Use Blogs To Learn New Stuff

We discussed about using feed readers to keep ourselves updated. I am eager to know what type of feeds do you subscribe to. I am also interested in knowing what feed reader you use.

In this post, let us discuss how to make use of blog feeds to learn new stuff.

Internet has always been a great resource for all the topics on earth! Yes, you know it. To check the meaning of new words, you use online dictionaries. To quickly find out information about a particular topic you use Wikipedia. To find information about any topic in depth you use articles and eBooks probably. Have you used blog feeds to learn new stuff? If not, you should, now.

Have you always been thinking about learning a specific technology or art? I'm sure most of you do. Many of you have secretly fantasized having more than 24 hours in day, haven't you? Off late, I have been gleaning one heck of information by subscribing to blog feeds. You name a topic and you will find a blog with quality content. If you are a marketing professional you may want to learn tips and tricks that can boost your career. If you are a software engineer, you may want to learn a new programming language. If you are a homemaker you may want to try your hands on new recipes. If you are a manager you may want to learn about a latest trend in your industry. The list goes on and on and on. In summary there's a topic out there for everybody. Even if you don't have the desire to learn new stuff, you should keep yourself updated and be smart in your industry.

Blogs invariably offer RSS feeds to their readers. Some blogs even offer e-mail alerts when new entries are posted. Take advantage of them and immerse yourself in your favorite topic for the next few days. Blogs cover hot industry news and reviews on them. It is convenient to learn a new technology or art in your free time. You can read the feeds when you want them. Everyday, before I start the work, I go through the feeds I have subscribed to. I also read them in my breaks and before I leave for the day.

The next challenge is to find the relevant blogs. As usual, Google is the place to go to search for blogs. Wait. There are ways to evaluate the blogs before spending too much time reading the posts.

• Technorati indexes millions of blogs and offers blog review system. They also maintain a list of top 100 popular bogs. Get to know what Technorati has to say about a particular blog.
• Google blog search searches blogs exclusively. Spend less time searching bypassing other websites.
• The above you will get you started, You discover the rest and tell us how and what you did to find the best blogs.

The next step is to participate. Blogs are a medium for discussions. Unlike books and magazines, blogs have commenting system. The blog author initiates the conversation. The readers take it to the next step. The more you discuss a subject the deeper insight you get. The discussion benefits every reader because the comments are published right below the blog post. You also get to meet interesting people. Active participation in blogs will reward with you good contacts.

I should also warn you that blog feeds are addictive. If the content is viral, you can't do away reading them. Make sure your new found activity does not hit your productivity. Start small. Subscribe to one or two good blog sites. If you they are going well, don't bother to look out for other blogs. You will eventually discover all the latest and greatest blogs on your favorite topics.

I wish you good luck with your new endeavor.