My friend Aaron has this to say about his almost dead blog:
So, the point is, why should I be blogging now, with a teeny-weeny audience. Forget the lack of payment, who even is going to read this? I guess this is the realization that all bloggers avoid, because it causes their entire world to self-destruct in on them. In the end, why do I or anyone else have a blog, a tumblelog, a Twitter, etc? What’s the point of it all? To put my existence on every corner of the web? Make my ego bigger? I honestly do not know.
When I originally started blogging on Blogger in 2004, 2 people read it: My mom and my dad. But then my grandparents started reading it. Then my aunts and uncles, and more of my family. Then, when Aaron and I created the Teen Tech Buzz a couple of other readers caught on. But I’m not sure how regurally they read it. Sure, not everyone who reads this posts a comment, but I’d be surprised if I have more than 10 regular readers of this blog. So really my audience is small. But enough people read it for me to keep blogging.
If I were blogging for money it would take some the fun away. I would start posting just to have posts, and I wouldn’t be having fun anymore. Sure, it’s fun to get paid - but it’s not always a good thing for your overall blog quality.
Yes, to some extent I agree with Aaron. Blogging for a small (more like nonexistent) audience is tough. If you’re not paid, half the motive is gone. And if you don’t have a large audience, then some may say that that’s the other half. But I don’t think so. I continue to blog because I enjoy it. I enjoy posting about my interests, and I enjoy the occasinal feedback that I get in the comments.
And I like to think that in 30 years I’ll be able to look back at an archive of my life and my intrests as time goes by. And that’s cool enough for me to set aside 15 minutes a night to make a blog post.
Hi,
Very interesting post Austen. I often wonder myself if it is worth the effort of keeping my blog updated. But then if some of my friends read it, it is worth it. And there are times when I see the visitors using Google Analytics and it impresses me.
So I’ll do an effort of maintining my blog.
Thanks,
Mike
Hope you keep it up Austen…my audience is pretty pitiful. like you, my primary readership is my Mom and Dad. LOL.
But I tend to it instead of emailing out news and jokes and stuff. And I think it does keep a nice record of whats going on in ones life. Sort of like a journal, or a personal log, on the web. One might even say, a “web-log”!
UB
Your blog allows you to focus on and digest what is important to you (rabbitbread); an audience, while gratifying, is a secondary benefit and shouldn’t be your primary motivation.
I have found your blog most interesting, Austen, but it also fulfills a need. We spent your first ten years just a short train ride away from you. Now, we are much farther, and through your blog, we’re able to understand what your life is like, what interests you, how school is influencing you, and observe how you are growing up and maturing into a very promising young man.
Without the blog, we’d have to rely on e-mails. And I don’t think you are going to e-mail us every day. Maybe every week (or maybe not), but certainly not in the detail that we get through your blog.
Yes, your audience is small. But it consists of the people who care about you. Do keep it up. Grandma Max
I Like your Blog! PLease don’t stop!
I’m tellin’ ya–keep it up! Just continue to blog away! It’s a neat way to track your thoughts, ideas, interests and it sure is wonderfully interesting to family and friends. Don’t stop! Forget the money angle. We can track your growth and maturity and so can YOU! Keep goin”
Granpa Reed