There are 8 million bloggers out there and 32 million people who READ blogs. Why are so many of us addicted to both writing and reading blogs? The answer is quite obvious. You can easily keep a personal journal and keep it private, but bloggers write to be heard.
Some or most of us say things in our blogs that we wouldn’t normally say face to face to anybody. The anonymity of the internet is a huge advantage in getting out our most controversial or non-controversial messages out there. I think this is a good thing. Some may think it’s “cheating”, but I think it’s great that we take advantage of our “secret selves” and “just say it”. Sometimes I may cause some feathers to fly, but I can handle the backlash.
Now that I got out the “whys” and the “need to be heard” element out of the way, I must say that there’s one thing that I don’t understand about some bloggers out there. It makes me scratch my head.
If someone could help me with this…. why are so many of you concerned about the AMOUNT of comments you get and/or the amount of viewers you get per day? Are you comparing yourselves to The Instapundit who gets approximately 300,000 hits per day? Or perhaps other popular bloggers? Are you THAT insecure about yourself that you need to make comparisons that determine your self-worth?
I won’t deny it myself that back in the day when I was blogging like a bat out of hell, I was constantly checking my stats and of course, looking for comments. I also won’t deny the fact that I am flattered to see that people are listening to me and/or taking the time to comment (good or bad). However, I don’t judge my intelligence, the richness of my blog content, my self-worth, whether I’m a good person or not by the amount of viewers and commenters I receive. I want more of both – yes, but I don’t fall prey to suicidal impulses or make an emergency call to my psychiatrist when I don’t. I wouldn’t even go as far as complain about it. Lastly and most importantly, whether I get 10 views a day or 300, this will not stop me from blogging. It’s what I like to do.
Am I supposed to feel inferior or that the content of my blog needs to be in check because I only get comments from just a few people?
When I see people like you out there complaining about “blog stats”, it actually makes me feel like I’m not as crazy as I think I am. While my mental health may be unstable at times, I feel that as far as my sense of “worth” is concerned, I’m not doing that bad.
I am a member of sites which help get my blog out there for the world to see (only used when I blog regularly). I want attention just as you do! But, I will not change my blog content because I’m not getting enough comments from a lot of different people. My blog content is ME! I’ve got my 10 viewers a day. I’m happy and those that don’t like me or my blog have a choice as emphasized in my disclaimer that I keep going on and on about.
Everyone has choice. It’s up to you to decide to make them or let others control you. Which do you prefer?
Do you prefer quantity or quality?
I prefer quality to quantity!
Many bloggers have tall ambitions.
They want to sell themselves or their products.
Like me I have a professional career as a writer and TV/film producer. Therefore, I am not blogging for the fun of it. I am mobilizing and sensitizing the rest of the world for the knowledge of my products and services. Most of my blogs carry Google Adsense Ads and other adverts earning me some money and very soon my sites will go commercial. I want to blog for cash. The more popular the more the demand for your products and services. Therefore, I want to make more money on my blogs. The only personal blog I have is http://kissesandroses.blogspot.com. All the others are serious political and current affairs sites.
I can have 3,000 hits per hour anytime I want to and I can have over 1,000,000 visitors every month whenever I want them. But, I am not ready yet.
Blogging is going to be rated high in the business world like on line news media.
My blogs are currently pilot projects and they are actually being prepared for the growing audience of Internet population in my country Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa with over 130 million people and 20 million of these people can surf. I am already in the future waiting for them with wide open arms of welcome. Once I advertize for one month in Nigeria, 2 million people are going to rush to Nigerian Times to see what is the news! And I have seven sites already distributing and circulating the information of Nigerian Times in the virtual world. And guess what? I am a celebrity in Nigeria. A prize winning writer and the government is watching. Nigerian Times is the future of Nigeria.
No fooling around for me in blogosphere.
ahem….jaded…your is the only blog I read…honest….I donot care to ‘commit’ to other ones…
Hi Ticklebug,
I guess I’m deluded into thinking maybe my thoughts can actually make a difference in this Nation and World, if even only a TINY little bit. See, to ME, I see everything I blog about as being “common sense”. I know not everybody else sees it that-a-way, but I do. I feel we are a part of a revolutionary process and it feels wonderful. To see that I have 250-450 readers a day honestly astonishes me, because I *know* my writing sucks… lol.
But hey, good to see you again, friend! Blog ON…
I hear yah loud and clear GTL. Your blog is one of my favorites to read, actually.
I don’t know if the point I’m making was clear. But my problem is more centered around those whom think of themselves to be worthless because only a few people read them.
Like one who has two very close friends and another person who has 100. And you and I both know that if someone has many friends that you wonder if the word “friend” has been watered down?
It’s all about quality vs quantity and the fact that stats in the grand scheme of things don’t matter. However, this doesn’t mean I’d be as thrilled as you are to have 400 hits a day. I’d love every minute of it.
GTL, if anyone thinks your blog is crap is because they are afriad of “commom sense”. People are scared to death of the truth.
Fuck ‘em!
Ticklebug:
“Your blog is one of my favorites to read, actually.”
I don’t know why, Tickle, but I sure do appreciate that. Yours was ALWAYS one of my faves, because I never knew what to expect to see here
“Like one who has two very close friends and another person who has 100. And you and I both know that if someone has many friends that you wonder if the word “friend” has been watered down?”
NO DOUBT! I don’t have a 10th of that amount of friends, even in real life.
“However, this doesn’t mean I’d be as thrilled as you are to have 400 hits a day. I’d love every minute of it.”
Probably half of it is because of traffic exchanges, the rest from links and stuff. But like I said; it FLOORS me that this many people pass through to see what I’m up to. I’m so grateful to all of them.
“People are scared to death of the truth.
Fuck ‘em!”
Yes, they ARE, and yes – FUCK ‘em! And God Bless YOU, Ticklebug. I hope your move to your own place happens quickly, and without negative incident. I’m sure you’re excited about that
Blog ON, friend!