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Do you blog "Off Topic"??

Posted by activeleisure • 9/09/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: creativity, Off Topic, personal blog, relevance

My blog has been pretty specific to my overall topic of unemployment... which is an incredibly personal blog. However somedays I'm struck by a topic, and I'm overflowing with writing ideas about something that doesn't directly relate to my blog. Many times I can tie this thought back to being unemployed but sometimes I can't.

What do you do in this circumstance? Do you make an entry about what's on your mind, or do you stay true to your topic?

User Comments

9/09/09

PussDaddy

I don't really have a topic. I blog about whatever I want to blog about.

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9/09/09

drjay1966

"Off topic" pretty much IS my topic...

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9/09/09

deoangel

My blog started off political. But, I just blog what I want. I try to inform people or get things off my chest. I have themes every month. It makes my writing more flexible.

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9/09/09

Theresa111

Great Guacamole's Why ever would you even consider limiting yourself.

Disclaimer: I am a BLogCatalog addict. I was on my way to bed and now here I am, again. It's all your fault. The one in the high heels and the cat in the fancy hat. GRRRRRR

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1. 9/09/09
  
  activeleisure
  
  theresa... I have to admit, I'm happy that I was able to "pull you back in" :-) so sorry!
9/09/09

activeleisure

Do you all find that random thought blogging is appealing to your readers? (If you can't tell... I'm kind of new to this and still "feeling my way around"!)

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1. 9/09/09
  
  deoangel
  
  I think that the titles of your post is the most appealing to your readers. My posts are either a little controversial or thought provoking...Titles such as, "Are You A Murderer?" and "Is The Cookie Monster A Poor Role Model" are appealing. It keeps the reader wanting to know what you are writing next and keeps them interested. Good posts will keep an audience, no matter what you are writing about.
2. 9/13/09
  
  Hels
  
  Another good question, activeleisure: "Do you all find that random thought blogging is appealing to your readers?"
  
  I can only respond with my own experience as a _reader_. If I go to the time and trouble of searching out a blog on an issue that is important at that moment, eg gems stones and jewellery, I don't want to wade through pages of writing on right wing politics, 1990s punk rock or religious evangelism.
  
  There is NOTHING wrong with these topics, but I signed up for jewellery. Flexibility is fine; randomness might be less so.
9/09/09

PussDaddy

Personally I don't care if it is appealing to my readers or not. The way I write, and the stuff I write about, if I was to worry about being appealing, I probably wouldn't blog at all. Sometimes there is a lot to be said for being unappealing as well.

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9/09/09

HollytheHousewife

My blog started as a place for me to vent,then became political. Now I'm kinda wishing I could start venting again without certain people reading it.

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9/09/09

JasonAckles

Yeah I have topics I am suppose to discuss, but often times think about writing a ideas that pop up in my mind! If you as me it's better to write off topic... than not to write at all! Yeah... you may be off topic but at least you are still express yourself! Which is an important thing!

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9/09/09

HollytheHousewife

Tru that

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9/09/09

PussDaddy

Also, nothing annoys me more than people who pop up in forum threads jumping up and down about the thread staying off topic. I just wanna slap 'em.

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1. 9/09/09
  
  cookingasshole
  
  hey! stay on topic!
9/09/09

theindependentrage

That's the best way to be. When there's a significant event off your topic, blog about it. In the serious side of my blog (the left side), it's always poltical stuff, but when events warrant, I change up -- like when 60 year old Tom Watson was threatening to actually win a major! stuff like that. yeah, when there are incredible events brewing, go off topic. Most def.

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9/09/09

seername

My just write whatever I want on my personal blog. When nobody willing to follow and read on your blog, or your blog traffic is decreasing. You may consider that the blog is off topic just like mine one.

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9/09/09

kenyantykoon

once in a long while you can veer off topic but not so much like for example i blog about stocks and investment stuff so i can go a little off topic and talk about the forbes richest people or something, not about how my cat left a lot of hair on my toaster and how i am thinking of killing it!! something a little of topic for niche blogs is always welcome, like a breathe of fresh air

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9/09/09

TJlubrano

I blog about all kinds of things, I can write about a lot haha. The only thing that is consistent are my drawings.

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9/10/09

DailyBeerReview

I have a common theme--there is always (99.9%) a beer review, but each post is also accompanied by an everything and anything topic.

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9/10/09

MissSuzie

My blog is always off topic. I write about whatever has pissed me off.

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9/10/09

MadameX

When I want to write about something off topic, I just start a new blog.

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9/10/09

iratedog

Make an entry and make it clear that its off topic.

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9/10/09

Hels

Good question, activeleisure.
I am quite confident about my abilities in paintings, architecture, travel, history and the decorative arts. Postings in these subjects are easy for me to write and come out sounding relatively coherent.

But in other areas I am not at all confident and would tackle other topics only _very_ reluctantly. I have only written ONE political post in my career, and have no idea why I did it. It was a topic that seemed critical at the time, I suppose.

Anyhow MadameX and iratedog have the right ideas

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9/11/09

drummingpariah

I try really hard to stay on-topic, because I assume my viewers came to read content about what my blog is 'about'. I keep my discussion related to cars that are daily driven, and discussion about those cars. The farthest I digress (on my blog) is informing readers of downtime/updates/changes.

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9/11/09

exit2013

I blog about 'whatever'!

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9/11/09

ArsenicCookies

Well I have an uber personal blog and the beauty of that is nothing is off topic. Love,lust, movies, kids, work, etc, it is all related to me since it is from my perspective. It's your blog, no one elses write any and everything that tickles your fancy

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9/13/09

jasonthebaldguy

I have to say I agree with everyone else... My blog is me... and I am incredibly ADD! I ended up with a really cool theme and some very broad categories to sort things by but it took me a little while. Even if you are focused on one subject you will find that you will eventually move on to other subjects so I think it is a good idea to come up with a blog design that embraces all of the things you want to talk about

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9/14/09

jeremyjanson

I've defined my topic so loosely (philosophy/religion/culture/politics/economics/environmentalism/current events/international affairs/...) that I'm really in very little danger of it, but I still manage to do it, with personal anecdotes, pictures of nifty things, rants, and other fun things.

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9/14/09

cookingasshole

I stick to recipes but I also do instructional stuff. Once I blogged about my awesome golf round but that was the only time I went off topic.

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1. 9/14/09
  
  jeremyjanson
  
  Nice.
9/14/09

sjay

Yes we were using couple of off topics in between and noticed that it brings lot of traffic to the blog as well. Main blog is about Internet and computer hacks and did a post about Starbucks menu and it did really well.

Haven't done something like that recently and thanks for reminding

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