switch to Wordpress, I'm a bit intimidated.

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  8. haha, this is so true. Hubby had to talk me into joining FB, now I can't stay away!

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  9. I can barely remember a time in my life when I didn't blog - it's a wonderful addiction! :)

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  10. haha, I hear ya! I thought it was a silly thing, and then I had kids, and I needed a place to capture the memories, and it just kept growing!

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  11. Glad to see a new convert to the crowd. Now we have to get you migrated into a real CMS platform, aka WordPress.

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  12. I am not a very techie person but I am learing to talk the talk too! When I moved to Wordpress I was scared but I've learned enough LOL

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  13. That's funny, I rechecked my links and reread my post multiple times too. It's pretty addiction!

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  14. Ha! I totally agree about how addictive blogging is - and I too have been sucked in and gone from technophobe -to the one telling others about widgets and html snippets ! But I'm loving it ! :)

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  15. Yes I think I'm getting addicted and learning new words and things every day.

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  16. So true!

    It seems like everytime I get one widget or social media site down, a new one pops up. But it's fun to be continously learning and trying new things. Keeps life interesting!

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  17. I personally think it is the sense of accomplishment that drives me sometimes. You start out thinking you will never conquer the task, then you surprisingly do!

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  18. I keep saying I'm giving it up , in search of a simpler life...at least until my children are older and less needy. Yet, i can't just not share interesting tips and deals I run across a few times a week.

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  19. I started blogging to help me document things about my daughter, then used it to share it with family, then started sharing products on there that I liked/didn't, shared tips and resources that were helpful for me and it's just gotten to be something for myself and for my daughter (I will be printing my blog into a little book to reflect back on one day)!

    It has become addictive too though so I totally agree. That cartoon is hilarious! I think someone asked me what happened with something and I said, you haven't read my blog yet?! Hehee, it was bad! Probably people in my life that I see daily should know before my blog but that's something I will have to work on!

    It's nice "meeting" you through Blogelina's comment tour!

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  20. I couldn't agree more. I started blogging two months ago and knew very little about anything. I am still pretty wet around the gils but I like to think I'm slowly starting to grasp things. I have to be really careful because I can find the day/aft/eve slipping away on me. Love the comic!

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  21. I have a coworker that really needs to start blogging. I think she would be great at it, if she could just over her fear of starting! I even put together a blogspot blog for her so she could just get her feet wet, and she keeps saying she should check it out. Good for you for being persistent and sticking with it! I don't know many people in real life who "get" my love for blogging. I used to be afraid to tell them my blog URL but then I learned that people who aren't into blogs just don't even bother to go visit. So now I don't talk much about blogging, except with my online friends. :-)

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  22. Figuring out widgets and gadgets and SEO's and everything else is interesting to say the least! I moved from blogspot to my own WP domain last month and it has been good but challenging. I would imagine for a 'real' author, blogging is quite different!

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  23. Good for you - I've been blogging for years and still don't understand a lot of the terminology. It takes a lot of time to learn everything, doesn't it?

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  24. So recognisable! Blogging is very addictive. I don't know all the terminology (maybe with Wordpress you don't have to?) but I love posting, reading my blogger friends' blogs and all that is part of the world of blogging.

    Judith at http://leeswammes.wordpress.com

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  25. Blogging can be addictive to the readers, too. I have to check the sites I stalk, I mean follow, every day when I get home.
    Diana at http://waywardgirlscrafts.com

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  26. I think blogging is the best addiction I have! Blogelina is a great place to learn all those ins and outs, you should join her "blog help group" on fb! http://www.facebook.com/groups/bloghelpgroup/ That is where I post up all my urgent blogging questions... mainly so i dont have to nag hubby... after all this time I have found out i'm better at this stuff than he is anyways lol

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  27. Blogging can be a bad habit or a good one. I do know I am addicted!

    I started a blog years ago, it had no traffic after a few months so I left. But i couldn't stay away for long. In 2010 I started again. This time stronger and with more knowledge. I find it fun. Why? I am meeting people from all over the world! It is so exciting!

    Have fun with your blog. :-)

    ~Allie

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  28. A few years ago, I was total anti-blogging too. I thought the whole concept was silly. Then I read a few, and a few more, and thought "hey, that seems fun!" Now I spend half my life on the internet (well, part of it is freelance writing to pay the bills, but a large chunk goes towards my blog) and can't imagine not blogging.

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  29. I know just what you mean about blogging being addicting. When I think I've written something particularly clever, I go back and check it again and again, both to enjoy it and to see if it's picked up any comments. I always try to be encouraging to other bloggers, because I know how much love we put into our posts.

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  30. Blogging to me is like journaling, once you start it's hard to stop. It's a great way to meet people we ordinarily would have not met too! Keep up the great blogging!

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  31. i love blogging. its so fun. an outlet. an audience. a vehicle for that voice inside so many of us. readers are also addicted quickly.


    i didn't know what a blog was when i started. i had no idea. and here it is 2 years later...my, how times have changed!!

