Episode 43: Blogging Unplugged

I have been blogging for almost 9 months now and it has been an incredibly interesting experience. 

First, in the course of writing this Blog, I have a new found respect for writers and journalists. Almost everyone I talk to that blogs says the same thing -- “I didn’t realize how much time it would take.” Well I agree. You have weeks where there is so much to talk about and others where it seems like nothing is interesting. But it always takes time and effort. I am glad that I don’t have a fixed schedule or writing deadlines. Fortunately (or unfortunately) I travel enough and the new airport security policies (arriving like 2 hours early) have given me the time needed to keep up!

You see outcome of these challenges with many executive blogs where the blog rolls out to a big fanfare, the exec does 2 posts and then, nothing. I guess they don’t have to travel like me… Maybe a few moths later some “Corporate Blog” gets put up in its place. What exactly is corporate blog? It is a bit of an oxymoron to me but, OK, I guess I define a “corporate blog” as a marketing web site written in log format.

To me, the essence of blog still must be personal. Sure, I do blog for and about EMC and I believe there is incredible value to EMC from blogging. I find it a highly beneficial way to connect with customers and folks across EMC but, it is still personal – that is the value.

At any rate, for all the folks that write for a living and have to publish on deadlines – I can now fully appreciate how hard it really is…. 

I intend to keep blogging but it still feels like I will wake up one day and have nothing left to say (some folks on my staff are laughing right now). I think they would say that me with nothing to say is an oxymoron….

Mark…