23 posts tagged “blogging”

All my usual pursuits have been neglected of late. My camera gathers dust, this blog sits idle, my exercise routine is anything but routine, and I'm shockingly out of touch with the news of the world. I can't put my finger on a single root cause; it seems the pattern of my days has been altered to a surprising degree by the confluence of several otherwise insignificant things. Hopefully, it's a temporary disturbance.

I love social media, but I am stretched much too thin. I have only myself to blame. I'm a great experimenter, always willing to try out something new. It's not necessarily a bad thing, however I have a problem: I tend to stick with everything I start. I now find myself juggling this blog, a couple of tumblrs, assorted photoblogs, a handful of music and book sites, twitter, a couple of aggregators, and some miscellaneous beta products. Honestly, it's starting to feel like work and I have to laugh at myself. Something, or several somethings, must go -- or, at the very least, take a back seat (since I can't imagine actually having the backbone to delete anything).

There are professional organizers who help people declutter and assert order over their possessions. Are virtual life organizers the next big thing? Of course, semi-psychotic pack rat that I am, I'd never let anyone wrest control long enough to make a difference.

Another observation: the 'social' in social media is tricky. I've decided to think of it as 'social-lite'. Some sites are clearly better suited to broadcast than conversation, but capabilities for following, commenting/messaging, and building some type of network are at the heart of most. It's possible to interact with an astonishing number of people online. The sheer volume represents both potential and problem. Although individuals will vary, I suspect we're all subject to an upper limit on the number of meaningful relationships we can maintain. It takes time and effort to get to know a person, forge a bond, and maintain a friendship. With every social media site we join, we increase the pool of people we might connect with, but we dilute our time and attention. Quite a catch-22.

I'm currently reading The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt. I was struck by a passage in the 'Uses of Adversity' chapter. The author affirms that "if you can find a way to make sense of adversity and draw constructive lessons from it, you can benefit."

Researcher James Pennebaker studied the relationship between trauma and later health issues. He found that what people did after a trauma mattered more than the nature of the experience. He discovered a correlation between disclosure of traumatic experience (through writing) and future health benefits. Writing about an event often helps an individual gain insight and make sense of the event. He suggests that at some point in the wake of adversity, you "write about what happened, how you feel about it, and why you feel that way." Through this process you attempt to determine why it happened and what good might be derived from it.

I believe that blogging can serve as an outlet for written expression and cathartic rumination, and often has the added benefit of a social support network.

Near the end of the chapter, I ran across this lovely quotation from Marcel Proust:

"We do not receive wisdom, we must discover it for ourselves, after a journey through the wilderness which no one else can make for us, which no one can spare us, for our wisdom is the point of view from which we come at last to regard the world."

I've been thinking about the limited shelf-life of a blog post. There are only so many readers who will see a given entry. Take the one I'm writing now: some people who follow me may be online today; they may find their way over to my blog; they may read this post. But a few days from now, the likelihood of it being read plummets, especially if I have posted new entries in the meantime.

I understand this from personal experience. If I've been busy and haven't been reading blogs for a few days, it's unlikely that I'll have the time to read more than the newest posts from people I follow. Which is a shame, since I'm probably missing out on some great stuff. But that's the way it goes. Only so many hours in the day.

To put a more positive twist on this, I've decided to think of blog posts as being a lot like news articles.* A journalist writing for a daily newspaper has a window of a day or two during which a piece may find an audience. After that, it's off to the archive (or the recycling bin).

I'm curious. Do you ever dip into the archives of bloggers you read? If so, how often and why? Does consideration of 'shelf-life' have an impact on what/how often you post?

*Don't misunderstand. I'm definitely not equating my ramblings to actual news journalism. I'm just making a comparison based on transiency.

Selling products online = Ack pffft!
I'm experimenting with selling stock photography and custom-printed products on iStock, Shutterstock, CafePress, Zazzle, RedBubble, etc. It's about equal parts frustrating and fun. I'm sure it's possible to be successful at this, but I'm also pretty convinced it takes a different personality and a lot more effort than I'm willing or able to invest. By effort, I don't mean taking the photographs or processing and uploading the images. It's the promotion effort that does me in. I don't feel like I can eke out another millisecond to participate in the forums and communities and regular commenting that seem to be necessary to get products noticed. It seems there are at least a hundred billion gazillion(!) images for sale out there competing with mine. I think you really have to press the virtual flesh to get views and make sales. I'm not necessarily giving up, but my expectations are at rock bottom.

On a related note, I've noticed some people getting backlash for promoting themselves or their products on their blogs. Why is that? I have to admit, I've never felt comfortable promoting my products here. But I should be comfortable with it. It's my blog after all! Visiting and reading my posts is voluntary. I'm not holding anyone here against their will. So, if I wanted to say, "Hey, look at these cards I'm selling," or "If you want to buy some stock photography, here's my portfolio," that should be perfectly acceptable. Right? So what's the hang up? I'm not sure. If you have any thoughts on this topic, I'd love to hear them.

Look at the first post you ever wrote on Vox. What important developments or changes have occurred in your life since then?
Submitted by Alexandra.

I've taken thousands of pictures,
read over a hundred books,
written countless words I probably would never have written otherwise.

