I my sleep-deprived mind, posting this instead of tweeting it makes sense. Once upon a time, I kept an online journal. I started it as an experiment in html. It was my way to force myself to learn, a place to experiment, a location online where I could vent and connect.
Once upon a time I blogged daily. Admittedly, it was using a handle (an online persona, an alias, a name other than my own which I used everywhere). But it was the place where I went every day to put my life into words, make friends and follow up on the things that were going on… online and off.
Once upon a time I started a blog under my real name, to keep family and friends up to date on what I was doing. This was during a long few weeks I spent bed-ridden due to a back injury. I was very very bored. And so I started a new project, and posted to it regularly. It was mostly photos with captions, but it served its purpose well.
Once upon a time I started another blog, this one. It was supposed to be a place where I posted updates to my professional associates/friends/network. A place where I could update on the things that were going on, what I did, my interactions with reporters, etc. But today those updates no longer live in this space. Those updates live in Twitter.
Once upon a time I opened a Twitter account. I never anticipated that it would be one of the things I check daily, several times a day. Every morning I check my email accounts, personal and professional, my RSS feeds for news and blog mentions of my organization, Twitter, LinkedIn and others. If I don’t have time for the entire process, RSS feeds, LinkedIn and others will be delayed. Email and Twitter will not be delayed.
Under normal circumstances, I would have posted something like “Cannot sleep. Thinking about how my blogging habits have changed.” on Twitter and that would have been that.
So, you might ask, why am I boring you with a blog post? I’ve decided that I need to force myself to write, so writing longer items will become easy again. Kind of like exercising when you haven’t for a while, you ease yourself back into your old routine.
I can’t sleep, and am using my insomnia as an exercise opportunity. So sorry for the interruption.
Hi Sandra
I liked this post and totally understand what you mean about how twitter effects blogging. I have made it a point to blog more, weather I am adding value or not. I also added you to my blog roll friends list so maybe my 50 readers might go read your blog. That should be incentive enough to write 😀
Hope to see you soon!