Brought on By Belghast’s comment on Blaugust.

Back in the before-times, I worked downtown. If there wasn’t snow, then there was a festival. Ribfest was one of them, and while the prices were eye-popping, the food was amazing. We’d head out and pick up a copious amount of delight, and the first day was always the best. We’d head out every day, try to hit every stall. By the last day, you’d be just overstuffed on ribs, and while it was still enjoyable, it was also a bit of a chore to get another set in the belly. And that was less than a week.

Reading is a bit like that. I really enjoy reading, truly. A fair chunk of my work relates to reading things, quickly parsing it for valued information and taking action, then reading the next thing in line. By the end of the day my mind is fatigued and I can just use a nice break. When I used to take time off work (the before-times), I’d read through 4-5 books in a week. There’s certainly a hunger there and the muscle needs exercise.

Reading blogs is a tough bit. There’s some absolutely amazing stuff out there, but it’s not consistent. A writer may have 1 glorious post a month and then some OK bits for the rest (this is normal). I use Feedly to sort through my rather substantial list of blogs, allowing me quick access and a list of previously read content. In the spring, I’d have a dozen+ articles to read through per day, and I’d honestly struggle to get through that many. Commenting is its own challenge, given that not all blogging platforms are integrated, and there isn’t often things to add to a discussion.

Blaugust compounds that 10-fold. It’s a buffet of content, but in a different context. Folks like Wilhelm have no true need for feedback during this month, but someone who is new to the community can certainly use it. With that context, commenting has an increased value, just like when you meet a new person and shake their hand (we still do that, right?). I’m horrendous for this by the way, only able to make it work in bursts. Summer in igloo-land is just so special, and time is a finite resource, making August a very internally focused month. I should still make more effort, as a few minutes from me (or you) can make a really large impact on someone trying to find their voice.

So I guess I have my own challenge to surmount in Blaugust. Let’s see how that goes…