19 Comments to “A Bloggy-Life Problem 1”

1. November 13th, 2005 at 3:24 pm
   J. H. Shewmaker said

   One of the main differences between Email and Feeds (RSS or Atom) is that those who email are “imposing” while those who publish feeds are “making available.” This is also known as “push” publishing vs. “pull” publishing.

   The person who asked this question is “pushing” content at his or her friends. Bloggers do not push. If I like what you say as a blogger, then I will choose to read what you write.

   These friends are not choosing to listen. When new blogger “insists” that they listen, he or she is thinking like an emailer. But if new blogger chooses to let them decide whether or not they want to listen, she or he is thinking like a blogger.

   BTW, if all goes as planned the first article on cohesiveintegrity.com will be published sometime on Nov. 14. If you read this comment before the first article is posted, you will only see a web host company’s “Coming Soon” page.

2. November 13th, 2005 at 4:43 pm
   Paul Watson said

   Is he talking about blogging or talking about what he blogs? It can get a bit weary talking about blogging all the time while ignoring the content.

   Rather coincidental that you posted this as I was down at the pub the other night with some mates and the one chap, a developer at Intel, was ripping into blogging calling it utter drivel etc. etc.

3. November 13th, 2005 at 4:53 pm
   Mike said

   Hi ! New Blogger, Dr. Feel here and I’ve got just what you need. Advice.

   I’d say if you were talking about something other than blogs, they wouldn’t be saying this, now would they.

   Bloggers sometimes have a balance problem, as in not having any. Sounds like you’re off kilter here.

   Get a routine that includes other activities and make them mandatory. No sneakin’ around and bloggin’ for 22 hours straight.

   There are humans out there. Go see them. Talk to their faces and not just their type-faces.

   If you don’t think this fits you, that’s partially proof that it does. Denial, even done to the level of a professional, doesn’t change facts. There is an easy solution, it’s called leaving the house and leaving the laptop at home.

   Your friends wouldn’t tell you your hair was on fire if it wasn’t. They also won’t tell you to talk about something else if you’re doing it. Believe it or not they don’t have an agenda and they probably have other things to do besides lie to you.

   For more self help solutions, come visit my wife’s site that I linked to with my name.

   You can thank me later. I’ll be waiting.

4. November 13th, 2005 at 4:57 pm
   Morten Brunbjerg said

   Face it man. If all his friends say it - it’s probably true.

5. November 13th, 2005 at 4:58 pm
   ME Strauss said

   Hi J.H.
   Welcome and good luck on your launch. What a great response to my question. I’ve been in direct mail so I see very well what you’re saying about the difference between a direct mailer or an emailer and a blogger. But I would have never brought that answer to this question. It’s an insight that stretches my thinking. Thank you for that.
   Liz

   Hi Paul,
   I’m guessing a new blogger would be talking about bloggin not about content. How new and exciting blogging is. I agree that it must get tedious for friends who aren’t doing it. I would probably say save it for your blogging friends.

   It’s like traveling . . . no one wants to hear about your trip around the world, except other people who’ve been.

   Regarding your pub conversation, I offer two replies:
   a) I was that girl round the corner there.
   b) I’ve always been really perceptive.
   smiles,
   Liz

6. November 13th, 2005 at 5:01 pm
   ME Strauss said

   Hi Mike,
   I thought of you when I offered this post. I also thought you’d come with something good. But her you go again making me smile with just how good. Every new blogger should have to read what you wrote. You should write it up as a Credo. Balance is a word we all need. I just might borrow that as a post for my personal blog and linky love you from there too.
   smiles,
   Liz

7. November 13th, 2005 at 5:05 pm
   ME Strauss said

   Hi Morten,
   Sorry you were stuck in moderation. These guys here like to talk.

   You’re right if all of a new blogger’s friends say it, it’s probably true. New blogger time for a life for you.
   What do they call that? Oh yeah. Time for an blogging intervention. . . . Nobody expects the Blogervetion.

   Time for my nap. You guys look around, but behave while I’m gone. I’ve had cameras installed you know.

   Mike put that down.

   Liz

8. November 13th, 2005 at 6:04 pm
   HART (1-800-HART) said

   Well, I’m self-employed and on my own ever since March 2003. Whereas before, I was self-employed, but between engagements and sub-contracts and consulting, there was more regularity with the incoming paycheques.

   It’s different when you are on your own. In a group or work environment, you can talk with your co-workers, and they understand what you do and what you go through each and every day. When you are on your own, you don’t have co-workers. You basically just have -
   (1) Family and friends and
   (2) Clients

   We all know you can’t talk about your business to clients for many good reasons, and even with the relatives you could never really tell them everything that happens in your business for also many good reasons. So, that leaves close friends, and immediate family.

