Aug 25 2007
OK, That Just Hurts . . .
So my daughter see today that I have a website and she asks why. I told her that it is for posting ideas, insights, news, photos, and things like that which people might be interested in. “OK”, she says, “but do people talk to you on it?” She pressed the question. So I had to admit, no, they really don’t. I don’t get many comments. Then came the real question, “so why do you do it?”
That hurt. Why do I keep writing and posting when I don’t get a lot of feedback. Well, I do know that people read my sites because I see the traffic reports. The hits tell me people are visiting if even for just a short time. But, what about the no feedback? No comments? Well, I do get the occasional comment. I every once in a while I get an email. But more importantly I get to get these ideas out of my system. Writing them down here is simply cathartic. By getting them out of my system I think I feel better and, in general, less cluttered.
So, if you would like to leave a comment, I would appreciate it. But if you chose not to I will understand. And I will keep writing and posting. Oh, and in answer to her other question, no, I would not prefer to used MySpace. Even though I do have an account there.
In the old days, people used to keep personal journals all the time, and some people probably still do, even today.
A blog could be seen as just another form of personal journal, and if it’s primarily a cathartic exercise, then all the better.
I don’t know if you already do this, but it might be a good idea for you to install something like Google Analytics, which you can use to observe the behaviour of your average visitor - find out how they arrive, what they look at, how long they stay, how many pages they read, etc.
Brian, thanks for stopping by.
I do use Google Analytics - can’t believe such a great tool is free! It is excellent for seeing all the info you mention, but as you know, it is always great to have some direct feedback.
And for that, I thank you!
Michael,
I could have written this post, word for word. I’ve been blogging for almost 2 months and I get just a smattering of comments. Sometimes I wonder if anyone is reading.
But, like you, I blog mostly for myself. If I didn’t have to pay the bills, I would like to be a writer. I get so much enjoyment out of it. Would I still do it if no one read me? Not sure. But I can live with a small audience for now. With any luck, my readership will grow.
I use Clicky for my stats. I do get visitors. They’re just not leaving tons of comments. Not sure why. Clicky is not free, but I like it better than Google Analytics because it’s so granular. When my trial is up, I’ll be paying for it. I think it’s something like $50/yr. I really want to know how people are finding me and what they’re reading. In fact, this is how I found out people seem to prefer my humor pieces over my technical tips pieces. As a result, I’m writing more humor. Maybe I’ll gain readership that way.
Good luck!