Where did everybody go?
| November 13, 2012 | Posted by Hajra under Blogging, People |
I have been blogging for quite some time now. Over two years now. And the best part of the journey is the connections I have made. Or the people I have met through reading blogs and writing blogs.
I can’t count how many – but quite a lot. They come from different countries, different cultures and in all shapes and sizes. But they are wonderful people and that is reason enough for me to like them.
But one thing I have noticed over time is that some people leave. I don’t know why and what makes them leave but they just go. There a very few who hang around for ever (cough, Bill, cough).
In the beginning, I used LinkedIn to get in touch with other bloggers and then I just blog hopped and kept reading and commenting till my fingers collapsed. But I notice that many people who I used to “hang around with” in the beginning of my blogging journey are somehow missing. I don’t visit them anymore (I am not sure why) and they don’t come by and say hi.
Now I wouldn’t say it is extreme and I have gone and made new friends – there are some who have been here since day one (Janine, yes you!). But many of them have just gone.
Maybe they don’t like what I write. Maybe they don’t like the fact that I can be so irregular. Or whatever it is. I wonder where did they go. And why did they leave. And where did they go?
Now social media can be a weirdly funny experience. It might be taxing for some. It might be a cakewalk for others. As long as you are having fun doing what you are doing, it should be okay. But the people who survive are those who have fun from day one. And those who keep having fun. Sorry to say this but if you are bored easily by blogging, you won’t last long.
It is not like a crappy day job, where you bicker every Monday about it being Monday and on Friday you are super excited that you don’t have to be selling your soul for the next two days. Here you just have fun and have a say on what others are writing about (yes, commenting is all about having your say).
So, I keep wondering where everybody went. We just came here to have fun. So why did some people leave?
Are you in touch with everyone you knew throughout your blogging journey, especially people you knew when you began? Why do people just fall out of blogging? Is the blogging world so bad?
Hey Hajra, will you count me in. I didn't realise that I had a livefyre account, I can't remember when I registered on it. I too wonder some stay and some stick around.
@Shalu Sharma LOL! Sometimes we create too many accounts to name!
Latest blog post: Inspiration, Laziness, Secrets
I am new around here!
I breeze in and out of blogs...there are only a handful that I have read faithfully.
Sometimes, I go through my reader and ask myself 'do I know the name of the person who writes this blog, do I know them?'...because if I have been following for a while, and never even picked up their first name, well, that's my reason for moving on!
~Shannon
@shannonmolenaar Welcome! Are you new to blogging too? I don't have the bio on the livefyre profile, can't find your blog!
I subscribe to a lot of blogs and after a couple of weeks I wonder what happened! Who are they?
Latest blog post: Inspiration, Laziness, Secrets
I have a three year old blog...but I often feel new! 8footsix.com and there are moments I want to walk away from blogging, I took a break for a few months in 2011...usually it's a lack of comments that leave's me wondering if anyone is still listening!
@shannonmolenaar Don't worry. Just go out and network! :)
And comments are not a measure of success! :)
Latest blog post: Inspiration, Laziness, Secrets
Hi Hajra,
Yes, those relationships are very important, aren't they? I've made great relationships this year myself and it's because of them that my blog traffic has more than tipple, and that's a great feeling.
I know what you mean by getting tired of people who are missing in action, though. I can think myself of someone who has never come back to my blog since she posted a guest post there :) but, that's OK, we can't please everyone, that's part of the game.
I saw you on Barry Well's blog and thought I'd say hello to you as I haven't been here in a while :)
@LifeCoachingPro Sorry!
Latest blog post: Inspiration, Laziness, Secrets
@LifeCoachingPro They are so important! And I think that is the way to go ahead....
LOL! About the guest post, I am so sorry. It is still on my reminder list and things to do! I have to get it done some day!
Latest blog post: Inspiration, Laziness, Secrets
I know what you mean Hajra! When I started blog hopping I had met some really amazing people. Now for the most part they were here to build a business and they used their blog to connect with other bloggers.
They all have different reasons for abandoning their blogs. Some of them their business has picked up so much it's taken them away from having time to blog, others weren't seeing the results they wanted so they quit, some weren't consistent enough and then thought it was too late to come back and start all over, there are so many different reasons. I've stopped by some of their blogs to check up on them only to find it abandoned, no posts in years now. Really it's a shame because they shared great stuff.
Oh well, to each his own right! I have a feeling that one day that will be us. I can't see myself blogging for another 10 years but I'll be sure and write a goodbye post at least. Let everyone know what I'm up to and why I'm heading on down the road. For now, I'm still having a blast.
