I've been a bad web editor -- webitor -- and it's time to change my no-blogging ways.
It's not that i'm anti-blogging. I read blogs, I work with the Saratogian's bloggers, I've even been known to write a guest post or two. But writing my own blog just seemed too... daunting.
What would I write about? How would I find the time? Who would want to read it anyway?
I don't have answers to any of those questions, but I'm going to forge on anyway. I don't think I can do my job -- which, as I mentioned, has a lot to do with blogs -- very well, or further my own career without blogging.
So here is my early resolution for 2011: I will blog.
I will blog about webiting. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what this job is, anyway. I think writing about my work will help.
I took the webitor -- excuse me, Online Editor -- position at the end of September. It felt like a leap to me, from reporting to editing, from following to leading, but the folks I work for thought I could do it and here I am. I replaced Steve Shoe, the first online editor in the Saratogian's history and my desk-neighbor. For more than a year and a half I sat next to Steve, watched, and learned. On a good day, I hope I'm doing him proud.
On a bad day, I wish I could hand my miles-long to-do list back to him and crawl into bed. Not an option, sadly.
I want to use this space to collect the articles, videos, tweets (look over there --->) and other media that are influencing the way I practice journalism.
I also want to write my observations about making the switch as a company, newspaper and individual to a "digital first" way of looking at journalism, and life.
Blogging has always felt like keeping a diary to me, and I was a miserable failure at keeping a diary when I was younger. Despite being an avid reader and writer and despite my fondness for the adorable little books and their teensy tiny keys, I never got past a couple entries. I have a collection of almost-blank diaries in the closet of my childhood bedroom.
Here's hoping I'm better at this.
