LTP 12: Gaping Void and the Work
Channel: Justin Whitaker
Date: 2012-06-20

A while ago, Hugh MacLeod, of Gapingvoid.com fame, announced that he was taking his social media ball and going back to his blog. 

The discussion around this move is still echoing through the blogosphere...lots of people taking sides, with one side basically giving off a  "all you social media kids get off my lawn" vibe, and the other side waving a Twitter banner and chanting "drive traffic".

Both sides are really missing the point.

If you read Seth Godin's or Steven Pressfield's latest books (Affiliate Links), there is this concept of "The Work" that keeps coming up. 

The work is what you do-your purpose, whatever it is you were put here to do. 

What I think Hugh is going with this is that the peripheral stuff, maintaining an active Twitter account, conversing on Facebook, is actually taking away from the work. 

If that's the case, then who can blame him? 

My take is that we need to reframe the blogging v. social media debate in a different way: is what you're doing supporting the WORK, or a substitute for it?

Adjust accordingly.

So say we all.

http://justinmwhitaker.com/post/22022428263/thework