~Adrienne
@AdrienneSmith That is what, priorities change over time and we can't blame them either. To each his own. What we want from our blogs, from our networking can change over time. We change the way we approach blogging.
Thanks for stopping by!
It is a natural cycle. People come and go, blogs evolve and so do interests. Most of those who started with me in '04 have disappeared or post infrequently. I never stop writing or visiting blogs, but my commenting sometimes comes and goes.
Mostly it is time based, but sometimes I just don't have anything to say. It doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the post, sometimes silence is acceptance.
Latest blog post: Are You Suffering From The Echo Chamber Effect?
@Joshua Wilner/A Writer Writes My! You have been blogging long! I have been here two years and I have started complaining already! ;)
My commenting has become way less. Earlier I made it a point to read a post AND comment on it. Don't necessarily comment now. I feel I have become more of the lurker.
@Hajra @Joshua Wilner/A Writer Writes I don't comment the way I once did, mostly because of time. I tend to make a more concerted effort if I'm visiting a new blog. I like that person to know I've traipsed around the site and have taken the time to see what he or she is doing.
Latest blog post: How’s Your Tone of Voice?
Hajra, we must make new friends. This blogging journey can be taxing at times and rewarding other times. Some people leave not because they no longer like you but maybe their life goals changed.
Latest blog post: Sample Page
@Ethical Behavior Boy That is one part of the blogging process - networking more and more! And new friends are a part of the whole process.
Different people drop out for all sorts of reasons. The most persistent bloggers either a) try to make money off their blogs, so it's a living, or b) they're so devoted to their subject of choice that it would be unthinkable for them to stop. The other day, I stumbled upon an art blog that's been going for seven years! At any rate, I believe the most important thing for a blog, thematically speaking, is to have a clear focus. You know, something that can be summed up as a mission statement.
I'm not in touch with everyone I got to meet when I started blogging, but do maintain a relationship with a number of them.
@StartYourNovel But like @sweepyjean mentioned, shouldn't we worry about the social part of social media as such. Or should we just keep blogging because we like it anyhow.
I try being there for everyone's posts but it gets tough over time and I feel they drop out that way too!
@Hajra Each individual blogger would have a different answer for you. I get few comments on my blog because, I guess, the kind of thing I throw out there invites introspection. But comments do matter to me, it does matter when someone lets me know that I've resonated with them from time to time. I'm OK with a relatively small number of interactions, though, because I'm a talker, and if one day I had, say, 500 comments on a blog post, I'd feel pretty tempted to address each and every comment individually. (In fact I might succumb to said temptation.)
I might have stopped blogging if I hadn't connected with smart, wonderful people whose blogs I appreciate, whose posts really make me want to respond.
@StartYourNovel Makes sense. It is after all what matters to a blogger. Some posts make me think but they don't always make me want to say something - I have thoughts about it, but I don't necessarily want to comment always. I might be known as a lurker, but I read! :)
I have a few regular 'friends', apart from my beloved PBAU buddies, but like you, I have noticed that some have gone. I think some just started out being 'there' because I was 'there' too....on their sites. Quid pro quo kind of thing. But I don't mind. I'm doing the writing for me and having a 'real' community (translate: suppporters who are not only there cos I'm there for them too) is just another great perk that I enjoy!
@jpage.manuel Enjoying has to be a part of the deal right?
They don't really 'leave', they just stop blogging/tweeting/posting...etc...At the end of the day we all come and go, and we just have to wish them all the best!
@JSJ2020 True, priorities change. Real Life gets in the way!
Hajra - I have seen this happen...lot of bloggers who were actively visiting my site are no longer seen around...maybe they were bored with my content...who knows. Sometimes you get that when you tend to get a lot of guest articles (which is what is hpng to DMC...sigh!!!).
But as you have also rightly said, there are some who are there no matter what...regularly reading your articles and leaving their thoughts behind...i am most appreciative of them and of course return the favor :-)
@brpraveen I know I might be one of them... sigh. With college, I find time to read but commenting becomes a task! I am replying to comments on my posts after days.
Do you worry that the kind of posts we are writing are not going down well with our readers? Does that thought bother you or is it just me?
@Hajra I think one should write for his own self...without actually bothering about what readers would like to hear. I would stand by my judgement and stay clear of my conscience rather than writing stuff which might be "liked" by my readers.
I think the same happened when I wrote the post about "Proud To Be A Vegetarian"....did not go well with my readers, but i just didnt bother.
@brpraveen True. Being true to yourself will always connect with the reader. Especially when I know I am writing a blog about personal experiences.
There are bound to be differences, but that's a part of the whole journey.
Real life gets in the way.
I'm closing in on the end of my sophomore year of blogging and in the beginning it was a surprise when people dropped out of sight, but now I've come to expect it.
