Blogs, Articles and Newsletters: Do We All Just Copy From Each Other?

Some time ago, I wrote an article for TheIntegratedLab.com about how everyone claims to be #1 in LIMS:

http://theintegratedlab.com/2009/06/im-1-in-lims-answering-one-of-the-great-mysteries/

Just today, someone sent me a list of articles they’ve been writing. Their list included what was basically the same article. In fact, as I looked at their list of articles, I realized their list of articles was almost the same articles I’d recently written for my own variety of destinations (my blog, my newsletter and commercial publications).

Are We All Copying Each Other?

Yes and no. Here are some thoughts on why so much duplication occurs:

1. Certain topics continue to be popular topic standbys. For example, every magazine, blog and newsletter has been publishing articles on how to select a software product for your LIMS, ELN, SDMS, etc… This is a topic that doesn’t go out-of-date. New people will always be doing this so it’s always a valid topic.
2. The same topics come up in conversation, over and over. So, we keep talking about the same things. I don’t mean that we never make any progress in our industry, but even with improvements, certain issues continue to arise. Thus, as we get frustrated, we write these articles yet again.
3. We all get ideas from each other. Since those of us that write articles and give talks do stumble across what the others write and say, we do get ideas from that. Sometimes, we write about exactly the same topic but with a different point-of-view.

With All the Resources, What Do You Choose?

I’m a busy person and I’m sure you are, too. There’s not enough time in the day to read every resource that comes up. Here are some frustrating problems about the resources out there:

1. Some people start with great enthusiasm but can’t keep it up. Soon, they stop producing anything.
2. Almost all the resources available are linked to people selling products and/or services. I’m one of them. If I and others can’t provide worthwhile content along with our sales pitch, then why bother reading it, at all?
3. There’s a lot of overlap. Personally, I’ve tried reading all the resources on specific topics. I do find that sometimes I’ll find a fresh look at a topic. But it takes a LOT of reading to get to it. Most of the time, I see the same things repeated by everyone, including myself. It’s not worth reading the same thing multiple times.

Prioritize

Many of us, including me, have tried to subscribe to everything. We’re busy and we can’t keep up with it. So we save it all to come back to when we’re not as busy. Eventually, we do come back to it and what happens? Well, you know this as well as I do – we come back to LOTS of messages and we delete them out of frustration.

Personally, the multitudes of information I get relates to this combination:

1. I’ve subscribed to so many things, that those things get me on the lists of yet more things. Some of the additional things I get signed-up for have nothing to do with any of my own interests, either.
2. Because lots of people run across my name or know who I am, they sign me up for yet more things. Some people ask me, first, and I’m moderately more charitable toward those that ask, first, than those that don’t.

So, if I don’t recognize something or don’t see much value to it or am just tired of it, I just click “unsubscribe” so that I don’t keep getting those messages.

For those things I think I really do want to read, I think hard about it, “Do I merely want to read it or will I actually read it?” Then, if I realize I want to read it but will never prioritize it high-enough to read over other things, I also get rid of it. And if I realize something has been dead for quite awhile, I delete it. By having my name associated with it, I feel I’m helping to promote it. If it’s not producing anything, why have the people that respect my opinion think I’m endorsing it by my subscription to it? I think it’s better to remove myself and focus on the resources I do find useful.

Gloria Metrick
GeoMetrick Enterprises
http://www.GeoMetrick.com/