April and May have both turned out to be relatively quite unproductive months for me as far as blogging and bloghopping are both concerned. I only managed to post four entries for the entire month of April when my past monthly average was roughly 10 or 11 entries. I’m not faring that much better this month either because this current entry gets to be only my third one for May.
Why the concern with such numbers, you might ask? Well, the concern is not really about the low numbers per se, but more of a lament over what has been amiss from my daily routine recently . Blogging and bloghopping aren’t just acts of writing a blog entry and reading others’ blog entries, respectively. After a while and if done often enough, both become habits; both become significant parts (though in varying degrees) of our daily lives.
And blogging and bloghopping have indeed become habits of mine. Up until a couple of years ago, I used to start my day at work reading the news from websites maintained by the New York Times and MSNBC. Even though I still visit both news sites on a regular basis, they are no longer my first stops for the day. Before my workload reached an atrocious level several weeks ago, I bloghopped once I logged into my office computer. On the average, I spent about a good half hour reading the latest entries of bloggers my blog is linked to before I finally turned my attention to work.
But that wasn’t the end of it. I would also bloghop a number of times during the day not only to catch up on the latest entries from fellow bloggers but also to stimulate my mind while drafting a report for submission to my boss or while I’m reviewing the work of a subordinate. Whenever some free time was available, moments that have become increasingly rare lately, I would even start composing a blog entry.
The blogging and bloghopping would continue in the evenings once I was through with dinner. It was one way for me to unwind before I turn in for the day. Those reads helped take my mind off from the stresses of the day. But aside from giving my mind a much needed break from all things work related, it is through reading people’s blogs that I get to learn more about the world around me. Each person has his/her own story to tell, a valuable piece or two of information to share, a life lesson to impart, and every once in a while, a joke for everyone to enjoy.
These thoughts bring back to mind a piece of advice that Carson Taylor (1876-1962), the American founder of the Manila Daily Bulletin (as the Manila Bulletin was called during the pre-martial law days), gave to Hans Menzi (1910-1984) back in 1957 when Mr. Menzi purchased the paper from Mr. Taylor. On the newspaper business, Mr. Taylor’s words to Mr. Menzi were, “Selling newspapers is like selling Coca-Cola. You’re selling a habit.”
The words remain very much true about the newspaper business today. And though the circumstances may be a bit humbler, the same can be said about Blogging as well.
May 17, 2009 at 8:00 pm |
[...] Go here to feature the rest: The Blogging Habit « A Man of My Town [...]
May 17, 2009 at 10:28 pm |
yes, i know, what did we do before blogging?
nice to see you hear whenever you can make it.
May 19, 2009 at 9:40 pm |
Hi RDL,
Thank you. I’m slowly but surely easing my way back into blogging. I hope to post more frequently in the coming days.
May 17, 2009 at 10:36 pm |
good to see you’re back! and i totally agree—blogging & blog-hopping have become a habit. as i see it, it’s more productive than spending time in the pantry and talk about people, the latest showbiz gossip, or back-stabbing the boss.:D
May 19, 2009 at 9:41 pm |
Miranda,
You are right about that. I’d rather blog than overeat, gossip, or engage in unproductive workplace intrigues. Blogging helps us stay out of trouble.
May 17, 2009 at 11:27 pm |
we have the same habit. bloghopping has been a habit. when stumped, i bloghop. after reading a blog entry by any one of my friends, my brain works better. it’s like smoking.
thanks for the kind words. this too, shall pass.
May 19, 2009 at 9:44 pm |
Atticus,
True. Bloghopping truly stimulates my brain. It helps spark some ideas in my head whenever I need to work on a report that’s about to fall due.
No problem, buddy. I hope your friend has finally found the Peace he has always wanted. Take care.
May 18, 2009 at 12:23 am |
Glad to read your well-written posts again, Pards!
For me, the two greatest things that ever came out of the Internet are email and blogging! While websites (as opposed to weblogs) are attuned most to facts, entertainment, information and academic research, the practice of blogging and use of email are more a product of our self-expression; hence, more personal in nature. A weblog can give one a voice that may not normally see print on The New York Times or elsewhere. Really, one can just about write anything on his/her blog! After all, it is his/her own blog. Blogging may yet be the most liberating thing that happened on the net! To exercise your freedom of self-expression in this vast cyberspace by way of blogging is like telling everyone who would care to listen, “I exist.” And what a thrill it is!
May 19, 2009 at 9:47 pm |
Jose,
Thank you very much for the compliment, Pards. Much appreciated.
You’re right in that Blogging has truly democratized the internet. No longer is Publishing the bastion of the established writers and press. Blogging has given the average Joe and Jane the opportunity to express and publish their thoughts on the web at very minimal cost and without having to fall under the mercy of an often snotty Publisher just to have their work printed.
