Comments on: Twentysomething: Blogging is the new graduate school http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/05/29/twentysomething-blogging-is-the-new-graduate-school/ Advice at the intersection of work and life Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:14:08 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Brett Johnson http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/05/29/twentysomething-blogging-is-the-new-graduate-school/comment-page-1/#comment-208608 Brett Johnson Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:28:39 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/05/29/twentysomething-blogging-is-the-new-graduate-school/#comment-208608 Hi Ryan, Thanks for the post -- good food for thought. I will say though, entering 'the game' now I believe is still an advantageous time to do so - broadly speaking, most topics are covered and blogged about, but as far as a thoughtful, intelligent blog on any given topic, I think we are far from there been enough of those out there- yet. Hi Ryan,
Thanks for the post — good food for thought. I will say though, entering 'the game' now I believe is still an advantageous time to do so – broadly speaking, most topics are covered and blogged about, but as far as a thoughtful, intelligent blog on any given topic, I think we are far from there been enough of those out there- yet.

]]> By: Blogging to further your career « handiwork http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/05/29/twentysomething-blogging-is-the-new-graduate-school/comment-page-1/#comment-171106 Blogging to further your career « handiwork Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:33:34 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/05/29/twentysomething-blogging-is-the-new-graduate-school/#comment-171106 [...] commentary on your own blog about what others in the blogosphere are talking about. It’s a constant course in your specialty and keeps you on the cutting edge. Moreover, the linking between blogs keeps you in touch with the [...] [...] commentary on your own blog about what others in the blogosphere are talking about. It's a constant course in your specialty and keeps you on the cutting edge. Moreover, the linking between blogs keeps you in touch with the [...]

]]> By: Gen Y: Soundbite Addicts or Cultural Elite? : Brazen Careerist http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/05/29/twentysomething-blogging-is-the-new-graduate-school/comment-page-1/#comment-138318 Gen Y: Soundbite Addicts or Cultural Elite? : Brazen Careerist Tue, 11 Mar 2008 05:12:35 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/05/29/twentysomething-blogging-is-the-new-graduate-school/#comment-138318 [...] attitude, I can’t begin to imagine how displeased she’d be with Ryan Healy’s blog post, “Blogging is the New Graduate School,” in which Healy describes the cerebral and [...] [...] attitude, I can't begin to imagine how displeased she'd be with Ryan Healy's blog post, "Blogging is the New Graduate School," in which Healy describes the cerebral and [...]

]]> By: The Office Newb http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/05/29/twentysomething-blogging-is-the-new-graduate-school/comment-page-1/#comment-129532 The Office Newb Sun, 23 Dec 2007 23:34:36 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/05/29/twentysomething-blogging-is-the-new-graduate-school/#comment-129532 This is one of the first posts I read when I first discovered this blog. While not extremely controversial or thought-provoking, the sentiment that blogging offers a venue for continuing education has stuck with me as I begin my own blog (theofficenewb.wordpress.com). I absolutely agree that blogging about a subject that interests you will make you more informed about that topic than you could ever expect to be. Thinking up topics for posts means immersing and challenging yourself on a daily basis. In some ways, I think blogging is superior to bricks-and-mortar lectures since the onus is on you to take a stand and form an opinion instead of listening to and absorbing the opinions of others. This is one of the first posts I read when I first discovered this blog. While not extremely controversial or thought-provoking, the sentiment that blogging offers a venue for continuing education has stuck with me as I begin my own blog (theofficenewb.wordpress.com).

I absolutely agree that blogging about a subject that interests you will make you more informed about that topic than you could ever expect to be. Thinking up topics for posts means immersing and challenging yourself on a daily basis.

In some ways, I think blogging is superior to bricks-and-mortar lectures since the onus is on you to take a stand and form an opinion instead of listening to and absorbing the opinions of others.

]]> By: Employee Evolution - Blogging is the New Graduate School http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/05/29/twentysomething-blogging-is-the-new-graduate-school/comment-page-1/#comment-104325 Employee Evolution - Blogging is the New Graduate School Thu, 19 Jul 2007 17:43:07 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/05/29/twentysomething-blogging-is-the-new-graduate-school/#comment-104325 [...] Read the rest at the Brazen Careerist…. [...] [...] Read the rest at the Brazen Careerist…. [...]

]]> By: Employee Evolution - Brazen Careerist: Blogging is the New Graduate School http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/05/29/twentysomething-blogging-is-the-new-graduate-school/comment-page-1/#comment-97956 Employee Evolution - Brazen Careerist: Blogging is the New Graduate School Sun, 01 Jul 2007 01:08:00 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/05/29/twentysomething-blogging-is-the-new-graduate-school/#comment-97956 [...] Read the rest at the Brazen Careerist…. [...] [...] Read the rest at the Brazen Careerist…. [...]

