Do blogs have value?

So, there have been numerous posts regarding the value of blog's recently.  My blog is worth $49K according to the recent service that was all the rage last week  In looking at the list, I think I should be #12, but I'm glad to be 2 spots higher.  This, and a couple of other happenings last week have convinced me that blog's have REAL value (sorry Sahil, they actually do).  I'm not going to go into the specifics here, but check out the ASP.NET Podcast late this week for a full explanation of the value that blog's have.

Wally

1 Comment

  • Of course they do! That's not to say that the silly valuation formula being tossed around lately is anywhere close to being correct, but blogs certainly do have value. I'm going to assume we're only talking about the value of a technical blog, but certainly other types of blogs also have value, although most likely the principles won't be the same.



    So for technical blogs, what are some of the very real components of a blog's value? For me the biggest factor is that potential employers and clients can gain a great deal of knowledge of you. But I think what many technical people fail to see clearly is that the knowledge gained about you from your blog may not be what you think it is. First, your blog may show you as a great developer or architect, but if you aren't careful it may also show you to be not so great afterall -- so be careful that your posts are correct and not out of the mainstream. Next, your blog displays a great deal of information about you that is not technical at all -- your writing skills, your personality, and even your ability to play well with others. Finally, your blog can of course actually raise your visibility so that you actually get noticed in the first place. That may mean that someone technical reads your blog and recommends you, or it may just mean that you come up higher in search results -- but either way a blog can very much bring you to the attention of prospective employers or clients.



    Now just in case this just all sounds mostly theoretical, I'll finish this comment by noting that my current client found me primarily through my blog! So I can assure you that my blog has a very real value to me -- and not just some theoretical formula either. Also note that while I love reading about other people's philosophy and thoughts on life, I can assure you that my current client would NOT have been interested in me had my public persona been about non-technical issues that could be controversial. So I recommend that technical bloggers seriously consider the content of their blogs -- its great to talk about what you're interested in, but it may not be the best content for your blog if you are concerned about your technical career.













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