My blog world has gotten smaller. A couple of the sites I used to visit with some regularity have closed up shop recently. Some others have gone off on their own tangents that no longer strike a nerve with me. Over the past several months I have read and commented on posts at other sites with little or no acknowledgement. Consequently, I don't visit other blogs very often now.
I guess the biggest disappointment for me is that I have never really been able to conjure up any consistent discussion or debate here. No doubt the fault lies with me. I tend to meander around with a variety of topics on which I choose to post. While the central purpose of this site was, and remains atheism and problems I have with religion, I often go well beyond that core of commentary. I assume that has the effect of dissipating my audience which even at best has always been sparse. In other words, my work just doesn't strike a nerve or otherwise resonate with many readers. I'm apparently off in my own little world.
I have contributed a number of articles to Blog Critics Magazine over the last few months. Most were posts I'd first published here and, usually with some alterations transposed them to BC. A particular article I published there garnered nearly 400 comments. However, as I believe I noted here earlier, only a relatively small percentage of them were even remotely related to the subject at hand. I publish at a couple of other sites as well.
In the foreseeable future, I will likely not post here so often. Even after more than a year, my efforts here have been largely for naught. I don't know what I expected - delusions of grandeur, no doubt. As I sat down to begin this post, I really had no idea what I was going to write. I suppose it shows. What would you call it - blogger's block? I went through this same kind of thing a few months ago and even stated that I was going to close up shop myself. I won't say that again, but now, if spring ever actually decides to settle in, I expect to have a great deal more to do than sit here tapping out what usually amounts to meaningless nonsense. I suppose, though that I will plop down in my rather creaky chair from time to time if the spirit moves me and plunk something out (god willing, of course.) But in the mean time, my herb garden awaits!
TLS
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6 comments:
Ah - the holy grail of an active comments section.
You need to focus on WHY you blog. Maybe it's best to treat it like an on-line diary. Diary keepers don't do it for the readers, they do it for themselves. If something happens to strick a chord with readers then, so much the better.
if you are actively chasing readers then your blog will have to offer something different, something quirky even. And then you have to throw yourself into the blogosphere and participate in other blog's comments. There, your erudite and pithy comments will make people think "who is this guy?" and they will come and visit, like what they find and stay.
Stew,
Thanks for the comment. At least I got a rise out of somebody.
While I indicate that this effort might turn out to be somewhat of a diary, it hasn't really turned out that way.
Over the course of my nearly 120 posts I have written on a rather wide range of topics and done a few "quirky" things like a one year anniversary of Rupture series back in November.
Also, as I have indicated, I have indeed visited and commented at a wide variety of other sites to little avail.
I suppose if I refocussed this onto say, pop culture or some such, I could pick up more readers and comments. But I have no interest in doing that.
I'm letting my ego get in the way, I suppose. I'm not giving up the effort, but I will probably be writing more for BC and some other sites.
I suspect that for many, what they see here involves too many words. I don't offer much in the way of visual or audio candy. I am not particularly computer savvy, and I don't see how that could lend much to what it is I'm doing here.
In the end, though, I may have to accept that my particular perspective just doesn't "strike a chord" with many people.
TLS
Well you struck a chord with me, and you certainly got some discussion going on my blog, now closed down. Yes, I'm one of the ones that moved on. I still pop in to read here and I always enjoy what you write. It's just that I'm not sure I can add to the conversation.
I hope to be soon putting in long hours in the garden as well.
Love, Zoe
Zoe,
I know you have been responsive since you first visited my little corner of the blogosphere, and I appreciate it, and I certainly enjoyed reading and commenting at your place. I will miss your particular insights.
I'm sure you could add a lot to the conversation, but I know that each of us has only so much energy, and it is necessary to be selective as regards the battles we choose to fight so to speak.
I suppose I pout too much, but I have so little opportunity to engage in any kind of meaningful discourse with any people in my life's sphere. Of course I can share some thoughts with my wife, Jo and occasionally, my kids. But otherwise, I am more or less lying low here in red neck heaven also known as "Bushville" and/or "Jesusburg."
I know staying well is part of your particular challenge, but I sincerely hope you manage to do so.
Just stop by and say "hi" now and then.
Being anonymous is a hoot, ain't it?
L-TLS
Although you don't have much "visual or audio candy," your posts are well thought out and well written. I know that I personally would rather read a post by an intellectual, articulate individual than something flashy that lacks substance.
Allison,
Thank you for the kind words and for spending some time here. I tend to wallow from time to time. Just my nature, I guess. I'll keep pluggin' along.
TLS
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