Greg Laden's Blog

According to a recent article in the New York Time (here, but you may need a free subscription), blogging on an intense schedule, resulting in stress related damage to health.

Two weeks ago in North Lauderdale, Fla., funeral services were held for Russell Shaw, a prolific blogger on technology subjects who died at 60 of a heart attack. In December, another tech blogger, Marc Orchant, died at 50 of a massive coronary. A third, Om Malik, 41, survived a heart attack in December.

.. bloggers complain of weight loss or gain, sleep disorders, exhaustion and other maladies born of the nonstop strain ...

To be sure, there is no official diagnosis of death by blogging, and the premature demise of two people obviously does not qualify as an epidemic. There is also no certainty that the stress of the work contributed to their deaths. But friends and family of the deceased, and fellow information workers, say those deaths have them thinking about the dangers of their work style.

In my case, blogging has the opposite physical effects. When I am not blogging for a period of time ... such as if I'm in the field with no computers near by ... I put on weight, become irritable, become tired and depressed by day and restless by night, and so on. On the other hand, while blogging, I drift towards an ideal weight, sleep like a baby, am always in a good mood, and I'm full of energy.

(Have you heard, The Nile isn't just a River in Africa Anymore?)

... but seriously, I'm sure that blogging is an insult to some lifestyles, and conflicts with some personal demands, in a way that can increase stress for some. And I'm sure that it is an emotional outlet and a creative activity that reduces stress in others. Time will sort this out.

Some bloggers are just asking for it, almost reveling in it:

"I haven't died yet," said Michael Arrington, the founder and co-editor of TechCrunch, a popular technology blog. The site has brought in millions in advertising revenue, but there has been a hefty cost. Mr. Arrington says he has gained 30 pounds in the last three years, developed a severe sleeping disorder and turned his home into an office for him and four employees. "At some point, I'll have a nervous breakdown and be admitted to the hospital, or something else will happen."