I sometimes wonder if I should continue this blog. I enjoy sharing all my inane and snarky thoughts with everyone, but I wonder if I am really writing for more than about three or four fans. There are only about three or four people who comment on my posts regularly. I get a lot of hits, but a large majority of them are Google search hits. I suspect that most do not find what they are really looking for, so jump in and jump right back out. I seem to be climbing up the Ecosystem ladder, but I sometimes wonder if it is just due to two or three of my blog friends how link to my posts on a regular basis.
I do really try so hard to post things that are not seen on other blogs. I am sure some of it is not that great, but then even every thing posted on InstaPundit is not that great to read. Am I on the wrong track? Is my stuff not really all that entertaining? No one is pointing out my posts on their blogs, except for the same people who are my regular fans.
I know it takes time to build up a good readership, and I have only been at this since April 4th of this year, but I see some others that started about the same time that are much more popular, get many more comments, and seem to be recognized by the top dog bloggers on regular occasions. I don't know, but I feel funny about things. I was near the top of my class in almost every grade through law school without much effort. I was even runner-up as Soldier of the Month in my Division while I was in the Army. I am a good attorney, although not financially successful as I wish, but then I am not as greedy as most of my contemporaries, feeling it is important to assist people even if they can't pay as much as you deserve. That is just me. I have always been someone who felt like it was a part of your life to share with those who needed it.
I just do not understand. Is my life so dman uninteresting?* Are my thoughts just too inane? Is my view of the world too warped for anyone to understand? Does anyone want to guest blog for me so this blog does not fall off of the face of the Blogosphere while I take a much needed vacation over this long weekend?
*Actually, this one I think I might already know the answer to. Yeah, it is pretty damn uninteresting from this vantage point.
Posted by Tiger at August 27, 2003 09:00 PMHey, nobody's leaving comments at my blog, either, lately! I think everyone is just tired of all this dang heat and humidity--it makes one lethargic!
BTW, I thought your comment at Michele's was profound. Maybe you could blog in people's comments for a day or two as a mini vacation....
Posted by: Susie at August 27, 2003 09:10 PMCripes, Tig, I have a much duller life than you do and I have filled up 45 MB of Web space to show for it.
(If it's any consolation, I got the World's Smallest Instalanche - 53 whole hits.)
Posted by: CGHill at August 27, 2003 09:30 PMCG, I really like your blog. You did get to take a good long road trip, which I wish I had time to do, but still you do make me feel a bit better about the almost 5000 hits I got off of the link from InstaPundit. Now if I had gotten at least 53 new regular readers out of those 5000, I would feel much better about it, than getting 5000 hits and not one regular reader.
Posted by: Tiger at August 27, 2003 09:42 PMI'm sure there are people that read your blog but just don't comment. I've wondered about the whole blogging thing too. I've come to the conclusion that you must really enjoy the activity of writing to continue it. Almost to the point where you don't care if anyone ever comments. Just my two cents.
Posted by: Jeff@notoriousBLOG at August 27, 2003 09:56 PMGo look at my Sitemeter stats, (button is at the bottom of the page) you'll feel much better. I know because I just got depressed looking at yours.
Posted by: Lynn S at August 27, 2003 10:00 PMI peek in on you almost every day, so I guess that makes me a regular fan. :) I just don't speak up every time. But dang it, man, you're wrong in thinking you hold no one's interest.
We're all still listening.
Rut-roh! The Four-Month Blogger's Blues! I think we've all been there...chin up, shoulder to the wheel, nose to the grindstone. Attaboy!
Posted by: Scott Chaffin at August 27, 2003 11:01 PMTiger:
Did the Velvet Underground stop making records because Paul Revere and the Raiders sold 1000 times the records they did? Did Martin Scorcese stop making movies because "The Way We Were" grossed 100 times the money that "Mean Streets" did?
And don't sell Prof. Reynolds short. 99% of his "original content" is dull, uninspired tripe. If you can keep the tripe content to under 50%, then you're doing your job.
Sincerely,
Norbizness (73% tripe)
Posted by: Norbizness at August 27, 2003 11:36 PMMethinks you may be overthinking all this, Tiger. It's just a farookin' blog (as is mine).
Posted by: Parkway Rest Stop at August 27, 2003 11:55 PMDon't worry Tiger, it's a drug and I need my daily fix. You are still one of my daily reads. I just blast through so many great blogs and then I have to find some cool topic to write about on my site. Just isn't enough time in a day.
Posted by: Tony S. at August 28, 2003 12:32 AMTiger Russell, you get out of this damn depression or I swear I will hunt you down, tie you to your computer chair, and MAKE you keep blogging!
You get more hits per day than I do, and you don't hear ME complaining about it.
I started blogging because I liked it, not because I gave a damn whether I got readers or not. Eventually you get them. Eventually, people come along that like your site. You just have to be patient. For a man who spends most of his day spouting legal-ese you sure need to work on your patience skills. Now quit this moping or I'll SMACK YOU!!!!
Stop it! Take a long, hard look at the amount of comments you got from this. And get'cher head outta yer hinder and CHEER THE HELL UP!
*HUG*
--TwoDragons
Posted by: Denita TwoDragons at August 28, 2003 01:06 AMTiger, I have these same feelings periodically, and at least as intensely since I get fewer hits and links than you. The good news is that it'll pass.
However much we enjoy blogging for its own sake, having regular readers does make the effort seem more worthwhile. The comments on this post alone show that you have them. Regular readers are not necessarily regular commenters, so the total number of comments is not a good gauge of interest.
Keep it up. We'll be reading.
Posted by: Chris Genovese at August 28, 2003 12:22 PMI found many nice postings. Please submit more for my next visit again.
Posted by: google at February 13, 2004 06:03 AM