How blogging can increase productivity

The "Tomorrow's Professor" mailing list posted an interesting bit today (The article will be available in 2 weeks). While the article itself is pointed at researchers, I think it can be applied to anyone looking to improve their writing - and blogging is one of the many tools that many people try to improve their work. The first step is write every day in small blocks - bigger blocks are hard to find and when you find them you may have forgotten important little details. Next the suggest tracking the time spent, but that can be passed over (in my naive estimation). Third is write from the first day of your project - supporting the first point. Next they say to post your thesis to the wall and write to it (and key sentences). I think this is the kicker for blogging - post your ideas when you have them as bits and then write larger entries later. Personally one of the things that I hope this blog will do is help organize thoughts and ideas for further research, so it is a running log of my ideas to that end - and it just happens to invite others to participate. Next they suggest sending ideas out to experts and non experts - again done very easily with a blog as is one of the last points - respond to criticism. If people post comments that don't agree, then reply, if they post an agreement - maybe pick at it a bit or add something more to your argument that their comment may have lead you on to. Just some thoughts. Technorati Tags: Blogging,