May 18, 2009 at 4:55 am |
good you’re back. i was starting to worry that the rain in manhattan turned into a flood that washed your apartment out LOL.
i agree with you. as what i always say to fellow bloggers who feel ‘burdened’ by their blogs (we all do fall for this sometimes), blogging is not just being on the internet but a lifestyle that is truly a part of us, of who we are as a person. blogging has definitely given me so much, and i believed i have given it a lot too.
May 19, 2009 at 9:52 pm |
Prinsesamusang,
Hahaha That rain did pour buckets but since I stayed late in the office, the rains had stopped by the time I left work.
Blogging is indeed not just a hobby but also a responsibility. The opportunity to publish one’s work is a privilege and not a right. I strongly believe that as bloggers, we have a responsibility to contribute something positive to the community of readers and writers out there.
May 18, 2009 at 7:56 am |
I am also guilty of blogging and bloghopping at work—that’s why I gave myself a limit of one post a week. I still type, type, type all the time those random thoughts but I don’t have to try to make them one whole post with a conclusion or anything. I also am struggling to quit that habit of multitasking—–teaching my unseen student while my eyes are reading blog entries by my favorite bloggers. I can manage to teach while typing responses, too.
When I get to work it’s my wordpress account that I log on to, second to the company website.
Sometimes I wonder when I’m going to stop—if ever I will. Habits are really hard to un-form.
May 19, 2009 at 9:57 pm |
Kat,
Blogging, to borrow the words from an old Chicago song, is a “hard habit to break”. Especially if we enjoy writing and reading blogs.
I log onto my WordPress account too the moment I boot up my laptop. I moderate the Comments that came in overnight and make sure that they get posted. The length of time it takes me to reply depends on the workload I have in the office. If it’s a rather easy day, then I post replies to readers’ comments immediately. Otherwise, it takes me a couple of days, or more, if I’m swamped.
May 18, 2009 at 6:39 pm |
Well we do have to blow out those creative steam once in a while, and a blog is the best place to do it. But, like any machine, we also tend to lose steam from time to time. You’ll get your groove back soon, pards.
May 19, 2009 at 9:59 pm |
Snglguy,
Thank you very much, Pards. I’m slowly easing my way back into it. I have a number of entries in Draft form that I haven’t had the chance to finish and post. I’ll continue working on them real soon.
May 18, 2009 at 6:42 pm |
I think I’ve written a gazillion of articles but not for myself.
By the time I want to update my blog, the creative juices have already dried up.
May 19, 2009 at 5:41 pm |
I think I need to tap some inner resource that stays excited about this world. I used to want to write everyday….. Take care
May 19, 2009 at 10:03 pm |
Mari,
That’s ok. There are things that need to take priority in pursuit of a higher goal. Countdown’s on.
May 19, 2009 at 1:09 am |
Glad to hear from you again. I’m not blogging much as I used to nowadays. Aside from being very busy at work, I got hooked to an online game (Farm Town).
May 19, 2009 at 10:04 pm |
WitsandNuts,
You know what? Quite a number of bloggers I know have likewise hit the proverbial wall due to being busy with other things. That’s ok, buddy. Glad to know you’re having fun with that game.
Take care.
May 19, 2009 at 3:51 am |
Apir
May 19, 2009 at 10:05 pm |
Aline,
Hahaha Apir din!
Kumusta ka na, Ms. A? I hope things have been well with you. Ingat. 
May 19, 2009 at 12:47 pm |
I get all comments copy forwarded from my blog to my Blackberry – spams excluded of course hehe
This will prompt me to login to my blog and accept or reject the post. I just turn my Blackberry off at night so it doesn’t wake me up. 
Agree with you bro. Blogging is no longer a special task. I has become part and parcel of our daily existence it seems
May 25, 2009 at 5:45 am |
BW,
Hahahaha Pards, I do the exact same thing. The “‘Berry” gets a buzz whenever a new comment comes in.
I hope you and the family had a great weekend, Pards. Take care.
May 19, 2009 at 12:50 pm |
welcome back panaderos!
May 25, 2009 at 5:46 am |
P0kw4ng,
Thank you, Ms. P! How have you been? How was your mini-vacation?
Take care.
May 19, 2009 at 2:37 pm |
I can relate to this post. I myself have been failing to blog and bloghop for the longest time now because of real-life routines, events and activities. Although I didn’t come to the point yet wherein it really became a habit for me, I still realized I should work on spending more time with it if I want to last longer in this blog world.
May 25, 2009 at 6:19 am |
Emilayskie,
Our blogging life, like our real life, goes through phases too. I am in the middle of a break right now and so far, I haven’t considered giving up on blogging. Although the frequency may diminish, I hope to stick around for as long as I can.
Take care and best of luck with your plans.
