20 questions and blog writing skills

Steve Rubel wrote yesterday about Stowe Boyd's efforts to find meaningful answers to 20 questions about blogging and the blog that's been set up to facilitate the answering process.

The answers to those 20 questions will form part of the content that Stowe's company, Corante, will use in a seminar in January.

Most of the questions on the True Voice - 20 Questions blog are good questions indeed, the types of questions about blogging that everyone is still trying to answer.

I've given some answers to a few of the questions so far. Do head on over and add your opinions.

One of the questions in particular is a very interesting one. Question 18 asks: "What if you're not the world's best writer but you still want to blog: what are your options?" I think that's a very good question, which I've given a comment on.

Here's what I said:

I've had this question asked in my conversations with people about blogging in organizations. Broadly, the same question applies in any communication context that involves the written word. For much organizational communication, not being a good writer (and which definition do we use for that?) is a hindrance, no doubt. So you have training, coaching, etc, all to help someone become an effective communicator where writing is an important element.

Blogs are a bit different, though. The personality of the author is a key element of a blog. So if that author isn't terribly good at writing, well, so what? If he or she really wants to blog, go for it. Don't let your enthusiasm be dented by a lack of writing skill. If you have thoughts, write them. Opinions, write them! You'll soon find out what people think, either directly (they might leave comments including about what they think of your writing abilities) or indirectly (no one visits your blog).

The question is especially valid if we speak about people in companies who want to blog in, say, English where that is not their native language. That's one of the good things about English - it lets people use it in all the ways that are wholly against what the grammar books say yet you still understand what 's being said.

And that's the real key - if you understand the meaning of what some one writes, it doesn't matter a bit if they are regarded as a poor writer.

That's my view, with which not everyone agrees.

This topic is also connected with how blogs will evolve in the workplace, perhaps in the way envisioned by Forrester Research that I wrote about recently.

So I found it interesting to read Debbie Weil's Corporate America can't write post last week in her BlogWrite for CEOs blog. This is about a report in the New York Times on the lack of basic writing skills among corporate employees in the US (and which is a hot argument in many other countries, too).

In her post, Debbie says:

A bad blog is almost always poorly written, in addition to being full of drivel. Writing ability counts big time in the blogosphere.

If someone is regarded as a poor writer by someone else, that's no reason why the poor writer should not blog. As I said in my 20 questions comment, let them do it. If they write drivel, well, no one will read it (or care). I think this is a subjective view, anyway.

If they have enthusiasm to communicate via a blog, encourage them. It might also be a self-help way to help improve their writing skills.

Comments

[Debbie Weil]

Neville,

Your point is a good one - in that the "voice" and personality behind a blog, even a business blog, are so important. BUT I stand by my statement. An effective business blog can NOT be written with poor grammar, typos, bad syntax, etc. That just won't fly. It's bad branding, poor form, etc. Sorry, but I think *basic* good writing skills are a prerequisite. If blogging evangelists don't present a blog as a controllable marketing vehicle then companies won't adopt blogs. And we know what a cool tool they are.

[Neville Hobson]

Good comments, Debbie.

The question "What if you're not the world's best writer but you still want to blog: what are your options?" is posed from a very general perspective. So my answer looks at that very general view, which is reflective of a great deal (if not most) of the blogs you see out there.

If anyone wants to blog, I say: Go ahead, blog away! Express yourself. So you don't write very well. No matter, give it a go, see what happens!

"See what happens" isn't a comfortable phrase for most communicators, though. So where 'conditions apply' could be argued on the word "effective" especially in a business context. And there I do agree with you that being able to effectively communicate if the written word is involved does mean good writing ability.

However, if I were in a company and were making decisions on who could blog and who could not, I would firmly be on the side of free expression over good writing ability. No matter what the blog was.

But that's just me...

[Robert]

Great article, Neville. I've added your thoughts/links and the Corante '20 Questions' to a page I'm developing for Spring classes in my AuburnMedia Wiki.

Thank you for the resources!

Robert

[Neville Hobson]

Thanks Robert!

More interesting answers to the 20 questions continue to appear on the 20 Question Blog.