To blog science is to document that I’m first

Jean-Claude Bradley erklärt uns in Useful Chemistry an einem Beispiel, warum es für Wissenschaftler manchmal wichtig ist, etwas schnell zu bloggen, bevor ein anderer seine Hand drauflegt:

The point is that mainstream scholarship (Nature Chemistry is certainly an example of that) is able and willing to use Web2.0 references when these are the most appropriate.

There are very few examples of mindblowingly original ideas. People working in related areas tend to come up with similar ideas. In a world where any of your competitors can blog their ideas as soon as they think of them, hoarding ideas might be the more dangerous choice.

It doesn’t matter what you think about the professional status of blogs. It doesn’t matter most scientists don’t blog. The only thing that matters is that at least one of your competitors is willing to blog their research and that the traditional journals in your field are willing to accept blog posts (and other Web2.0 publication formats) as valid references.

via @mavergames via @Berci