One More 'Blogging is An Addiction' Post & the Formation of Bloggers Anonymous

It all started when the NYT published an article with the general gist of:

Blogging is a pastime for many, even a livelihood for a few. For some, it becomes an obsession. Such bloggers often feel compelled to write several times daily and feel anxious if they don't keep up. As they spend more time hunkered over their computers, they neglect family, friends and jobs. They blog at home, at work and on the road. They blog openly or sometimes, like Mr. Wiggins, quietly so as not to call attention to their habit. (article found via A_VC)

The first reaction among frequent webloggers was denial.

And since I can identify with the paragraph above, I was also a bit perturbed that someone called me out. After thinking about it, though, and realizing how consumed I've become, I realized that I am addicted. Yes, the next step is acceptance of the disease.

Both my business partner and my fiance have asked me how much time I spend. And they both were a bit jeaulous and perturbed when I told them. Fortunately, neither have come to this:

(pic found via A_VC)

So, with this post I am starting:

Bloggers Anonymous:
For Bloggers that are addicted to blogging.

And the twelve step program:

1. We admitted we were powerless over blogging — that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. Came to believe that a Power greater than Jeff Jarvis could restore us to sanity.

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our livelihood over to the care of Jason Calacanis as we understood Him and his 50-50 revenue split.

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of our waypath related links.

5. Admitted to Blogger.com, to Movable Type and through any other blogging software the exact nature of our blogging.

6. We are entirely ready to have Joi Ito remove all these defects of character.

7. Humbly asked Cameron Marlow to remove porn from blogdex.

8. Made a blogroll of all persons we had harmed and became willing to link to them again.

9. Hyperlink to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or other bloggers.

10. Continued to write in first person and monitor incoming links through technorati and when our ideas are not attributed, promptly blogged about it.

11. Sought through prayer and meditation blogging to improve our conscious contact with slashdot, as we understood it, praying only for one freaking acceptance of a link we propose.

12. Having had a re-blogging awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to bloggers by linking to these twelve steps and monitoring references to it in our bloglines newsreader, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Comments

[Phil Wolff]

I've been waiting for this since March of 2003. Where can I find a meeting? Don't Blog: Blogging the weblog backlash.

[Jay]

blogging has become a serious outlet for me over the past few years. gets alot off my chest!!

[Lance Burson]

Hi, I am Lance and I am compelled to blog about meaningless stuff no one cares about.

[taylor]

Drug rehab is, for many addicts, an unknown entity: a mysterious and mystifying process, a journey with no discernible beginning or end.
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Taylor
Drug Rehab