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  32. I enjoy blogging because I meet new interesting people I would never meet in my town. I also save a lot of money with the samples and coupons I find on blogs. Easy2Save

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  33. I agree it is habir forming and the social networking sites are the same way I hate them but I get sucked in as I am told as a blogger I need them. Per say Klout and Pintrest.

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  34. I would like to make one suggestion. Sometimes people don't like the feedjit widget that you are using because it states where people live. You can do the same thing by going to woopra.com and signing up. That way you can see where your visitors are coming from, but it won't be out there for everyone else to see which makes people feel like their privacy is being invaded.

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  35. Funny post. I also have to learn all this stuff.

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  36. Ah I know just what you mean...now I'm completely an addict! :)

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  37. I've been blogging off an on for 7 years, so I didn't even realize I had all this weird jargon in my head until I wrote something on a homeschool forum and a non-blogging mom said, "I have no idea what all that means, but I think you did the right thing." LOL

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  38. i like your approach.... :D

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  39. It's a whole different animal, isn't it? The blogging community is a great incentive for keeping it up!

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  40. Blogging is something I do for me. I love helping people win, and I enjoy the community that comes from it. http://www.sweepstakesmama.com

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  41. :-D I have been struggling with how much time is too much time spent on your blog? How much time do I need to create a great blog vs just going overboard and spending too much time worrying about everything?

    I agree-- blogging can become addicting and it can be hard learning that balance in life

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  42. It definitely is habit forming!

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  43. Oh, me too! I'm an artist and crafter by nature and the side of the brain that deals with computer techie junk is just not used that much. Until now. Ha! While I'm certainly no expert, I can now say that I can get around a web design or two. That is progress!

    suzy

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  44. When I first started blogging a few months ago I did not think this would be something I would want to continue. The learning curve is so high to start that everything seems so overwhelming at first. By having a community of people to relate to has really helped me.
    Shelly @ frugalfamilyhome.com

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  45. Blogging can take over your life if you let it. There is so much to learn and do. You have to just take it slow and learn to step away

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  46. I enjoyed your tale. I seriously am considering switching to Wordpress...though I know it will be a ton of work and relearning.

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  47. Love it! I know exactly what you are talking about it and I had to laugh to myself when I read "A vocabulary had to be unlearned and a new one learned with words such as, widget, gadget and attribution." because that is so true. My sister and I started Busy Mom on the Go in January 2011 and we had preconceived ideas of the technology side of it that we would have to overcome, but never did I think there would be so much.

    Sometimes when I get bummed that a post that I had worked on for hours upon hours doesn't get any comments I just think to myself "there is no way I am stopping now. After all I have been through and had to learn to get this blog where it is today, no, there is no way I am going in any direction, but forward with it".

    Which that reminds me we are starting an affiliate program which will start with our Guide to Summer Activities e-book. If you think you might be interested e-mail me at contactus@busymomonthego.com and I will put you on our list of people to send out more details as April 16th gets closer!!

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  48. I completely agree with the addicting quality of blogging. I'm still working on the technical stuff, but I'm learning!

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  49. As a blogger with a 1 month old blog, I know there is a lot of stuff I still need to learn. And I will get there - eventually :)

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  50. For me blogging has become a little bit addictive. After I learned all of the basics I was hooked.

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  51. Blogging started off as just a fun little hobby. Now, I'm really into promoting and SEO and all the behind the scenes stuff as well! LOVE IT!


    Wendy
    Around My Family Table

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  52. When I blog I want to blog, but when I don't blog I lose the desire to blog. Does that even make sense?

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  53. I can see how it is habit forming. I've only been working on my a little over a month now and I already addicted to it.

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  54. I love the cartoon! My 8 year old cousin has his own blog and your cartoon made me think of him :D

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  55. You're a children's author?! That's totally my dream job. :) I write children's stories and am eager for the day when they will be published.
    I'm new to blogging, and am in the "technology is okay" stage. Thanks for the encouragement!

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  56. Congrats on giving in and writing a blog! I held out for quite awhile, too, and now I wonder why. I love blogging and am so glad I do it! Thanks for sharing!

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  57. It`s really addicting. I created 1 blog then evetually creatted 2 more blogs. and planning to create another blog.

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  58. Oh what a different language it is, isn't it. I had no idea till I started just how much I didn't know. Glad you persevered and were able to make a blog.

    By the way, it is hard to scroll down your page. Something makes it very slow.

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  59. It took me a long time to give in to the blogging urge. I agree about the vocab, some of it is still confusing!

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  60. It is quite a bit of work a t first and can be so frustrating, but it is something I really enjoy. I get to talk about the things that interest me and hope someone else can learn from them, all the while making friends.

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  61. I have been blogging since September, and I still don't get all the html and widgets and things. It takes me an hour to change the littlest thing. But I love the writing part, so I'll keep at it!

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  62. Social media and blogging can be quite addictive. I am working on time management here :)

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