Writers Find Blogging To Be a Stressful Method of Reporting

Andrew Feinberg points out a New York Times story about the stress put upon prolific bloggers to maintain a constant flow of content in order to satisfy both consumers and advertisers in the information age. When breaking a story first can generate thousands more page views and clicks, many bloggers are finding themselves chained to their computers, worrying that they'll miss something important if they step away. Quoting: " 'I haven't died yet,' said Michael Arrington, the founder and co-editor of TechCrunch, a popular technology blog. The site has brought in millions in advertising revenue, but there has been a hefty cost. Mr. Arrington says he has gained 30 pounds in the last three years, developed a severe sleeping disorder and turned his home into an office for him and four employees. 'At some point, I'll have a nervous breakdown and be admitted to the hospital, or something else will happen. This is not sustainable,' he said."

Comments

Reminds me of Maddox

[SRA8]

Reminds me of Maddox. I check his page almost everyday for updates and get angry every time he hasn't posted new content. I only abstain from complaining due to fear of having my email posted!

Re:Reminds me of Maddox

[PlatyPaul]

Yeah, I know you were being funny (and linking to Maddox which, for the record, is a practice I wholly support), but there's truth to what you're saying.

When you can see the news any moment, you expect the news every moment. When people read newspapers primarily, it was considered acceptable to not be up-to-date until the next day. Then came radio, then TV news, then internet news sites (with full-length articles), then blogs. Now, microblog services like Twitter are pushing the boundaries of what we consider "up-to-date". When 9-11 happened, I knew people who didn't found out until late afternoon. If the same happened today, it would be a shock if someone hadn't heard within the hour.

I'm not surprised that it's exhausting to be a news blogger; it's hard enough just being a paper reporter. But, then again: those who love to do it will continue to do it.

Re:Reminds me of Maddox

[TubeSteak]

I'm not surprised that it's exhausting to be a news blogger; it's hard enough just being a paper reporter. I think the problem with bloggers is that so many of them are making solo efforts.
More bloggers need a sister site or blog-ring which will is updating during their 'off' hours.

But, then again: those who love to do it will continue to do it. It's funny that society accepts this excuse for workaholics, but not alcoholics.
It doesn't matter how much you love what you do if it burns you out or ruins your health.

Re:Reminds me of Maddox

[Original Replica]

I think the problem with bloggers is that so many of them are making solo efforts.

I think the problem is:"The site has brought in millions in advertising revenue...in the last three years...turned his home into an office for him and four employees." Millions of dollars in three years and he's only got four employees and is working out of his home? Get an office and hire some more people you penny pinching fool! Or cash out, put the money in high interest savings, and work part time to supplement the $80k+ a year that $2 million will earn in interest. Look at the decades it takes to gross a few million as a plumber or mechanic or teacher or police officer and then tell me how hard it is to write a blog. Sure it might be more intense it the short term to maintain a highly successful blog, but it it allows you to retire in five years instead of a career of forty years, your sum total of stress and difficulty is going to be far far less in the end.

Also in the News

[eldavojohn]

Writers Find Blogging To Be a Stressful Method of Reporting Readers Find Blogging To Be Most Ridiculous Form of Reporting News Yet

Seriously, does anyone get their 'news' from blogs? Granted they can be interesting and helpful, they are often written with no editing and read more like "On the Road" than The New York Times.

Congratulations on developing income through traffic but it pains me to see people use this as a way to stay informed.

If you never leave your basement you're not reporting, you're aggregating or spinning.

Re:No, you are wrong about that, money talks

[Overzeetop]

Doctors, Lawyers, CEO's and other professions make over $100k Congratulations, we've finally identified that professions with high barriers to entry (intelligence, schooling, well placed parents, etc.) make higher salaries. Blogging requires, um, a keyboard and an ability to type. Oh, sure, there are probably PhDs out there blogging. Okay, okay, I'm kidding - I sincerely doubt it - unless they were useless in their fields to begin with.

I'll agree with you that they should all strive to make six figures, but the reality is that the supply far exceeds the demand, and the talent pool is relatively shallow on average. I know people working just as hard, for just as many hours, usually at multiple jobs, to barely make ends meet. They do it because they don't have the training or ability to perform work that has a higher value in society. Heck, I could make more as a doctor or a lawyer, but I really like being an engineer and I spent my college money to become one.

As for finding a mate, they one's who are primarily interested in the size of your wallet are much more likely to leave you if that wallet ever deflates. I recommend finding one who would marry you if you lost every penny you had in the world. You'll be a lot happier than if you make $100k and had someone who constantly griped about not having enough money to live the way he or she likes.

Stop mangling submissions.

[afeinberg]

Dear Slashdot Editors,

Please stop mangling my submissions. I did not submit to you the NYT article. I submitted the commentary to the NYT article which I wrote as a tech/public policy blogger reacting to the story. I find the way you guys now strip out submitters content and simply link to the "mainstream" article insulting and really makes me want to contribute to the discussions less and less. Why is my contribution less valuable than the NYT article? I think my commentary as an informed reader adds much to the discussion, and could have done quite a bit to improve the quality of comments here.

Is there a reason you no longer link to other people's submissions, only their mainstream media material?

I have been a Slashdot reader since 1998-1999. I read less and less. This is why. While I took the time to format, edit, and submit a story containing links to both the original NYT article and my own commentary you found it OK to strip out my entire submission and bury it in your worthless "firehose" and instead simply use me as a tip-off instead of a contributor to a community which I have been on for over ten years. Check my UID.

Is original (ie, not from "news sites") content no longer relevant on Slashdot? Hey Malda, Bates? Remember me? When did your site become a news aggregator instead of a place to discuss ideas, not just rehash articles from mainstream press? I don't feel like part of a community right now. I feel like I'm doing work just so someone else can take the credit. I spent a good amount of time writing that post that I linked you to, and you all but ignored it.

Why?

Andrew Feinberg
Angry Slashdot Veteran