I write about work here a lot. Probably more than I should, but my professional development gets a lot more play then the rest of my life at this stage anyway. I actively try to come up with post-worthy topics that aren't work whenever possible, but there is so much to consider with my work!
Last week, at the annual Science meeting, I happened to stop by one of the vendors because I dyslexically read their slogan as "Getting the Public Interested in Science" and I thought- that's what I want to do. Actually, the slogan for Fund Science is to the get the public invested in science, but I was still glad I stopped by anyway. Fund Science is trying to develop a socially networked, crowd-sourced buzz-wordy forum to fund early career researchers (ie, me in 10 years, not now). Part of the whole mechanism is to make this a site that normal people are interested in going to, and the public face of this is meant to be a blogosphere about science topics. Anybody can join, and they are actively trying to recruit more bloggers. Since at the career session in the morning someone put the idea of giving your interests documentation by taking classes, or going to meetings or volunteering, I was uniquely primed to hear this as a personal invitation.
And I've still been thinking about it, quite a bit in fact. Would I really want to be professionally linked to a blog? What would the blog be about? What might I write about that anyone would read? Am I that good a writer anyway? Do I need to ask my boss about this? I've got a co-worker spurring me on as well, but I am curious what my semi-regular readers think about the possibility of me starting a 'serious blog.' Professional suicide? Game changing? Only after I take an intro writing class? Maybe if I get a good topic?
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I don't know that I have any brilliant insight into what a blogging record/history can do for a professional career but I sure Uncle Bart would tell you its an "OK" idea but you should really be moving into the twittershere if you want to be relavant and upto speed with truly modern communications. Truly professional communication will still be held to the dreary obligations of peer-reviewed, annotated, and bibliographed scientific writing. That allows verification, confirmation, and intellectual weight to be applied to ideas and results. Of course its deadly dull reading and impenetrable to the public or even off-target professionals. I would assume blasting away in a blog can raise a public profile for good or evil, just depends on your approach and your readership. Doing a good job on it has got to be akin to uncompensated public service. I'm sure you could do a good job at it. Would it be "worth it" to you is a question you'll have to answer before it chews you up.... Love, Dad
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