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One of my best friends is working toward a Master’s Degree in Accounting at University of Georgia. She doesn’t get social media, and she definitely doesn’t get my blog. And while it sometimes annoys me that she thinks what I do is crazy (lets face it, sometimes social media is crazy), I think she should start a blog.
Now I don’t think everyone SHOULD have a blog, but I think everyone on the entire planet (including my friend) COULD have a blog. And even though I know she will never start a blog, I think there are some important reasons why if you have never tried blogging before that maybe you should give it a chance.
Here is why I think everyone could have a blog:
1. Everyone is good at something or something- My friend is great at accounting. She has been since high school, and she still is today. And if you are good at something I think you have an obligation to admit that you are good at it. That is exactly what blogging is, admitting you are good at something and then sharing your knowledge with the world. If you are good at something or somethings, not great but just good, you could have a blog.
2. Everyone knows things I don’t know- This is a vast understatement, because my friend knows a TON of things about accounting I don’t know. In fact, I know very very little about accounting at all. My friend knows all of the accounting violations, which could send you to jail if you violate, but I don’t know any of them. And that’s bad for me, especially if one day I find out that my accountant is breaking these rule, but I can only stop that if I know the rules. Which is why, if you know something that someone in the world may not know, you could start a blog.
3. Everyone should be on a mission to constantly learn- If you aren’t trying to constantly learn new things, then I have no idea what you are doing reading my blog, or being on the internet in general. Blogging allows you to learn more about your field than people who just sit in the classroom or do their job at work. Blogging makes you research new ideas and develop your own thoughts on them, which can then be put into words on your blog. Everyone can have a blog, because everyone should want to learn more about their field. And if this isn’t true, well maybe you are in the wrong field.
I think everyone on the entire planet could have a blog. Did I convince you that you need one?
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Comments
10.01.09
Great post! I can definitely commiserate with you here because most of closest friends vaguely know about my blog (or rather, don't quite understand it).
There are my tech/social media friends then my friends. I think more are starting to get it, but they always say, "I don't have anything to blog about." I think it's a poor excuse because my blog didn't start with clear objectives about what I would write about and I've learned so much, while the blog has molded. My response usually is, "Everyone has something to say. Everyone." Blogging opens up avenues to create expertise, self-publish, meet new people, create your professional online footprint, etc. In the end, don't knock it if you don't try it. Right? I will also send along this post to the naysayers :)
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10.01.09
Grace- Thanks so much for your comment. My blog didn't start out with a very clear objective either, but the more I write the better it seems to get. I agree that they shouldn't knock til they've tried it!
10.01.09
You're right. People just need to get the time of day to start a blog, you know. Take a couple of minutes a day or a week and write something. You never know who will read it.
10.01.09
I think it depends. Your friend is good at accounting. Is she great at writing about accounting?
10.01.09
Sometimes I think that having a blog is like going to the gym. We all know that we would do better in a many aspects of our lives if we would just force ourselves to do it (gym or blog or both). We know that people who go to the gym do better at work and people who blog have stronger careers. But the gym and blogging (and so many other this-would-be-good-for-you things) take time and dedication.
So it's true that everyone could blog, but I have a lot of respect for the people who can actually have the self-discipline and commitment to their careers and their ideas to do it!
Penelope
10.01.09
I kind of echo KateNonymous' statement; I'm pretty good at technology things, specifically servers, networks, virtualization, but being able to write about that in a way others might find interesting is another thing entirely. I am trying though.....lol
10.01.09
KateNonymous- My friend happens to be a good writer, but I don't think it's a necessity. Just the act of writing everyday and getting your thoughts down in a blog can be beneficial to others, even if you aren't an amazing/engaging writer.
Penelope- Thanks for your comment! I definitely think you are right. There are a ton of things we should do that would make our lives more enjoyable and make us more knowledgeable about the world, but that doesn't mean we have the time or discipline to do these things. Blogging isn't always easy, but I think more people would see the value if they tried it!
Kevin- At least you are trying! Some people don't even have the guts to give blogging a whirl.
10.02.09
@Blake, I think that at least adequate writing is a necessity, particularly if you want to use that blog as part of your employment profile. One doesn't necessarily have to be an amazing writer, but one should be able to do the following:
1) Identify a main point.
2) Support it with accurate examples,
3) Express it clearly, using appropriate grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
These criteria won't necessarily result in an engaging blog post, but they will result in one that makes sense and can be understood by the intended audience.
Writing poorly helps no one, on the other hand.
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