Bloggers are inefficient employees
This was the premise of an email I recently received from a former colleague who now works at a small technology services firm. The email had the following key message, which I have adapted for anonymity: "Our company is proposing to block all blogging software platforms (Blogger, Word press) and related statistical services (like Google Analytics) because a number of staff [who are technical by nature] are running their own personal blogs while at work which detracts from company related activities and reduces productivity for work groups....Management believes that a significant amount of time (20%+) per day is lost due to blogging related activities..."
Wow! Her company has a workforce of less than 100 staff so a 20% estimated productivity loss is huge. With the growth in blogging - Technorati estimates 70,000 new blogs are created everyday - there clearly is an emerging trend as people turn to blogs as a place to express their thoughts and read other like minded blogs (and avoid over hyped mainstream media articles). The fact that for some it is taking over other parts of their working and probably home life is not surprising. I know I spend about two hours a day doing blogging related work, especially as the blog continues to grow and I search for more content and marketing opportunities. I try balancing my real work (that pays the bills), home life, studying and blogging by coming in to work an hour early or leaving later, but it does take discipline. I do check my stats every hour - my one addiction!
What are your blogging habits and how long do you spend a day on blog related activities (reading, writing, management)? Vote at the poll below and see how you compare to others. For RSS or email readers you may need to visit the site to see the poll.
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July 26, 2008 2:45 PM
I blog about 2-3 hours/day. It's not a huge chunk of time for me in the overall picture, but if I were confined to an office it would be hard not to be able to check up on my blog for the whole day. I'd probably end up at my blog over lunch, for sure.
July 27, 2008 11:44 PM
I don't think it's possible to stop people from blogging at work, just as companies were not able to stop people from using email for personal use. People will find a way.
What companies should do is use this trend to their advantage and setup their own blogs and allow employees to blog about their company and their products. That way, companies can channel the blogging energy of their employees into building relationship with customer and increasing sales.
July 28, 2008 10:46 AM
This is difficult. I make it a point to do any research/writing for my blog at home, however, I do find myself looking at stats or checking for comments at work. I had a huge problem a few years ago with letting the internet suck away my work time - it's something I'm definitely more conscious of now, though.
July 28, 2008 5:11 PM
ME - Yep, lunch time is blog time for me most days. I need to make an effort to get away from my desk to get excercise.
Curt - Blogging for work is fine, but then there is no payoff. When you blog for yourself you are aiming to create an alternative revenue stream. Seeing the ad revenue (which is rather small in real terms) coming in, is as addictive as checking stats. However I agree, more companies should use blogs - though they need to be careful of legal ramifications.
Grey - I agree with you 100%. I am probably where you were a while ago and I need to be more disciplined in my blogging activities. However when work is slow, blogging takes over.
July 31, 2008 4:37 PM
wow! I'm suprised that people think it's OK to blog at work, I love blogging and spend several hours a day online, but in my own time.
An employer is paying you to work for them, not blog and surf the net. plus that they can ( and do) easily check what sites you've been on while at work.