But blogging is a bit like real life that way. Friends can drop in and out of your life. But when they return, you're always glad to see them!
@wonderoftech It does. But I think about those who used to be here earlier and just disappear? Did I really end up being so crappy?
Yup, it can be real life like that!
Peace be upon u...now thats the beauty or rather uncertainty of virtuality... lets see till what length i can 'sustain'... :)
@FaizAkram Hope you are here always to read my posts! ;)
@Hajra Expecting the same from u for my blog... :)
I think some people get tired of keeping a blog current and move on to other projects. I didn't post on a regular basis until I joined the TLC blogging group. It is nice to have some accountability partners.
@JanetteFuller It is. But even if I am not writing, I have some people I always visit (TLC being one of them).
I have also noticed that blogging buddies come and go! Perhaps they find new content that better suits their needs, or maybe it's that they don't care for what I write anymore! Either way, I always look forward to meeting new blog friends and exploring the world through their eyes.
@Miss Riki Sometimes I think the same too. I wonder about the things I am writing - am I actually driving people away in some way?
Hi Hajra,
Cool post. I too have been blogging for quite a while and have people come and go. I love getting to know others from all parts of the world. I have one guy that does my technical work for me that lives in the UK. A few years ago hubby and I journeyed over there and met him in person. Stayed with him and his wife for 3 days. It was really cool.
He was going to come here and stay with us for a few days in September, but had some emergency family matter come up, so is rescheduling.
I have found some come and go, because they decide the blogging is not for them and others just go a different direction with ther sites. I look at it like friends you have in person, they can come and go. Some are put into our lives, because it is what we need at the time.
Blogging is all about having fun and sharing. It was nice to meet you Hajra on another blog. I like the way you write,.
Take care now, oh as for the social media, I come and go with that. Have to work on it.
Debbie
@happymakernowco I would love someone to do the technical work for me. I usually just beg @HollyJahangiri for help..
What I wonder is whether my writing or their expectations from my blog change over time. Don't they like the discussions I have or they simply get bored. Its always nice to meet new people, but I feel nice too when the earlier one hang close by! ;)
Nice to meet you Debbie! Will hop by your blog soon1
And I am always happy to help you! @Hajra @happymakernowco
@HollyJahangiri @happymakernowco Yippee!
You know, I wonder if this is just about prioritizing and life stages! =) When I disappeared, it had to do with all the craziness that comes with getting married. And I could have easily stopped blogging altogether. =P Sometimes, life just gets in the way and I think it's hardly personal. =) Who would want to lose a friend like you? Hugs!
@Samantha Bangayan Aren't you the sweetest! :)
Even when you were gone, I knew you were close by. But some people just get lost in cyber space... and never come back!
I am still around, Hajra, maybe not to the same extent, we all have our obligations IRL and sometimes they take precedence.
There is fluctuation of a different kind in the blogging world, but like in real life you meet people, see them occasionally and then they move away to a different state or out of our eyesight. I know (at least I think I do) those people with whom I have a deeper connection will stay around even if I or they stopped blogging.
And honstly: how much time do you set aside for having fun? I wish I could read 100 blog posts and leave comments like @RAAckermanATCerebrations and be creative on top of that, I simply do not have that time. And like you said: it is a journey and sometimes it is time to get off at the next train station.
Latest blog post: diffuser_round_1 | |Late Bloomers
@Late_Bloomers @RAAckermanATCerebrations You always come by. And even if you go missing, I know how to get hold of you! :)
@RAAckermanATCerebrations is a super human. I cannot read more than 40 per day!
@Hajra Oh, this is so sweet, thank you so much! Yes, and I know how to get hold of you, too!
Latest blog post: A Concept Of Time
@Late_Bloomers No, you make me happy!
@Hajra You make me happy!
Latest blog post: A Concept Of Time
@Late_Bloomers LOL! And it arrived close to my birthday! Very close... snail or priority.... the arrival made me very happy!
@Hajra LOL, I have to tell you the story of how I bought them on the market in Follonica in Southern Tuscany one day, it was hilarious! And the innocent question when I went to the post office: "Do you want to send them priority mail or snail (cannot remember what expression they used) mail?" "What's the difference?" "Priority will take 2 weeks and snail mail up to 4 weeks". Thankfully you live in a climate that does not depend on mail delivery!
Latest blog post: A Concept Of Time
@Late_Bloomers Too good! And I keep showing them off to everyone!
@Hajra I hope they are comfortable!
Latest blog post: A Concept Of Time
@Late_Bloomers And you are the lady who gifted me flip flops! I can NEVER forget you!