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Is blogging becoming a thing of the past?

Posted by Pasquella • 9/24/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: blogging, blogging obsolete, blogspot

PLEASE tell me if I am way off base here...

Back in 2005, I started my blog. I started it because I first learned of this great outlet of writing through another friend who loved to write too. I used to receive anywhere from 30-180 comments per day on certain blog posts. The past couple of years though, it's been quite different. My traffic has lessened a bit and my comments are only about 10-20 at most. Many of my blogger friends have deleted their blogs, or simply went over to Facebook or Myspace to blog there.

Do you think Blogspot as well as other blogging websites are becoming a thing of the past? Then I thought it was because of the annoying longggggg urls, so I went from www.dtrant.blogspot.com over to www.debrapasquella.com so that people would find it easier to reach me. Both addresses are on the same domain - the simply one goes right into the blogspot url.

But even with the new url, I'm still finding people are less enthused about blogging.

Have you come across this? Or am I just seeing it differently?

User Comments

9/24/09

ThriftShopRomantic

30-180 comments per post??????

Holy comment overload, Batman!

I've been blogging for three years so far. I have about 500 subscribers for my one blog and roughly 300 for the other.

And I've never seen 180 comments. The most I've gotten has been around 50 on my bloggiversary.

I've seen comments dip over the summer. But I can't say that I feel my blogs are dwindling.

[reply]
9/24/09

Pasquella

I had a few posts a few years back that dealt with controversial topics, such as this one: dtrant.blogspot.com/2006/05/is-homosexuality-perversion.html But there was another one which I cannot find that went over 180 because of the debating factors. Other posts that were less intense were about 30-50. Now, these days, my comments have lessened to like 10 per day, which is great because there are still readers, but I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the lack of enthusiasm with blogging. I've seen this with other blogs too. I think it would be ashamed if people lost their enthusiasm for blogging...

[reply]
1. 9/24/09
  
  ThriftShopRomantic
  
  Don't I recall-- and tell me if I'm wrong-- you tell us you had taken a blogging break for a while? Maybe I misread that or am thinking of someone else...
  
  If so, though, that could explain some of the changes you're sensing. I know of a few bloggers who took and break when things were going pretty well, and now are trying to recover to where they had been.
9/24/09

nothingprofound

Maybe there's just a bigger pool and so comments get spread around more. I know it's hard for me to keep up regularly with all the blogs I love. And every day I discover new ones. I get very few visitors per day (8-12) but I do get a fair amount of comments.

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1. 9/29/09
  
  nogueira
  
  I agree with you my friend.
9/24/09

HollytheHousewife

I think it's too much of a hassle to leave comments,it never works for me so I just communicate through shoutboxes and emails

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9/24/09

Pasquella

I took a break for a couple of months, but the first break I have taken in like 5 yrs. But not even with my own blog, I'm finding that people are deleting theirs left and write, or people who have not written a word in like months or even over a year. So I thought that maybe blogging is starting to get obsolete in a way. I hope not!!! I don't care so much about comments, it's some of my favorite bloggers are either deleting or just disappearing altogether. I prefer blogs over social networking to tell you the truth. I love reading raw real life stories from real people. So much better!

[reply]
1. 9/24/09
  
  ThriftShopRomantic
  
  It seems the blogs that end up dying off happen in cycles. People tend to go into blogging and not realize how much work it is, even if it's enjoyable.
  
  So I think people get weary. I've known a few bloggers who had something good going and then quit. Perhaps it's not blogging itself that's dying but a shift in priorities for some bloggers.
  
  With the economy being difficult right now, I imagine a lot of people might be taking on extra work, or not wanting to jeopardize their jobs by either blogging or commenting.
9/24/09

HollytheHousewife

u and me both guh!

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9/24/09

Pasquella

You're so right - people have been literally fired for blogging at the workplace for numerous reasons... Sad.

[reply]
1. 9/24/09
  
  ThriftShopRomantic
  
  I bet that's a lot of the decrease you've noticed.
  
  Who wants to risk losing their job for some perceived conflict of interest with blogging, or getting caught reading blogs and leaving comments.
  
  It is sad. I know one blogger recently who had to begin blogging anonymously on a new site because a complete stranger recently told his employers she felt he had an inappropriate blog.
  
