Death by Blogging

We all know how hectic keeping up with just two blogs a week can be...but the constant demand of streaming news and comment that prolific bloggers have everyday is hard for me to think about. It might sound silly...oh poor bloggers, working from home with a computer and iphone at their fingertips, looking for the next big thing to blog about. In coffee shops, at lunchtime, over a glass of wine...how hard it must be to write about whatever you so please wherever you so please. But really, when you get paid by the number of posts and your audience is a news-hungry crowd, things can get a little crazy. The non-stop action have bloggers complaining of weight loss or gain, sleep disorders and exhaustion. Two weeks ago Russell Shaw, a prolific blogger on technology subjects, died at 60 of a heart attack. In December, another tech blogger, Marc Orchant, died at 50 of a massive coronary. And Om Malik, 41, survived a heart attack in December. Although this might be coincidental, Michael Arrington, the founder and co-editor of TechCrunch, a popular technology blog told NY Times "I haven't died yet. At some point, I’ll have a nervous breakdown and be admitted to the hospital, or something else will happen.” The site has brought in millions in advertising revenue, but there has been a hefty cost. Mr. Arrington says he has gained 30 pounds in the last three years, developed a severe sleeping disorder and turned his home into an office for him and four employees. One of the most competitive categories is supposedly technology blogs about developments and news. "They're in a vicious 24-hour competition to break company news, reveal new products and expose corporate gaffes," says the article. I guess since people now depend on blogging and it's become so popular, more and more jobs in home offices are present. More people depend on blogging and the pressure is on to meet the demands and deadlines.