Today, it’s two years since I first began writing this blog. Quite honestly, writing has changed everything about how I conduct my life. To some extent I’m driven; when you start something and then discover you have an audience, you feel the need to feed it. In the early days I posted every day. Six months in I realised this wasn’t necessary and I started posting less frequently. One of the things that has kept me posting regularly is ‘School’s out Friday‘. If I do nothing else, I always do my best to get a post up on a Friday – I like having a constant, something that readers know will be there that adds levity to the usually serious nature of the postings here. I wonder, if not for School’s out Friday, would I be contributing as frequently as I do?
I’ve found it harder to come up with what I consider interesting posts. When I started, a lot of this blog was about finding new tools and talking about them. I think it’s become more philosophical; I feel a need to add to the conversations but I want to be contributing something worthy, not just fluff and nonsense. That brings with it it’s own pressure; once again, it’s the self inflicted kind. If there’s something I know about myself it’s that I am my harshest critic. I rarely begin posts and not publish them; most of the time I can get something together quite quickly, but it’s the thinking about them prior to the writing that eats up time.
But what wonders have befallen me since I took the plunge and exposed my thoughts to the world! I am so enriched by this experience. I’ve been able to interact with readers and share insights. I’ve had opportunities to present at conferences, I’ve travelled to Shanghai and met members of my PLN face to face, I’ve been invited to join a Reference Group informing the Australian Council of Educational Research (ACER) as they prepare a Digital Research Network, I’ve been the recipient of The John Ward Award from the School Library Association of Victoria, and, in 10 days, I travel to the United States where I’ll get to experience the wonders of New York City and the Educon 2.2 conference in Philadelphia. In April I’ll be presenting at ACEC’s Digital Diversity conference and in June, I will travel to the States again to present at ISTE in Colorado. None of those things would be possible had I not taken a bit of a risk and started to write this blog.
So, thank you, Lucacept. You were a little germ of an idea that I thought might be interesting. You’ve grown into a whole lot more, and now, you are a part of me. You’ve spawned a different life for your creator; I have no cognitive surplus, I’m thinking pretty much 24/7, but I like it. Stick around. : )
Lucacept - intercepting the Web 
Jenny:
Congratulations!
2 years is a long time in web years. Tim Berners-Lee once reckoned it was 3 months, but that was in 1996 and things have sped up since then.
So it has to be at least 8 web years. And perhaps it feels it?
A
Some days, it really does feel like 8 years Andrew. I certainly have trouble remembering what I was doing with my time prior to blogging. Probably reading a good book -the printed variety!
Jenny,
I understand where you are coming from re: blogging. The pleasure of thinking about what to write has led me to writing more philosophical posts too than when I started.
So many opportunites and connections with enthusiastic educators and a growing PLN. It keeps being, well, exciting!
Have a great twenty-ten!
Thanks Darcy- it is exciting, isn’t it? Best wishes for 2010 to you too. : )
Great story, Jenny, very convincing in terms of the power of sharing online. Amazing really, when you think about it. Who knows where you’ll be in two more years?
Hopefully I’ll still be blogging unless I run out of of interesting things to say. Same can be said of you – you’ve made an impact with your very insightful blog. I learn much from you. : )
You’re too kind. Still, it’s true we all learn from one another. Best way.
Happy Bloggiversary! I really enjoy your blog and look forward to your updates. I’m so glad that you have gotten to do all those things because of your blog. I have also made some great connections with others after starting my blog and my PLN continues to grow. Keep up the great work!
Thanks Pat. Really nice to know you visit regularly. I visit your very good blog quite regularly too. Read the post recently about the person lifting your posts in their entirity – very cheeky!
Look forward to meeting you at EduCon.
Looking forward to meeting you too Dean. : )
Happy Blogversary! Will be good to catch up in Philly, Jenny. Congrats on all of the writing and hard work your doing to move education forward. See you soon!
Was it really two years ago that I started listening to your blogging journey and wondering what it was all about. I used to think, ‘what’s this web 2.0 thing’.
I listened for a year before I decided to give it a go. I now understand a whole new language, my professional development has been huge and that’s thanks to you, Yoda. Thanks for mentoring me!
Congratulations Jenny
Coming to the states twice!!! Wow oh wow. That is so awesome. Thanks for all you give to the community.
Happy blogaversary Jenny. Great to have you around in the blogging world adding your insights. There are so many great bloggers around now it’s truly amazing…the best thing about it all is that it’s be actually possible to plan a blogging retiremenent đŸ™‚ How many years do you think we’ll all keep going?? Amazing thought…
You’re right Judy, there are some wonderful bloggers out there now. Blogging is a big investment of time. I just read how Lawrence Lessig decided to retire his blog and time commitments were a large contributor to that decision. I’ll be interested to see the developments that take place in the blogging world in the next year or so. : )
Blogging is a huge investment in time, and my purposes and passion for it tend to evolve over time. Like you, I’ve found that it is far more rewarding to do this as a participant in a larger network, and I’m learning a great deal along the way. I will see you in Denver, Jenny!
Great Angela. Denver, here we come!