May 19, 2009 at 5:00 pm |
I am a person who thrives on routine. I like you have to check my blog and sometimes bloghop once I logged on my work PC. I do most of my blogging/hopping at work. All thru the day, I check and recheck in between doing my work. It kinda breaks the monotomy of doing sometimes very tedious work.
But on the weekend, it’s a different story. My system doesn’t crave for blogging altho’ I check the blog after dinner
.
It’s a habit all right. Good to see you back.
May 25, 2009 at 6:26 am |
Ewok1993,
Thanks, buddy. Bloghopping does help break the the monotony of work. It gives our minds a break from work.
Thanks again. I’m glad to be back.
May 19, 2009 at 5:26 pm |
I need to get excited about my life again. I think I get down, and then I find it bhard to find things to journal… But I have to…. I need to stay in touch with my friends in the blogosphere
May 20, 2009 at 8:40 am |
nice to have you back kuya pan.
May 26, 2009 at 5:59 am |
Chiquesan,
Thank you, Ms. C. I hope things have been well with you too. Take care.
May 21, 2009 at 9:55 pm |
Again, you know I’m not a blogger but if I was, I think twice a month would be my rule.
But there are more important things in life than blogging so taking it easy is only normal. Cheers to you and goodhealth.
May 26, 2009 at 6:00 am |
TruBlue,
So true. Taking things in perspective, blogging sometimes needs to take the backseat to real life. Thank you very much, buddy.
May 22, 2009 at 11:31 pm |
pareho tayo ng habit. that’s the first thing i do in the morning when i wake up and the last thing i do before hitting the sack. masaya mag blog at magbasa ng blog ng iba.
May 26, 2009 at 6:08 am |
Scud,
Blogging and Bloghopping could be really enjoyable experiences as long as we want it to stay that way, i.e., through our picks of what blogs to visit. I gravitate towards blogs that are informative and fun to read. I tend to avoid bloggers who have a condescending and nasty attitude towards their readers. I am very strongly of the view that even if we disagree with a person’s views, we could still express our disagreement without resorting to disagreeable behavior. Some bloggers, somehow, have a serious problem meeting such a standard. I avoid those.
May 23, 2009 at 5:30 am |
I can definitely relate to your predicament. For May, I only have 1 post, from April: 2, and from March: 3. I’m blaming the financial crisis for this. Lately, we’ve been multitasking like hell in the office. Our workload, doubled — no, I think it tripled actually. The culprit: cost-cutting. I’d like to post more posts than what I’m actually posting and read more blogs than what I’ve been reading, but with my current work load, that’s very impossible.
June 9, 2009 at 2:29 pm |
Andy Briones,
With employee layoffs, it is not only the employees who were let go who suffer, the ones who got to stay suffer as well in the form of a heavier workload, longer hours and more stress. Yes, we do have to be thankful that we still have a job but there are times when some companies just lay more people off than what is necessary.
May 23, 2009 at 9:50 am |
I started blogging because I have no one to speak about my thoughts and my dreams. Even close people I know have not known to visit but I continue blogging. It gives me something to remember when I back track and something to learn along the way. Blog hopping here, like the clean look and the line of thoughts for this entry and will read more of your posts.
June 9, 2009 at 2:30 pm |
Jonathan,
I agree with you. My blog, among other things, serves as a personal repository of memories and lessons learned from the life I’ve lived.
Thank you very much for the visit and the comment. I appreciate both a lot. Take care.
May 24, 2009 at 11:58 pm |
Alam mo bro dumarating talaga yata sa atin yung medyo tinatamad sa lahat ng bagay ako ring naging unproductive for past 3 months pero hin nayata malis sa atin ang blogging and blohopping nasa sistema na ng ating katawan siguro. Nice info tungkol sa founder ng manila Bulletin akala ko rin si Hans Menzi ang founder nito. Habit ko rin ang magbasa ng newspaper nabawasan nga lang ang pagbili ko dahil meron ng on-line newspaper.
June 9, 2009 at 2:36 pm |
Ysrael,
I think so too, Pards. Mayroon yatang phase for all of us na nagiging unproductive tayo and for various reasons. Some temporarily run out of ideas of what to write about and some, like me, get tied up with the demands of my job.
As for newspapers, sa weekend na lang ako nagsa-subscribe at nagpapadeliver ng dyaryo. I no longer have the time to read through them during the week. Online news sites na lang ang binibista ko pag weekdays.
Ingat ka lagi, Pards.
May 27, 2009 at 5:15 am |
For me it’s more like an addiction. I got several blogs going but mostly informational in nature: BloGazines.
Some I guess try to build up readerships and following, but as for me its the joy of putting up my photos and documenting family events.
It becomes a full time “job” at times and I would like “my brand” of blogging just to be a hobby, not too serious as to be concerned with output.
