David Harris invited me to a discussion about blogging he organized for his SPJ chapter at the University of South Florida, my alma mater.

Several someones asked why anyone should blog. And as part of my answer, I started saying that knowing this sort of thing puts you at an advantage. Then I changed my mind and thought about it the whole drive home.

When I came out of college, knowing “Web stuff” did put me ahead of the curve. At least half my success is good timing. But knowing the same stuff today wouldn’t get me the same first job.

If your education doesn’t include everything from blogging and podcasting to shooting video and recording audio, then you’re at a disadvantage. The disadvantage won’t be felt when trying to get a job. It won’t. The disadvantage will be more like going from high school to college and realizing nothing had prepared you enough. It’s an overwhelming feeling. When expected to record audio for your story, or shoot a short video clip, or file to the Web site from your car, you won’t know what to do. That’s the disadvantage.

Really, those are only the basics. Have you ever used a database for reporting or organized common information into a useful database?

My grandparents recently visited me here in Florida, and that means we went to the dog track. Not knowing your way around Internet reporting tools reminds me of the comments about the greyhounds in the racing sheets. They say things like, “Slow from the start,” or, “Never a factor.”

When reporters are on stories, they’re competing – against other reporters on the story, and against other reporters in the newsroom to get the best assignments. Don’t get bumped at the gate.