11 votes

Topic deleted by author

10 comments

  1. [7]
    MortimerHoughton
    Link
    I had a blog before, but mostly felt like no one cared about what I had to say, so it seemed rather pointless. The biggest benefit to posting your thoughts in someone else's text box is the...

    I had a blog before, but mostly felt like no one cared about what I had to say, so it seemed rather pointless. The biggest benefit to posting your thoughts in someone else's text box is the increased likelihood of interaction, and honestly, that's the whole reason I would put something online. Otherwise, I could just write a journal.

    13 votes
    1. [2]
      dave1234
      Link Parent
      It depends on what your goal is, but I've always enjoyed blogging the most when I'm doing it entirely for myself, on my terms. I try to write the kind of posts that I would enjoy reading, and...

      It depends on what your goal is, but I've always enjoyed blogging the most when I'm doing it entirely for myself, on my terms. I try to write the kind of posts that I would enjoy reading, and that's satisfying enough for me. If other people enjoy them too, then that's a bonus. I avoid writing out of a feeling of obligation.

      I don't particularly look for interaction, but I welcome it. My blog doesn't have comments at all. Instead, each post has a message at the end encouraging the reader to email me directly if they have any feedback. I find this leads to good discussions, as people tend to treat email a bit more seriously than throwaway comments, and it also keeps spam out.

      In a way, my website is my journal, but it's a public one that I'm happy for others to read.

      3 votes
      1. MortimerHoughton
        Link Parent
        I tried to tell myself that as well, which is why my blog went on for so long despite the lack of interaction. I just finally realized there was no point to doing a journal online if I already had...

        I tried to tell myself that as well, which is why my blog went on for so long despite the lack of interaction. I just finally realized there was no point to doing a journal online if I already had one offline. It was redundant and dissatisfying.

        1 vote
    2. [4]
      isopod
      Link Parent
      This was my experience with keeping a blog as well. Perhaps I just struggle with marketing, but I put hours of effort into each blog post (including making illustrations!) and only saw single or...

      This was my experience with keeping a blog as well.

      Perhaps I just struggle with marketing, but I put hours of effort into each blog post (including making illustrations!) and only saw single or double-digit views on all of them. No comments, of course, just views. It reached a point where I started wondering—why am I even doing this?

      And as far as putting it on a platform of some kind: I've heard content creators say it takes time to build engagement as platforms learn the value of your product. However, I'm not going to invest five years in free labor, hoping that one day the platform notices me.

      2 votes
      1. [3]
        MortimerHoughton
        Link Parent
        I blogged for years and would be lucky if a post was even viewed, so yeah. It just seemed obvious to me that the stuff I wanted to talk about was not of interest to others, or at least there...

        I blogged for years and would be lucky if a post was even viewed, so yeah. It just seemed obvious to me that the stuff I wanted to talk about was not of interest to others, or at least there wasn't a large enough community for me to do it on my own site.

        2 votes
        1. [2]
          isopod
          Link Parent
          If it's still out there and you feel comfortable linking me, I will totally read your blog posts! Unfortunately, everything I made is lost. It was a bunch of data visualization stuff—connecting...

          If it's still out there and you feel comfortable linking me, I will totally read your blog posts!

          Unfortunately, everything I made is lost. It was a bunch of data visualization stuff—connecting technology, art, and statistics. I was really proud of it, but the writing wasn't backed up, and that laptop met an untimely end. I do kind of regret that now.

          3 votes
  2. dave1234
    Link
    Having a personal website is great. It's your own little space on the Web. You can write about nearly anything you want, and customise it however you like. You can truly make it yours. It's also a...

    Having a personal website is great. It's your own little space on the Web. You can write about nearly anything you want, and customise it however you like. You can truly make it yours.

    It's also a great way to be heard on your own terms. Why lock your content away inside a walled garden, or have it plastered with somebody else's ads? Your personal website can be as open and ad-free as you like.

    4 votes
  3. Commod0re
    Link
    I love this idea mainly because I miss the days when many websites online were personal hobby projects

    I love this idea mainly because I miss the days when many websites online were personal hobby projects

    2 votes
  4. elguero
    Link
    I agree and then I find, that 9 out of ten times I prefer to go do something with my kids instead of writing. But yes, the idea of a digital garden is really great. Love the concept. It’s just...

    I agree and then I find, that 9 out of ten times I prefer to go do something with my kids instead of writing. But yes, the idea of a digital garden is really great. Love the concept. It’s just difficult to prioritize when there is do much else one could do.

    2 votes