The effect of blogging

With the recent change in direction in my career I've had a great opportunity to look back and see more clearly where I've been and gain a perspective I might have otherwise overlooked. One thing I know now is that my decision to get my own domain and set up my own blog opened doors for me which, not only would have been closed, I might not have recognized they were doors. In the end, it really comes down to what Scoble has been talking about for years, conversations. Here are some example of the conversations blogging has opened for me even though unlike Scoble my personal contact with the people whom I've had conversations with has remained largely digital:

• Public conversations with blog readers via comments
• Private conversations with blog readers via email
• Internal conversations within coworkers
• Conversations with executives including CEO's, Directors, VP's, PR etc.
• IM conversations after connecting through something I blogged about
• Conversations with developers contributing to DasBlog my blog engine
• Conversations with companies whose products I've blogged about

Through all these conversations I learned a lot which has help shape my own opinion, open my eyes, point me at new technology and even allow me to make better decisions. It will be interesting to see where blogging will lead in the coming months and years now that I've left CodeGear and the comfortable surroundings of that community. In a way, I feel like I'm diving into blogging anonymity although I also feel like I have the freedom to reach out to a larger audience. Of course, this story isn't quite as riveting as getting fired for blogging though I personally feel the impact has been nearly as great.

There is lots of evidence that blogs will change your business and if you approach blogging the way I have you may find that it affects you in unexpected ways too.