I Don't Care about Readers

So this blog is starting because I had a brainstorm. The blogsphere is old enough and large enough that getting a readership requires special focus and frequent pithy insights, as well as a viral post. Therefore, generating readership should not be a blogger's first goal. We are in simply another mud puddle of information overload.

That said, why not create a blog with a more limited focus? What about something related to the job hunt? To demonstrating an interesting new way to use technology, to take a little risk of "speaking publicly" (where you risk being mundane, using bad grammar, and generally looking like an idiot), and to potentially use it as a way to show your professional habits, growth, and the occasional intersting thought?

Better yet, why not ask my students to do this, too? Actually, I am now putting the cart before the horse. I did ask my 35 students at a large public university to start their own professional blogs. The purpose is to serve as a young and growing professional's online scrapbook. These students are mostly freshmen and sophomores, with the occasional junion or senior. Imagine how cool it would be to start a blog related to your "major," including postings about

• topics that inspire you,
• news that you think is important,
• research questions you like to ponder,
• resources you've found to read online,
• and so on.

Imagine how cool it would be to start this your freshman year and post once a month: then, at the end of four years (are you lucky enough to get out that soon?), you'll have about 50 postings about your musings and learnings...50 ways to impress a graduate committee...50 little snapshots to show a potential employer...50 little reminders of what you did along the way (because it will very suddenly be a faint memory).

So at this point, I care tremendously about my students, who will be writing blogs like this, but very little about my other readers. Those students are who need the example on how to proceed, on how to build a neat little corner in cyberspace that can help them reach their future goals.

Other visitors are warmly welcomed but not required here.