In Web World of 24/7 Stress, Writers Blog Till They Drop
SAN FRANCISCO — They work long hours, often to exhaustion. Many are paid by the piece — not garments, but blog posts. This is the digital-era sweatshop. You may know it by a different name: home. A growing work force of home-office laborers and entrepreneurs, armed with computers and smartphones and wired to the hilt, are toiling under great physical and emotional stress created by the around-the-clock Internet economy that demands a constant stream of news and comment. Of course, the bloggers can work elsewhere, and they profess a love of the nonstop action and perhaps the chance to create a global media outlet without a major up-front investment. At the same time, some are starting to wonder if something has gone very wrong. In the last few months, two among their ranks have died suddenly.
I’ve been blogging for close to seven years now (since 9.3.01, but I’ve told that story WAY too many times), and one of my dreams has been able to do this for a living. I don’t know what form that could or might take, but the nature of dreams is that sometimes achieving them turns out to be something far different that what you’d imagined.
Given the nature of what I and so many others do, there is a hypnotic, borderline addictive quality to blogging. If you’re someone like me, possessed of an active intellect, some very strong opinions, and the gift of stringing together complete sentences in a coherent manner, it can be difficult to know where to stop. I run across so many things that pique my interest and stimulate my imagination and intellect that I at times literally have to remind myself that I simply cannot write about EVERYTHING that interests me. I have no ambition to slump over on my keyboard from a heart attack. There is something to be said for balance and having a life…especially since I’ve yet to lose my amateur status here.
Given the 24/7/I want it 20 minutes ago nature of da Interweb, I can see where some would get caught up in it to the point where it adversely impacts their health. If you blog for a living, it’s not a 40-hour a week gig…unless you’re fortunate enough to be able to set those guidelines up front- and stick to them…despite the pressures you will undoubtedly face from your customers and those who plump your bank account.
As much as I would dearly love to find a way to turn this long-term passion into a paying gig, this might just be one of those “be careful what you ask for…’cuz you just might get it” scenarios. I’m blessed to have a talent and a gift for writing. I love being able to express myself in a way that others can appreciate. Someday, I really do want to be able to lose my amateur status. If that ever happens, and I sincerely hope it will, I’m going to have to figure out a way to maintain my sanity and my health while pursuing the Almighty Dollar.
In the meantime, I’ll keep doing this…’cuz I’m having fun. Should that ever change, this little corner of da Interweb will go dark, but I don’t think there’s any danger of that happening just yet. I’m just arrogant enough to think that there are people out there actually interested in what I might have to say…and I’m always flattered when I discover that someone’s actually paying attention…. ;-)
