Goodbye, Blog
by
Motte Brown
on Oct 5, 2007 at 3:33 PM
When we began looking into creating a blog for Boundless, one of the things we heard over and over from the experts was, "Post frequently." I think we've done a pretty good job with that. But even with seven of us, it's not always easy to feed the beast everyday with three or four posts (today being a prime example).
So it came as no surprise to me when I read in this month's Christianity Today that more people have given up blogging than are now actively blogging.
Here's the data and some analysis from the article,
Tech researcher Gartner Inc. reported earlier this year that 200 million people have given up blogging, more than twice as many as are active.
"A lot of people have been in and out of this thing," Gartner analyst Darly Plummer told reporters. "Everyone thinks they have something to say, until they're put on stage and asked to say it."
Given the average lifespan of a blogger and the current growth rate of blogs, Gartner says blogging has probably peaked.
CT points out though that blogging isn't dead.
Actually, some Christian blogs are very good. What tired bloggers are increasingly discovering, however, is that it's not necessarily the quality of their blog posts that matter. It's matching their quality with frequency.
And why is frequency important?
"Good bloggers work like dogs," says Michael Parsons, editor of the tech site CNet.co.uk. "You can't expect readers to show up unless you show up. And the internet never closes.... Every successful blogger I've come across is the same. Eat, sleep, and drink the work. No time out, and no holidays."
I got tired just reading that. Thankfully, maintaining a successful group blog is a bit less demanding. And usually when we're in a pinch, I know Ted will post something incredibly ridiculous yet somehow strangely compelling like "10-4, Good Buddy."
1. KendraW had the following to say on Oct 5 at 4:25 PM:
I was so afraid when I read this that ya'll were shutting down this blog. Glad to hear it was just a message about trends in blogging.
2. Marci had the following to say on Oct 5 at 5:09 PM:
KendraW,
Lol - I thought the exact same thing! I was like, what happened?
Blessings...
3. Canadian Boy had the following to say on Oct 5 at 5:59 PM:
You could always just make a statement about Democrats, Republicans and Christians and let the comments become their own discussion.
4. Katherine M. had the following to say on Oct 5 at 6:15 PM:
I thought that too!
I'm glad you guys aren't going anywhere; I love reading your thoughts every day.
5. Justin had the following to say on Oct 5 at 7:17 PM:
You guys and gals actually do a pretty good job of frequently posting quality blogs. Of course you're also getting paid for it, something most bloggers aren't getting, but still you do a good job. Now if I could only convince you that Jesus doesn't equal Republican...
6. John had the following to say on Oct 5 at 8:41 PM:
What does he say about posting posters' comments, why do you all not post over the weekend?
7. Jennifer E. Jones had the following to say on Oct 6 at 9:03 AM:
I maintain not only my own blog but also one for CBN, and I can attest that blogging is perfectly exhausting. Sometimes frankly I just don't have that much to say.
You guys do a great job and I like the variety of topics you provide. It's not just dating/marriage stuff but it's about politics, health and even pets ("A Dead Cat"). Kudos. You guys are my heroes. :-)
~jen
8. David had the following to say on Oct 6 at 9:31 AM:
I'm glad I have health insurance... it would have covered he heart attack I almost HAD.
In all sincerity, thank you Boundless for being faithful to us through posting articles and blogs with great content, the readers.
9. Chris Krycho had the following to say on Oct 7 at 12:20 AM:
It is hard work to keep up. I don't have nearly as much readership as I might if I posted more regularly... but I have a life. I have to do homework, go to class, go to church, and especially do ministry. Now, I see my writing as an aspect of ministry (I have had people share specific ways that God has used it), or I wouldn't even be doing it. What's the point, ultimately? If it's just self-oriented, there isn't any. If it's really to point people closer to God, and you have the time, then I think it's worth continuing to invest in, but I can very easily see why people stop doing it. It's a lot of work. And sometimes the best thing to say really is nothing at all.
10. Leah had the following to say on Oct 7 at 8:56 AM:
my reaction is: Of *course* there are more people giving it up than actively doing it. Blogging is easy to do. Therefore, virtually everyone will give it a go. And lots of people will decide it's not for them, and give it up.
11. Lois had the following to say on Oct 7 at 3:21 PM:
"Heart attack I almost had"?? Yeah, that would be me too!!
So glad you're not shutting down this blog! And I'm thankful for all the posts you put up, and if you aren't able to put one up everyday, that's okay, I forgive you. And I'll keep checking back, just in case, 'cause the posts are good and solid (and then there's the funny random ones like 10-4, Good Buddy!)
12. kman had the following to say on Oct 8 at 6:59 AM:
I've thought about blogging but came to the same realization; I don't have a whole lot to say -thankfully :)
One less ghost blog floating around the internet.
13. Joseph had the following to say on Oct 9 at 8:19 AM:
don't scare us like that, you and those catchy titles had me thinking you were signing off.
I can level a fair amount with this though. My first year of blogging I was putting out an average of one per week, upon the completion of the first year I now go about every two weeks or as long as it takes for me to see something worth blogging about: be it something I have read, heard or experienced.
Part of the reduced frequency of blogs is the development my writing has taken, as it continues to develop and my style improves (I like to think it is going that direction) it takes longer to come up with a decent blog and then write it all out.
14. Motte had the following to say on Oct 9 at 2:32 PM:
Seriously guys, I wasn't fishing for Boundless Line compliments when I chose the title. But they are always welcome.
As my old pastor used to say when I would thank him for his message, "I'm glad it was helpful."
15. Scott W had the following to say on Oct 9 at 4:58 PM:
You guys do a good job of posting regularly. It is harder than it seems, and I believe that's why there's such a high attrition rate. It's easy to start a blog these days with all the tools that are available. But there are no tools invented yet that automatically generate regular, substantive posts.
We just went public with our blog last week. It took seven months of planning and refining before we felt that we were where we wanted to be with our content, tone and presentation.
I'm finding it to be a lot like marriage. Anyone can hold a wedding ceremony and say I do. And everyone headed toward marriage is convinced that their union is the one that will beat the odds and last forever. But something happens after the honeymoon. The day-to-day is harder to maintain than the dreamy-eyed notion that you're going to change the world. Blogging, like marriage, takes devotion and consistency.
After seven months of blogging, I realize there's a lot more refining to do, a lot more learning, and a lot of planning in order to gain the audience and the respect that we desire with our blog. We'll be looking to mentors like you guys as we keep moving toward that goal.
16. Daniel had the following to say on Oct 10 at 10:13 AM:
For me, you don't have to post several times a day. Everything I see comes to me in a reader, and I don't get to it every day. Sometimes, it is overwhelming how many posts are produced per blog. I'm more concerned about the quality, than the quantity.
17. Motte had the following to say on Oct 11 at 6:47 PM:
Scott W:
Thanks for giving us a heads up about the new Family Life blog. I just took a peek and it's great. I'll spread the word around my sphere of influence about it. =)
18. chiz had the following to say on Oct 14 at 9:27 PM:
The posts on this blog are very good. I really think that the interface can be improved a bit to make navigation easier with all the different types of posts on here though.