Last weekend, when I went to my 35th high school reunion and visited with extended family, I both Facebooked (it’s a verb!) and blogged the experiences. Facebook updates were fast and easy, while blogging took more time. Since the information and the photos were essentially the same, it really felt redundant.
I used to blog quick single thoughts, like this and this and this, but these days I use Facebook for that. I don’t use Facebook for recipes or for long rants or raves or for deeply introspective writing – but for some reason that I can’t really pinpoint (other than simply being busy), I don’t write those posts anymore – though I wish I did. I miss writing, of the really writing sort.
So I’m befuddled: should I continue to make an effort to blog often (it’s never really been an effort until recently!), should I let my blog die a natural death, or should I do something in-between? (Like what?)
Are you a social media addict who’s been faced with this predicament? What did you decide, and why? Do you have any advice for me?
FB is instant and involves short bursts of info, while blogging is more thoughts, storytelling or explaining. I like both. If you're out of the blogging mood though, I say give it a rest and see if you miss it. I know I would because I'm wordy. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Margaret — I think they serve very different purposes. Facebook has a shallower feel to me (and not necessarily in a bad way). I enjoy the quick updates and seeing at a glance what my friends are up to. (And I also LOVE Twitter, so I'm up to my eyeballs in social media!) But my blog is an extension of myself, and even if I don't update it quite as often as I used to, I can't imagine not having that outlet.
ReplyDeleteI do both and really don't give it too much analysis what I do where
ReplyDeletebut as the others stated, FB is much more quick but it has also disappeared much quicker. I have a huge friendslist so if everone's actively updating their status and I have not checked in for half a day, I might have missed your update already.
I love how my blog has turned out to be a journal of my past live 5 years that I can look back at, including the comments and conversations in the threads . They are something I can read again, that visitors can read again afterwards.
So sometimes I also feel as if I'm double posting but that's fine by me.
Resist the superficial brain-drain of FB! Unless you have another outlet for creative writing in your life aside from the blog, of course.
ReplyDeleteI find that having a Yoga Journal is an important outlet for me. The only thing is, no one else reads it so I don't get instant gratification in the form of 'like' clicks from friends that tell me that my thoughts are amazing and wise (as I like to think they are :-) ). However, having a medium I can use to develop solid coherent thoughts in my brain helps me tremendously. If your blog offers that to you, it sounds like a positive thing. FB can't offer that kind of depth; it's just not in the design.
You seem like a deep person - no? Can FB really sustain you in the long run?
If you want friends/family to blow feathers up your butt about how awesome you are, then stick to facebook. If you want occasional unbiased stranger feedback, then blog.
ReplyDeleteHmmmmm...which to choose...
Why do you have to choose?
ReplyDeleteJust keep putting the snippets on FB for a while and then when you are ready and feel the need, put the meatier stuff on the blog.
Don't let your blog die off. (Can you really imagine not having it?) Just let it take a sabbatical.
The other good thing about blogging is that most of us have you in our feed readers.
ReplyDeleteThe days of checking blogs by hand to see if they've been updated are long gone! If you don't feel like posting for a while-- no problem. As soon as you post again it shows up in the feed reader and we pop on by to see what you've been up to!
Goofball had a good point too, that FB statuses have a short shelf life. Blogging posts are so much more lasting and concrete!
Thanks for the feedback, everyone! You are so right. Now I just have to wait for blogging inspiration to hit me again... ( I remember thinking about a great idea for a post yesterday while driving -- and when I'd gotten to my destination I couldn't for the life of me remember the idea... and still don't. Seeeeee?!
ReplyDelete