  He decided to take it down and start anew rather than deal with any possible conflicts/risks.
9/24/09

stephenleppan

Hi I have 3 blogs and I have also pointed my domains at one of mine. I find that I get no comments at all! I think it just to much hassle for people to leave comments. I think that there are many blogs around and to much info and people I think people are overload with info and keeping up with FB, Twitter and etc. I have linked Twitter, FB to my blog and find that it drives a lot of traffic to my blogs.

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9/24/09

IntoTheAzureSea

You know, just a thought of mine.

I may be a blogger, but I am not necessarily a reader of blogs. And although I do enjoy a good read from a well written article, the article subject is also important to me too ! And sometimes, it is time consuming to really navigate the blogosphere to find these blogs............. unless they appear on the first few google search results.

So I believe is that, I think a trend or a concept will decline in interested parties over time.

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9/24/09

DeadRooster

Blogging is getting stronger every day! The problem is that there are so many new blogs popping up every day that the audience gets spread out thinner and thinner.

I can tell you from direct experience that if you take a 3-month break from your blog, you are likely going to be spending a lot longer than you expect to recover your readership.

My Alexa rating was at 69k when I stopped blogging for a 3-month period and even though I started posting again, it went all the way up to 450k before it started to come back down again (as of today, it is at 198k).

At my peak I was getting 1,500 page views a day, now I'm lucky to get 250.

Ressurecting a dead blog is much more difficult than I expected, and being kept constantly busy at work makes it even more difficult; however, I'm not giving up and I will eventually exceed my previous popularity. The key is to write interesting stuff, which, admittedly, I really haven't done lately.

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9/24/09

Richer44

Being a newbie to the blogging world, I only get a handful of comments a day. This is something that I have been trying to improve so it is actually refreshing to hear that it isn't just my blog that suffers from lack of comments. I realize I will never have an incredible amount of comments since there isn't to much controversy with animal facts but I still hope.

I do think it has to do with the amount of blogs out there. Perhaps this is why things like Twitter are so successful since you only have 140 characters. I think with Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and every other social network, people are just getting worn out trying to respond to everything. It is socializing overload. I for one try to comment (when I have things to say) since I know that I love receiving comments on my blog!

Hopefully, the trend will swing back around to commenting on blogs because I would love some comments!!!

[reply]
1. 9/29/09
  
  Zpoet
  
  Yes, I love receiving comments on my blog as well. But I agree, I think people are on overload. When I post my latest blog on Facebook, any comments I might get, I tend to get there! And it's hard to ask people, "hey, can you make the comments on the blog?" I also agree that I only want to follow blogs that are done for fun, rather than for commercial ventures. I complained on another discussion that's all I am seeing, and I was rebuffed!
  
  alwaysmusing-cathy.blogspot.com/
9/28/09

rosebelle

I think the blogging niche is so saturated now because of all these hype about making money blogging. I also agree with other commentors who mentioned that maybe it's because there is so many blogs out there, people have more options to go to.

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1. 9/28/09
  
  scenexg
  
  I agree as well. That is why I only support people who blog for the fun and art of it all. The money making schemes and ads everywhere is a turn off to blogging. It takes away from the true purpose, in my opinion.
9/29/09

scf

comment removed by the community.

[reply]
1. 9/29/09
  
  Zpoet
  
  SCF, LOL! Why is that half the time I see your comment it has been removed by the community? What on earth do you say?
9/29/09

mikeny07

I didn't quit since 2007. I have 36 blogs now. You have to keep them going. Most people give up too soon. If you have a blog online for say 10 years, the traffic you will get will be huge by then if you promoted it all the time. They can give you a steady monthly income also when you are old.

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9/30/09

scf

Zpoet, I had a link to my blog in my comment. I didn't insult someone or use profanity. It was a noob mistake. I didn't realize that anyone could just go to my profile to find my blog if they wanted. I did read the forum rules first, though. I thought it said that no one was supposed to post a reply that was ONLY a link. I didn't do that. I only replied if I had something to say in the discussion. I just added the link after that.

[reply]
10/05/09

Zpoet

Thanks SCF. I didn't realize that there were rules about posting a link...I have in several discussions, but I guess never a link only. Anyway, thanks for clarifying, I was curious!

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