Is Blogging a Complete Waste of Time?

By Blog Bloke December 14th, 2006 | 11 Comments Buzz thisBuzz it Share this on Facebook

PC World has an article called “The 15 Best Places to Waste Time on the Web“. Interestingly, three sites that bloggers make heavy use of are also listed — Reddit is #6 (with Digg earning an honorable mention), Flickr is #5, Fark is #3, and YouTube is #1.

But if all of the above are a waste of time, why then isn’t Boing Boing also listed? Just wondering.

Sometimes I struggle with this myself and wonder if my time can be best spent elsewhere. But then my common sense takes over and reminds me that it is human nature to take thoughts to the extreme. So perhaps a compromise would be better.

Personally I get great satisfaction from Blogging. It appeals to me on several levels:

  • It satisfies the geek in me. I love (most of the time) fiddling with the code and learning something new. It keeps my brain from (totally) atrophying.
  • It satisfies the artist in me. I love creating graphics, making my template better, playing with the colors and moving things around. That is one thing I missed when I first started programming mainframe computers. It was all text and extremely boring, boring, boring.
  • It satisfies the need in me to rant and write. For me writing is similar to coding and I love to play with the words, and in case you haven’t noticed I can be fairly opinionated too. (Well, you might not care for it that much but I certainly do.)
  • So don’t neglect your real-world friends and responsibilities. Find a balance, because believe it or not there is still another life out there beyond the computer screen. I know that I have to pinch myself once in a while to remember that.

    One way that I do that is to give myself a virtual slap on the head by setting up little pop-up reminders every few hours that tell me when it’s time to take a break. But the problem is resisting the urge to ignore it because I’m in the middle of editing code or writing the next great post.

    Perhaps you might have a better half who will nag you when it is time walk away from the computer. Whatever works.

    So how do you find a balance anyway? And what is it that you like so much about blogging? I want to know because I’m just a nosy guy.

    Similar reading: 10 Ways to Know if You are a Blogaholic

    Filed under: blog bloke, instabloke, blog tips, blogging, internet, computers and internet

    Filed under: Blog Tips blog tip, Blogger, blogging tips

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    11 Comments so far to “Is Blogging a Complete Waste of Time?”

    1. I’m with you there Bloke. I have a need to be heard and blogging is the only soap box I can afford.

      [ Reply..]

    2. Yeah it’s a waste of time but at least it’s more constructive than just playing games.

      [ Reply..]

    3. For me having the opportunity to express myself online is a Godsend. As an actor, I don’t tend to work every week so there are large chunks of my time where I literally don’t speak to a ‘real’ person from one day to the next so having an online voice keeps me sane.

      Oh and pays the bills when the acting work is slack ;)

      [ Reply..]

    4. Hi Mike. Long time no hear. That goes for shut-ins and sociopaths like me too.

      BTW, when can I catch your next show?

      [ Reply..]

    5. BB - you’ll need to ask my agent :( Sadly nothing in the pipeline until the middle of next year at the moment

      [ Reply..]

    6. Should I be asking for your autograph?

      [ Reply..]

    7. Definitely not. My bank manager won’t even let me autograph cheques any more…

      Mind you I might have some work on a feature shooting early 2007 so all that might change!

      [ Reply..]

    8. Tis the season to be humble. I wanted to be an actor too but my chin is too weak. I’m rooting for ya buddy.

      [ Reply..]

    9. I think blogging is a perfect way of expressing and sharing ideas. Wasting of time I guess doing things unproductive. Blogging is learning interactive ideas.

      [ Reply..]

    10. I like posting a comment especially to somebody’s blog. I don’t think I am wasting my time and making my time unproductive. It’s up to the one who don’t know how to manage their time. But in me I’ll do a blog during my vacant time.

      [ Reply..]

    11. If somebody ask me personally, how will I use my time? I directly answer to him “creating blogs and comments.” Blogging is my daily appetite, and a great appetizer. I enjoy it more of doing it.

      [ Reply..]

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