Word Dump

My answer to this is: yes, if you already have an idea what a blog is.

Or if you can competently navigate any website—any website at all. Or if you already know what commands like right click, select, copy-paste mean and what teeny muscular acrobatics your right hand performs throughout. Can you also absorb new information in minutes and follow directions very well? (If you’re like me, you’d tend to be drawn out of the page by every colorful button or piquant text and find yourself on another site a dozen hyperlinks away.)

The truth is, it depends. When they make claims about a particular product or service, of course they have a certain user in mind. I was able to set this new Friendster blog up in 5 minutes because I’m already very familiar with the WordPress interface, that I could do it while asleep (nah, not really). But when I was just starting out, it took me days to publish a decent post.

Granted, I’m obsessive-compulsive and have letting-go issues (you know, like hitting the publish button but not letting go), so it takes me forever to finish anything at all. So maybe I don’t qualify as an example.

But what about Manong taxi driver? Or the girl who brings us pre-ordered lunch at the office? Try: “Manong, did you know you can set up a blog in just a few minutes?” “Miss, check this out, you can start blogging right away!” They must think you’re out of your mind. If you do this you are out of your mind.

I used to share an apartment with a well-educated technophobe (a corporate lawyer), who’d think that the PC would explode if she presses the wrong button, and would jump out of the chair whenever she hears any odd bleeps. I think she’s been cured of technophobia after noticing that the PC hasn’t blown up in her face all these years—but I bet you she still won’t be able to casually start a blog from scratch in no time at all.

I think it’s more accurate to say that you can set up a blog and start blogging in a few minutes if you’ve reached a certain knowledge and interest level as mentioned earlier, and if the conditions are ideal, such as:

• you have reliable Internet connection
• your blog host isn’t down
• you’re not distracted by the hottie nearby
• there’s no typhoon or hurricane about to tear your house down
• you’re well-fed and secure about your meaning and place in the whole scheme of things
• etcetera (happily, there are lots of things that could make situations ideal)

I am splitting hairs.