I've learned to say more,
and at times, to say less.
From pseudonymous shelter, I've opened my heart and mind to the world.

I'm a a bit older and grayer,
with new lines on my face,
yet on the inside, where it really counts, I still feel like the same young kid.

I'm hopefully a little wiser,
possibly more cynical,
and at the same time, even more hopeful, grateful, and in love with life.

It's likely that in sharing this post, I'll alienate a few people. It's also likely that I'll fail to adequately convey my point. I may very well be misunderstood. Nonetheless, this is something I've thought about time and again and I think it's worth broaching and discussing.

In a nutshell, I've come to the conclusion that blogging can fall victim to an excess of politesse and reciprocity.

I read blogs because they introduce me to new people, places, and ways of looking at things. I read blogs written by people I'm fairly certain I'd adore in real life. I also read blogs written by people I would undoubtedly not get along with. I read blogs because they amuse, educate, pique, entertain, challenge, soothe, inform, or inspire me in some way. I don't read blogs solely because the author reads my blog. There are blogs I read regularly with no reciprocation whatsoever. Conversely, I'm certain there are people who read my blog without reciprocity from me.

I write a blog for a variety of reasons. I write for the sweet challenge of the written word. For the joy of self-expression. For the catharsis of sharing challenges or triumphs. For the connection and camaraderie.

Since at least part of writing a blog involves the pleasure of reaching or connecting with others, I genuinely appreciate comments. A comment is proof that my words have not simply echoed endlessly into the void. (Someone actually read what I wrote!) However, I'm bothered by the idea of tit-for-tat commenting. If I write a post that you can connect with in some way, great. Maybe you relate to what I've said. Or you think I'm off my rocker. Or it makes you laugh. So far so good. But if you leave a comment because you feel that you owe me one, or because it seems like you should, that's not so good. I hate the idea that a person would ever feel an obligation to comment. If visits and comments are nothing more than rote reciprocations, I think they lose some of their value.

At times, I receive a comment from an individual I've not heard from before. It makes sense to pay a visit and see if there's something of interest to me at their blog. Realistically, there's a possibility nothing will grab me and that will be the end of it. I'm not being mean, just honest. It simply isn't possible for me to forge a connection with every person who reads my blog and vice versa.

Sometimes when an online friend leaves a comment on one of my posts, it reminds me to check in on them. And when I arrive at their blog, I may find something I want to reply to. But I may just read a few things without commenting. I read oodles of posts that I don't comment on. If I don't leave a comment, it doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the post. If I took the time to compose a meaningful response for every item I read, I would have to give up blogging: it would consume far more time than I have to spare. It's a shame that comments are nearly the only indicator we have that an item's been read.

If I frequent your blog, it's because I enjoy it. I visit when time allows. I read what interests me. I may or may not comment, so you won't always be aware of my presence. If you read my blog and you suspect I don't regularly read yours, don't take it personal. There are only so many hours in the day.

I think we might all be more content if the acts of writing and reading blogs were less closely entwined.

My attitude toward blogging is probably influenced by my age and my introvert personality. I suspect my age group is less accustomed to the interactive, give-and-take nature of the online world. My formative years were a more passive age, e.g. television and radio did not invite or expect a response. Whatever the reason, sometimes I just want to absorb without the need to respond.

For me, blogging is a source of enjoyment. I refuse to let it become a job, with a list of visits to be made, and a quota of comments to be left. That would zap all the fun out of it.

I'd love to hear from you if you have any thoughts you'd like to share on this issue. But, please, only if you feel like it. :)

I haven't been blogging much lately, as I've been working rather obsessively on a project. I love it when something I'm working on forces me to venture a bit outside of my comfort zone. Suddenly, I'm provided with the excuse and the motivation to get a better handle on a technique, learn something new, employ a technology I'm unfamiliar with, or work out a creative solution to a problem I haven't encountered before. I could certainly spend time learning and experimenting at my leisure, but there's nothing more compelling than a deadline and a real-life challenge to drive me into action. Cheers to clients and the challenges they present.

I'd like to present you with a scenario. I'm genuinely interested in your reactions and opinions, so I hope you'll leave a comment and share your thoughts.

A photographer publicly displays a photograph. An artist sees the photograph and decides to reproduce it as a painting. An image of the completed painting is displayed publicly. The photographer is not contacted prior to the creation of the painting or its display. No mention of the original photograph accompanies the artist's reproduction.

The photographer happens to see the image of the painting, and leaves a message for the artist noting the similarity. Curiosity piqued, the photographer carefully compares the photograph and the painting. It's not just eerily similar; it's obviously a faithful reproduction of the photo. Months pass, and there is never a response from the artist.

Do you think there was a breach of ethics, and if so, at what point?

Other questions:

Both the original photograph and the image of the painting were displayed on blogs. Does that influence your opinion? Do you feel a person relinquishes rights by posting to a public blog?

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If you were the photographer, would you feel flattered or wronged?

If the artist had acknowledged or mentioned the original photograph when displaying the reproduction, despite never seeking permission to create a copy, would that change your opinion?

It's impossible to know whether the artist will ever benefit financially from the reproduction. Perhaps it was created solely for personal enjoyment. Does it matter one way or the other?

What course of action, if any, do you think is appropriate?