Wake Up Later



What do you think of when people mention that they have a blog? Vacation pictures? Funny stories about the weekend? Let's be honest -- blogs are too often interpreted as "internet diaries" for mothers and teenagers. But in reality, blogs are probably the best vehicles for delivering information that is timely, current, and to the point. In fact, in today's world, if you are a web worker or writer, then you had better have a regularly updated blog yourself. Here's why:

Refine Your Craft
Anytime you have to communicate a concept or process to a group of people, you will improve your skillset on multiple levels. Not only will you become better at writing, you will also improve in your particular craft because you will tend to research more knowing that your visitors expect quality.

Stay Current
Blogging forces you to stay current in your industry. In a recent survey by A List Apart, 95% of web designers, developers, and writers admit that they stay current by reading relevant websites/blogs (compared to 76% that say books and 32% that utilize conferences or seminars). You're not going to earn any guru points if all your posts cover the same content as every other blog from the last two years.

Create Opportunities
This is one of the most important reasons to keep a blog. There are so many exciting companies and technologies being created every day (just flip through an issue of Fast Company). If you ever want to be a part of such opportunities, putting yourself "out there" is the first step, especially if you don't already have the connections to the "movers" in the industry. There have been a number of examples of people who began with a blog and ended up with a partnership in a promising web startup or an offer from a major media outlet. Furthermore, the blog really is the new resume and you can believe that it's a great advantage for any job-seeker.

So where to get started with a blog? Well, we'll save that for another post this week.


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Weekly Web Stuff


Stuff from around the web that we found interesting this week.

The Learn List
Although this site hasn't been updated in a few months, it has a great repository of links to some of the best content on web design and development.

2008 Design Trends
A excellently presented collection of high-quality websites under 11 categories.

Investing in a Bear Market
Freelancers need to know not just how to make money, but how to handle it (even when the financial markets are down).

Web Standards 2008: Three Circles of Hell
You'll never be be respected among the web worker elite unless you know your web standards.





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