Tattoo people — I am too much of a chicken to get a tattoo. I get bored easily too. And I don’t have a fear of needles, but I do have a fear of disease. So I’m pretty sure it’s not for me. Now, those kid tattoos are fun. I could go for some of those. Temporary works for me, in most areas of my life.

@others – When I first considered a tattoo I was very worried about the “being permanent” issue. After having one for fifteen years now, I find that that has actually become irrelevant issue, because it becomes just another part of your body. Just like freckles, a mole, stretch marks, a scar — a person’s body is full of different types of permanent markings. In the end I am glad I decided to add a permanent mark that is beautiful; and one that was added by choice.

@ Deb – I can’t help but to think that working for a tattoo magazine would be an incredible and also a fun experience.

I keep thinking, “What if he starts and I go OW! OH OW! STOP!” *sigh*

I’ll agree with your point as well. There is short-term content that is valuable, and I did measure “value” as being the type of post to create inspiration, motivation or teach in some way. Since I blog daily as a full-time job, I get a little sidetracked in my ways Nice catch.

@ Amy – CHANGE YOUR THEME??!! Ohmigod. *falls off chair*

That’s just the thing, though – people don’t have to settle for writing posts and forgetting them once the day goes by. There are many ways to put content back in the light, with easy widgets, linking out, different styles of themes…

As for commenting being a full-time job and uncompensated in any way, you are absolutely dead right and dead on. It’s a JOB. It’s a task that requires continual reading for a long, long time and it requires breaking away from paying work to come back to interact with people so they feel happy and heard.

It’s not an easy job, either. A comment comes along one year after a post goes live, and you have to 1) remember the post, 2) remember preceeding comments, 3) come comment without being redundent and 4) still add to the conversation – a year later. (And how many people surf the net each day? And what if every post written requires this?) Takes a good memory and willingness.

The harder part is sitting still for the two hours it took to complete. I had to sit on what was really a massage table with one leg dangling and the other on the table so that the side of my calf was facing upwards. After a while that position became annoying.

“Your question was, “If you were in the hiring position, would you look for a person who offered short-term results because of speed or one who offered long-term return because of dedication?”

My answer would be, I would hire only the writer who could do both….. in a single post. ”

I agree 100%.

I think that “timeless content is valuable”, but short-lived content is as equally valuable.

Today’s Freelance Writing Jobs post, for example, is extremely valuable content, and I would hazard a guess that it is not timeless content that will inspire years of discussion or require the blogger to be there day in and day out months from now to comment in the thread. No one will really care too much about the valuable of this specific post a few weeks from now, but to the community of readers, this post is just as important as the ones that produce hundreds of comments and days of insightful discussion.

Your question was, “If you were in the hiring position, would you look for a person who offered short-term results because of speed or one who offered long-term return because of dedication?”

My answer would be, I would hire only the writer who could do both….. in a single post.