Blogging Is Just My Hobby
Posted by Ted Hopton on April 6, 2008
The headline pretty much says it all, “In Web World of 24/7 Stress, Writers Blog Till They Drop,” as the quite young profession of blogging has lately experienced high-profile and early deaths. The bloggers themselves were not so young, but they were not so old, either.
Many professional bloggers are essentially piece-workers, getting paid by the post. And speed is the key to success, since the first blogger who breaks a story gets the glory. Miss out on being first, even if it’s the middle of the night, and the rewards are much smaller. It’s a high-pressure profession, and now professional bloggers are asking whether it’s worth the health risk.
To be sure, there is no official diagnosis of death by blogging, and the premature demise of two people obviously does not qualify as an epidemic. There is also no certainty that the stress of the work contributed to their deaths. But friends and family of the deceased, and fellow information workers, say those deaths have them thinking about the dangers of their work style.
I blog because I like it, and there’s no money involved, and certainly no external pressure. I was rather obsessive about it when I first started, but over time I think I have found a good balance. I think I’ll keep it that way.
