Hardass view of reading
Thursday, June 11, 2009 at 06:12AM Boy, talk about being unsympathetic (but probably correct.) Penelope Trunk writes:
...If I tell people I’m a blogger, they say, “I don’t have time to read blogs.”
Here’s what I am going to start saying to those people: Only losers say they don’t have time to read blogs. Because everyone has the same 24 hours in the day. So it’s not that you somehow are more busy than everyone else – no one is actually too busy for anything – the issue is that reading blogs is not high enough on your priority list to read them.
So the real response, when I say, “I’m a blogger,” should be “I stay away from blogs so I can shield myself from alternative opinions to mainstream media.” ...
and she offers (and explicates) three ways to "a grip on your reading pile":
- Stop talking about information overload. That term is for weaklings.
- Stop talking about good and bad media. Just because you don’t read it doesn’t make it bad.
- Stop talking about time like you need to save it. You just need to use it better.
I am not sure anything Penelope wrote will make me a better or more proficient reader, but it was fun to read her comments.
And sheepishly I have to admit that I got the link from a Tweet...
______________________________
Oh, a recent telephone conversation:
Local Barnes & Noble: I'm sorry we don't have that book in stock, but we could order it for you and have it for you in about a week.
Me: Why don't you order it from Amazon and get it here in two days?
Local Barnes & Noble: We can't do that here, but I suppose you could yourself.
Reader Comments (12)
I think it means one of two things: 1. I don't have time to weed through the crap to find the good blogs (eg, those that'll give me the most to think about/learn from); 2. I don't have time to keep up professionally as it is - and now you want me to add another format to feel guilty about?
I totally get being overwhelmed with all blogs and sorting between useful and not-so-useful information. However, that (which is Trunk's point, I think) is no excuse to "opt out" of such incredible opportunities for learning! Just another reason to use Google Reader to help weed out the bad...and Twitter to help discover the good stuff that is out there! ;-)
Google Reader is my friend for all my alternative opinion sources! :)
What scares me more is when I hear "I don't have time to read blogs" from someone who should probably know better, like a school library media specialist...
The scary thing is having lunch with a handful of faculty people and mentioning how many blogs I peruse and hearing, "What's a blog?"
I really didn't know that much about blogging before this week. It is really simple & you can learn a lot from people and voice your opinion on about almost anything. I think it's hard for the older generation to grasp b/c they didn't grow up with the technology, but I think if they give it a try they just might like it! Blogging can be overwhelming if you don't have any idea what is going on. However, I don't have 24/7 to look at blogs either. I just follow ones that interest me & its fun!!!
So I guess I agree with Penelope, " the issue is that reading blogs is not high enough on your priority list to read them."
I think you should order the book from Amazon, have it sent to the local B&N under your name, show up at B&N with the Amazon/FedEx routing slip and say "hi, I'm Doug, I think you're holding a book for me...."
Oooo, if only I had the courage to be so blunt and the confidence I wouldn't burn too many bridges! I get so tired of the "not enough time" excuse, followed by an analysis of last night's "Dancing with the Stars" episode.
The battle between the "Statists" (those who like the status-quo) and the "Dynamists" (can you guess?) continues... (and I got those terms from Wes Fryer's http://www.speedofcreativity.org/ recent podcast, which I found time for during my morning walk today).
Often at lunch a colleague will talk about a good book she is reading. One of our English teachers said that she doesn't have time to read during the school year. I told her that you make time for what is important. I agree it is a matter of priorities.
There are some days and weeks when priorities need to change, and I just do not have time to read all that I want, but as someone mentioned above, having a reader allows me to 'collect' important reads in my reader and check them when I can. It is all about prioritising and making the most out of your time. Saturday mornings is usually my time for reading blogs, going over tweets and just ruminating over stuff. If you don't make the time, there never is any time - for anything!
The trick is sharing this hardass view of reading, without sounding like a hardass. Is that possible?
Hi Lazy,
Both of those are common and in many ways reasonable concerns, excuses, whatever. Seems like that "weeding through the crap" might be a legitimate role the LMS might play for teachers. Like we have with other formats.
Thanks for the comment,
Doug
Hi Michelle and Deanna,
I find GoogleReader indispensable, but I am still up in the air about Twitter. Seems the noise to signal ratio is way too hight!
Doug
Hi Mary,
Yup. The media specialists should be reading AND recommending good blogs to others. I suspect they are spending all their free time reading professional journals ;-)
Doug
Hi LibraryBob,
In every workshop I do on Web2.0 tools, the range of those who know a lot and those who know next to nothing about the topic grows! It is scary.
Doug
Hi Christine,
Not sure this is a generational issue or not. Plenty of older folks are reading and writing blogs and lots of young'uns aren't. One the average, you might well be right.
Doug
Hi Linda,
I suspect most of us would be in trouble if we were as direct as Ms Trunk!
Doug
Hi Janice,
That is pretty scary when an ENGLISH TEACHER doesn't have time to read. Maybe she's watching all the old Masterpiece Theater programs...
Doug
Hi Dianne,
Very practical view!
Doug
Hi Mike,
Good question. Pretty hard to say in a supportive way that people have their priorities screwed up! I guess making the blog reading and other professional good stuff one should be doing easy and appealing is the best we can do.
All the best,
Doug