]]> By: Captain Gravity and the Power of the Vril — A Book Readers blog http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/05/29/twentysomething-blogging-is-the-new-graduate-school/comment-page-1/#comment-81771 Captain Gravity and the Power of the Vril — A Book Readers blog Sun, 03 Jun 2007 15:55:16 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/05/29/twentysomething-blogging-is-the-new-graduate-school/#comment-81771 [...] and now he gives speeches on the topic, has a book coming out and has been featured in the Wall Street source: Twentysomething: Blogging is the new graduate…, Brazen Careerist by Penelope Trunk [...] [...] and now he gives speeches on the topic, has a book coming out and has been featured in the Wall Street source: Twentysomething: Blogging is the new graduate…, Brazen Careerist by Penelope Trunk [...]

]]> By: Ana http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/05/29/twentysomething-blogging-is-the-new-graduate-school/comment-page-1/#comment-80587 Ana Fri, 01 Jun 2007 22:25:58 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/05/29/twentysomething-blogging-is-the-new-graduate-school/#comment-80587 Thank you for this post. Your blogg is helping me more to realize what I want to do and how to succed than any book would. Thank you for this post. Your blogg is helping me more to realize what I want to do and how to succed than any book would.

]]> By: Working Girl http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/05/29/twentysomething-blogging-is-the-new-graduate-school/comment-page-1/#comment-79207 Working Girl Wed, 30 May 2007 23:49:00 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/05/29/twentysomething-blogging-is-the-new-graduate-school/#comment-79207 You're right, blogging is an excellent way to learn a subject as well as an absorbing mental exercise. It's also a fabulous way to display who you are. People whom you want to impress or influence or sell to can get a peek into your mind---how you think, how you express yourself. A blog has more credibility and power to impress than, say, a resume because of its immediancy. You can't "fake it" day after day (or, if you can, then you're really good!). The blog is you. You're right, blogging is an excellent way to learn a subject as well as an absorbing mental exercise.

It's also a fabulous way to display who you are. People whom you want to impress or influence or sell to can get a peek into your mind—how you think, how you express yourself. A blog has more credibility and power to impress than, say, a resume because of its immediancy. You can't "fake it" day after day (or, if you can, then you're really good!).

The blog is you.

]]> By: MCW http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/05/29/twentysomething-blogging-is-the-new-graduate-school/comment-page-1/#comment-79171 MCW Wed, 30 May 2007 22:40:07 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/05/29/twentysomething-blogging-is-the-new-graduate-school/#comment-79171 IMO the biggest obstacle for a blogreader is "so many blogs, so little time." (Obviously, Penelope's blog is one that has made my reading list -- I try to drop by every few weeks.) Conversely the biggest obstacle for a blog writer is being entertaining enough, and/or informative enough, to capture an ongoing audience. Launching a blog and cajoling one's friends and business associates to read it, is becoming the modern version of asking people to look at your vacation photos. Blogging is great in that it's low barrier-to-entry and meritocratic. Any schmo can start a blog and, with effort, break into the tier of the top visited blogs. But 99% of bloggers won't achieve that. There are only so many hours in a day that people will give to reading blogs. It's the Attention Economy. Time is more scarce than money. Even if blogs capture eyeballs from magazines, newspapers, other activities -- in the end there are only so many hours in the day. That said -- as you/Ryan pointed out -- having a blog is one way to signal your professional commitment. Simply having made the effort to create and maintain a blog might make you stand out to a potential employer, even if you have no readers. But the whole "read my blog" thing can get a little trying. There's one email list I'm on, for a certain professional group, where 50%+ of all the list members have professional blogs. In the list discussion they regularly slip in plugs for their blogs. Nevertheless -- there's no sign of ongoing readers on any of their blogs. It gives me a negative vibe, actually. There's something that starts feeling unpleasantly narcissistic about repeated subtle begging for people to pay attention to you and your blog. Attention whoring isn't attractive in children, and it's not attractive in adults or bloggers either. IMO the biggest obstacle for a blogreader is "so many blogs, so little time." (Obviously, Penelope's blog is one that has made my reading list — I try to drop by every few weeks.)

Conversely the biggest obstacle for a blog writer is being entertaining enough, and/or informative enough, to capture an ongoing audience.

Launching a blog and cajoling one's friends and business associates to read it, is becoming the modern version of asking people to look at your vacation photos.

Blogging is great in that it's low barrier-to-entry and meritocratic. Any schmo can start a blog and, with effort, break into the tier of the top visited blogs.

But 99% of bloggers won't achieve that. There are only so many hours in a day that people will give to reading blogs. It's the Attention Economy. Time is more scarce than money. Even if blogs capture eyeballs from magazines, newspapers, other activities — in the end there are only so many hours in the day.

That said — as you/Ryan pointed out — having a blog is one way to signal your professional commitment. Simply having made the effort to create and maintain a blog might make you stand out to a potential employer, even if you have no readers.

But the whole "read my blog" thing can get a little trying.

There's one email list I'm on, for a certain professional group, where 50%+ of all the list members have professional blogs. In the list discussion they regularly slip in plugs for their blogs. Nevertheless — there's no sign of ongoing readers on any of their blogs.

It gives me a negative vibe, actually. There's something that starts feeling unpleasantly narcissistic about repeated subtle begging for people to pay attention to you and your blog.

Attention whoring isn't attractive in children, and it's not attractive in adults or bloggers either.

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