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I have a problem: I need to maintain and extend two blogs, two WordPress plugins, and start work on a new piece of code for a web application.

I have to blog and program…

…but blogging and programming seem to require slight but important differences in how I work. Blogging requires a different sort of attention than programming. This difference is suggested by the following observation: most bloggers do not program, and most programmers blog only once in a while, if at all.

Reactionary blogging

So much of what I read about blogging success seems to require “reactionary” behavior. Successful bloggers have to stay on top of everything, all the time. Having Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) seems to be an advantage for successful bloggers.

Successful bloggers must:

• Regularly keep an eye on trending topics.
• Watch traffic on a regular basis.
• Manage business systems for advertising, affiliate sales, etc.
• Maintain the blogging system, i.e., WordPress.
• Promote on social networks, bookmark, leave comments, promote promote promote.

These activities require a lot of thin “time slicing.” You don’t have to pay much attention to any one thing for a very long time.

Successful blogging also seems to be as much about figuring out which way the wind is blowing, and staying with it. When some new technology comes along, you need to be ready to exploit it as fast as possible.

Actionary programming

Programming requires action, forethought, planning and long spans of concentrated attention. I call this “actionary.” People with ADD, otherwise brilliant, sometimes have a hard time sitting down long enough to be effective on a long term programming project.

You have to commit to a course of action.

You have to eliminate distraction.

For example, I’m not paying any attention at all to Google Buzz. I’m using that time to work out database schema for hrecipe microformat plugin. Am I missing anything? I don’t know. I do know that Jason Calacanis (mahalo.com) believes Buzz could seriously cut into Facebook’s market share for such conversations. He said so in an email this morning.

Perhaps I should pay more attention to Google Buzz. What should I give up?

Blog and program together, if possible

Blogging and programming together can be very difficult, unless you limit the blogging topics to stay very close to your programming. This isn’t always possible. How many people really want to spend an relaxed morning pondering a few thousand words on symplectic integration? Three or four, maybe.

However, I’ve been moderately successful (in terms of search results) blogging a bit about WordPress and PHP programming. It’s a natural fit here on Website In A Weekend, and I’ll be doing more of it.

Of the two, I’d have to say blogging is substantially easier for me. But I get far more satisfaction from a beautiful, easy-to-read, well-written piece of code.

What’s your experience?

Do you have experience doing both? Would you like to discuss it?

If so, please tell us about it!

What about other activities that might conflict with blogging? Tell us your experience with those.