Anyway to each his own… but definitely I am into bloghopping. Great way to read other viewpoints, see artworks, and whatever interest the blogger has in mind.
Very topical post though and made me think of why I am blogging.
June 9, 2009 at 2:50 pm |
Mario,
How have you been? I hope everything’s been well with you and the family.
Anyway, blogging is a hobby for me too. I have quite a number of things I want to write about and the queue on my “draft” list of posts is a testament to that. The draft list I have is getting longer and longer. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to finish and post a great majority of them because I can’t quite organize the flow of thought in a manner that would satisfy me. Thus, it often takes me a while to post my entries.
May 27, 2009 at 5:11 pm |
luckily hopped in
this blog is a great read! keep on writing!
June 9, 2009 at 2:51 pm |
Beatburn,
Thank you very much for the visit and for the compliment. Much appreciated. Stop by anytime. Take care.
May 28, 2009 at 4:06 am |
Pards, I don’t mind if you post once a week as long as its well thought like you always do. What’s the use of posting every day when its not interesting naman.
June 9, 2009 at 2:55 pm |
Blogusvox,
Thank you very much for the kind words, Pards. Welcome back again from your grand vacation in the home country. Take care.
May 28, 2009 at 6:24 am |
aye, aye mr panaderos. i have been in constant battle with time lately that i sometimes have to put blog-hopping at the back seat. i do make sure however to still post entries at least thrice a week but then again, the nature of blogging is that you have to visit as much as you can in order for them to visit you back. yes you are correct and may i just add that blogging is no longer just personal but for sharing.
June 9, 2009 at 3:29 pm |
Lawstude,
For lack of time, I have been doing such an awful job with bloghopping. I plan to do some catching up this coming weekend. I owe a lot of people a lot of visits.
Take care of yourself always, Pards.
May 28, 2009 at 9:45 am |
hi, pan, blogging and bloghopping have even become popular than the 3 o’oclock habit.
kidding aside, blogging is in our system already. the desire to write wanes from time to time but what is good about it is one can even write about crap and still feels good when blogger friends engage about the topic. what is good about it is it creates something good for any blogger, it gives us that feeling of unexplainable satisfaction.
June 9, 2009 at 3:34 pm |
Bing,
I agree. It is indeed a very joyful and satisfying feeling when people respond to a topic we write because they could relate to it. The process helps establish a bond between the writer and and the reader.
May 29, 2009 at 8:33 am |
I’m not doing well myself in terms of blogging and bloghopping. As a result, my visitors are fast dwindling in number. Sayang. I came to be friends with a lot from doing these chores. It used to be a habit until work came in the way. sigh!!!
June 9, 2009 at 3:43 pm |
Rolly,
How have you been? There are times when due to life’s intervention, that we fail to do our fair share of bloghopping and return visits to other bloggers’ sites. It’s a shame really. But there are times when we can’t do anything about it because of the demands on our schedule.
I hope things have been well with you and your family. Take care.
May 30, 2009 at 1:11 pm |
ako rin minsan ganyan! nauuna pa ang bloghopping kesa sa totoong work ko. kaya lang nauubos time ko sa work ko kakabasa. so ginagawa ko nalang sya pag free time.
glad you’re back!
June 9, 2009 at 3:44 pm |
Dyanie,
Thank you. Minsan nga talaga, nadedelay ang trabaho natin dahil sa bloghopping. Ilang beses na ring nangyari sa akin iyan. Hehehe
Anyway, as long as we still get our work done without compromising its quality, then we should still be ok.
May 31, 2009 at 2:16 am |
i could not agree more.
no pressure though..write whenever you want. :p
June 9, 2009 at 3:30 pm |
FlaminDevil,
Thank you very much.
I owe you a number of visits and I promise to stop by one of these days. Take care.
June 3, 2009 at 12:53 am |
busy bakerman i have an award for you on my blog.
June 9, 2009 at 3:31 pm |
Prinsesamusang,
Wow. Thank you very much! I’ll surely post it here one of these days. That’s a promise.
June 6, 2009 at 4:25 pm |
Wow bakit parang pare-parehong tayong tinatamad mag blog nowadays. anyway bro pasyal ka ulit sa blog site at may ikukwento ako na mamangha ka, promised!
June 9, 2009 at 3:46 pm |
Ysrael,
Hanga ako sa anak mo at sa iyo, Pards. You both remained cool and composed during a very stressful time. Maraming salamat na rin at nanatiling nasa mabuting kalagayan ang mga bata.
June 8, 2009 at 12:13 pm |
Panaderos, I hope you write again soon. God bless you in all you do. I am leaving in a week for Jakarta.
June 9, 2009 at 3:46 pm |
Keith,
Thank you very much for the kind words and wishes, my friend. I wish you well. Have a safe trip to Jakarta and I wish you the best of luck. Take care.