conjectural navel gazing; jesus in lint form

Blogging's great, but at times it can be detrimental to your career as well. My blog contributed indirectly to my losing my job at my current church.

A word of caution to the wise.

-Mike

This is a good question, Tripp (why do you blog?).

I ask myself this at times. For me, I think it comes down to communication (especially because I don't understand the engineering 80/20 thing ;-).

I like communicating in this venue - a venue that is public but feels a little private. Perhaps private's not such the proper term. It feels like a little corner of communication I control. (And believe me, I still struggle with how much to say or not to say - the public/private issue rages)

Luckily, I think I'm just southern-polite enough that no one ever gets too offended, but my friends who are also bloggers have not been so lucky - they've been blasted for some things they've said. If this had happened to me, I might not feel so much control.

Also, like your friend Mike above, I know others who have lost jobs/family/lovers over blogs. Word of caution indeed.

I often think about my years as a college writing teacher. I believe, were I still teaching, that I would allow my students to blog rather than journal for their required outside writing component. Hmmm. I say that now, but would I? WOULD I?? - yes, I think so. Talk about opening a can of worms. Since at times I consider teaching again, I may have to face this very issue.

Anyway, it's a good question and worth pondering.

And I'm changing my answer. I don't think it's about communcation so much as it's about construction of self and, in turn, communicating this self outwards.

And I just looked at your friend's post on this issue. I question whether blogging is good for your career. (Truth be told, it's a mighty mighty big distraction for a number of bloggers I know).

It may help your popularity, or help you in certain careers. But I don't really see it as an aid to careerdom beyond certain small segments - writers, comediens, performers of any ilk. Most of the stuff I see is too private for the work place.

Well, first, I do agree with Sunni on the public / private issue, and often omit things rather than include them for the sake of my sanity and not being too overtly offensive to my friends.
That said, I blog to air out my mind. I must think out loud. Often, to clarify thoughts, I have imagined conversations with a person / persons would be a good audience to that particular issue. Blogging allows me to do that - it gives me the audience my mind seems to need to get all the thoughts pulled together.
There are other reasons.
I cannot journal on paper as quickly as I type, and for some odd reason journalling in Word just never appealed to me.
Also, I aspire to write. I don't have the time to do so properly. I blog to keep limber.
I blog to share things that I think are cool or noteworthy.
I blog because I found some old friends through their blogs ; ) and think that perhaps, someone will happen upon me the same way.
Blogging does not help my career. I am a mom. No one checked my references. Should I one day become a "writer" - in that I might get paid for my odd mental doodles - I will hide my blog. I suspect that the level of writing I do there would hurt more than help my career.

The word is "discretion." People forget that blogging is a public forum. They forget that private thoughts become public. Wearing an Armani suit might be good for your career too, but if you get caught picking your nose in your car, well . . .

I blog my sermons, random thoughts about the family, football, or general goings-on around the Ruby Valley. But I need to remember that it is public; therefore, I will never talk about internal parish issues or diocesan issues beyond the generalities.

Sunni had it right: "it's about construction of self and, in turn, communicating this self outwards." In short, blogging helps me be a better communicator to my parishioners. I don't know if that makes my blogging good for my career, though.

Yeah, I have to agree that it takes some discression to blog wisely. Very few people can make a name for themselves being difficult like Rageboy or Oliver Willis. But it would seem that they make their living saying things most of us would seldom say.

I do not use my blog as a private journal. This has mean that my journal is used less often than formerly, but that is okay with me. I am having fun. My blog is mostly for my own entertainment. I am slowing trying to create a more public space here. This is why the forum exists. Feel free to challenge one another there.

I am also hoping that important theological conversations might pop up once in a while. I find that the "distance" a blog can creat sometimes encourages kindly and honest dialogue between adversaries. This can be helpful.

Thanks for the responses. And, Ref, sorry about Gonzaga.