   In my case, my wife doesn’t understand what I do, because she would never understand how to do it. She just knows that I do it well, and that’s good enough for her. For me .. if something happens in my work, like slow payers, problem clients, difficulties, and other stressful issues .. and you want a friendly shoulder to just listen and let you vent, (your spouse) .. I was getting “Oh, that’s bad - you should quit your business and get a ‘real’ job” …

   So - what’s the point? I stopped telling her the bad news, and only the good news. What did you expect to happen? Exactly. If I didn’t bore her to death with good news, I must be experiencing bad news. Thus, same ole same old “Get a ‘real’ job”. My solution was just to not talk about business at all with - no good news, no bad news. It’s working great for me. Instead, I would only talk about blogging.

   The problem with that - is, like your reader is experiencing. If all you talk about - is blogging, they think that’s all you talk about. I wrote a “blog” entry on that here:
   http://1800hart.com/blog/2005/08/hart-are-you-blogging-all-friggin-day/

9. November 13th, 2005 at 7:22 pm
   ME Strauss said

   Hi HART,
   I hear ya. Sometimes folks just don’t want to hear ya. It’s like that with editing. No one knows quite what it is and no one really wants to. And if you’re not around for the whole soap opera, it takes too much to catch up anyway.

   The question then is how do you find that one friend who you might be able to spark an interest in what you do?
   I’m going to check your article out. Thanks for sharking it.
   Liz

10. November 13th, 2005 at 7:27 pm
    Mike said

    Hi Liz,

    Nice place you got here, never snuck around while you were out before….

    As for that comment, I think it came from having three teenage daughters. Somehow I blame all things, good and bad, on that.

    I’d rather you post than me have to do a Credo, whatever that is. You know I love linkage.

    Thanks for throwin’ meat over the fence to the Dawg.

11. November 13th, 2005 at 7:58 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hey Mike,
    It’s okay to poke around when I’m not here, just clean up before you go. You know I hate it when folks leave popcorn all over the floor. And do be careful of the antiques.

    Got some good posts coming this week and the interview with Ellen is going to be fun. Have been over to her site yet?
    Liz

12. November 13th, 2005 at 8:40 pm
    Mike said

    I went, I saw, I con…er, I left.

    Looks like she will be an interesting read. Left handed, handles mass spectrometers with veritable ease, artsy.

    Just don’t go gettin’ all chick-flicky with it

    Them girly drawin’s wuzuh scarin’ me.

13. November 13th, 2005 at 9:08 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Mike,
    Thanks for saying so. I thought a woman might make some guys nervous. It’s okay. I’ll be here to protect you. I think you’ll find sone great ideas. Don’t worry we won’t say Ewwwww even once.
    Liz

14. November 14th, 2005 at 1:35 am
    indeterminacy said

    What happens if I read this on Monday!?! Based on some of the psychology I’ve studied I’d say there are lots of people out there who have a blog merely for the symbolic value, a kind of symbol of success to compensate for other symbols. I have a blog. I am somebody.

    As a general example, take the blogs of wannabe writers. To judge by the captions and blurbs you will have come across a best-selling nobel-prize winning author. But when you look for the meat, an actual published work, it remains elusive, just as elusive as it probably is for the “author” trying to publish his/her work. The writing is crap, too. I looked at one site (which I won’t mention) and found mistakes in the sample of the self-published work.

    I suspect these are the people who brag about their blogs.

15. November 14th, 2005 at 2:15 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Indie!
    I guess it is Monday. Good to see you.
    So I’m guessing you would advise the new blogger to be quiet and listen instead.
    Liz

16. November 14th, 2005 at 2:40 am
    Andy said

    It could also be that they’re jealous and don’t understand what you’re saying.

    They are working their “classic” 9-5 jobs, and here you come along talking about how excited you are to be on the edge of technology and are blogging.

    That makes them feel like crap, because they aren’t doing anything as fun as you are, so they don’t want to hear it.

    It’s kind of like if somebody who won the $1M lottery went around bragging they won it, everybody except the few close people to them would be sick of them, because they know they are not in on it.

    Cheers!

17. November 14th, 2005 at 3:16 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hey Andy,
    I hear you! I could be just that. People often don’t like what they don’t get. Not to mention the bad press and the misperceptions about blogging, which are hard to undo because how do you explain it?

    Liz

18. November 14th, 2005 at 4:09 am
    indeterminacy said

    I don’t know if the new blogger’s blog is like I described in my comment, but it’s probably best not to go on about one’s own achievements, unless the other person is the one bringing it up. It could also be that most people we meet in real life don’t know or care about blogging.

19. November 14th, 2005 at 9:52 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Indie,
    I agree it’s best not to go on about one’s achievments, though did I tell you that . . .
    Anyway, suppose it’s just kid who’s just excited about what he’s learning and the people that he’s meeting and how cool your blog is? What would you say to him or her then?
    Liz