A couple of nights ago, I was thinking about how much I miss Old School Blogging.
You know? From a few years ago, when things were just... blogs, and nothing more? Just our stories, written from our hearts, here for the world, for our little community, to read? When we had more time, it seems, to sit down and read posts from start to finish, when we were able to comment without problems because we weren't doing it from our iPhones, and when we didn't "favourite" every post we wanted to eventually get around to reading... (because we don't always get back to those posts, do we?)
I started blogging in 2007, which to some of you is still not even that Old School, but to me, it's well... old enough. My first born son, now in grade one, was only 18 months old when I started this little blog. This little blog has been very good to me, for so many reasons, mainly because of the friendships I've formed, and the opportunties I've experienced. I'm very thankful.
I've written before about the top ten things blogging has taught me but let me add to that. Blogging forms real friendships and relationships, and bloggers are united despite the distance in miles. The support can be incredible. Meeting your favourite bloggers in real life is awesome, and reading blog posts from talented writers helps you become a better writer, and a better thinker. A few years ago, the blogosphere was more quiet, and keeping up with my favourite blogs wasn't a problem. Lately, it's getting harder to keep up, and to comment as frequently as I used to, and I'd like to change that back to the way it was.
Mom 101 and Girls Gone Child were the first two blogs I read all those years ago. Liz and Rebecca continue to inspire me to write, to be a better blogger, if you will. And if I ever need a reminder about why I blog, I just visit their sites. Can I just add that the talent in the blogosphere is so incredible?
A couple of nights ago on Twitter I said: "I miss Old School Blogging, circa 2009-2010". Many awesome bloggers chimed in, and we started talking about blogging and how it was, and how things have changed. (Thanks, Angie, Bon, Ali, Isaa, Casey, Leslie, and Neil for the discussion!) And thanks for chiming in too, Liz. We talked, in 140 characters, about how Twitter has changed the landscape of blogging, but not in a bad way. In fact, for most of us, Twitter has opened up new doors, and has given us amazing opportunities - like new jobs.
Bon mentioned how for most of us, comments on blog posts were the first way to measure our "success" online. Recently, (like many of you) I've noticed a huge increase in numbers reading my posts, but a decrease in comments.
Ali wrote a while back about trying to comment on 20 blogs a day. It's not that hard, you know? All it'll take is for us to get off Twitter for like... 20 minutes. Can you do it?
Also, a friendly reminder: people prefer comments on their actual posts, not on Twitter. It's awesome when posts get re-tweeted, but save the actual comment for the blog post! Comments make the world go round. Comments and a nice glass of white wine.
Although things have changed in the last couple of years, I'm still as passionate about blogging today as I was back then.
What about you? Have you noticed a change in the blogosphere?
You know? From a few years ago, when things were just... blogs, and nothing more? Just our stories, written from our hearts, here for the world, for our little community, to read? When we had more time, it seems, to sit down and read posts from start to finish, when we were able to comment without problems because we weren't doing it from our iPhones, and when we didn't "favourite" every post we wanted to eventually get around to reading... (because we don't always get back to those posts, do we?)
I started blogging in 2007, which to some of you is still not even that Old School, but to me, it's well... old enough. My first born son, now in grade one, was only 18 months old when I started this little blog. This little blog has been very good to me, for so many reasons, mainly because of the friendships I've formed, and the opportunties I've experienced. I'm very thankful.
I've written before about the top ten things blogging has taught me but let me add to that. Blogging forms real friendships and relationships, and bloggers are united despite the distance in miles. The support can be incredible. Meeting your favourite bloggers in real life is awesome, and reading blog posts from talented writers helps you become a better writer, and a better thinker. A few years ago, the blogosphere was more quiet, and keeping up with my favourite blogs wasn't a problem. Lately, it's getting harder to keep up, and to comment as frequently as I used to, and I'd like to change that back to the way it was.
Mom 101 and Girls Gone Child were the first two blogs I read all those years ago. Liz and Rebecca continue to inspire me to write, to be a better blogger, if you will. And if I ever need a reminder about why I blog, I just visit their sites. Can I just add that the talent in the blogosphere is so incredible?
A couple of nights ago on Twitter I said: "I miss Old School Blogging, circa 2009-2010". Many awesome bloggers chimed in, and we started talking about blogging and how it was, and how things have changed. (Thanks, Angie, Bon, Ali, Isaa, Casey, Leslie, and Neil for the discussion!) And thanks for chiming in too, Liz. We talked, in 140 characters, about how Twitter has changed the landscape of blogging, but not in a bad way. In fact, for most of us, Twitter has opened up new doors, and has given us amazing opportunities - like new jobs.
Bon mentioned how for most of us, comments on blog posts were the first way to measure our "success" online. Recently, (like many of you) I've noticed a huge increase in numbers reading my posts, but a decrease in comments.
Ali wrote a while back about trying to comment on 20 blogs a day. It's not that hard, you know? All it'll take is for us to get off Twitter for like... 20 minutes. Can you do it?
Also, a friendly reminder: people prefer comments on their actual posts, not on Twitter. It's awesome when posts get re-tweeted, but save the actual comment for the blog post! Comments make the world go round. Comments and a nice glass of white wine.
Although things have changed in the last couple of years, I'm still as passionate about blogging today as I was back then.
What about you? Have you noticed a change in the blogosphere?
Comments
Love the post!
I am writer at my core. I write 5 times a week at least and I put it on my space on the vast world wide web. I miss how my comments used to look, I miss the community feel of them...but I'm still writing, the same way I always did.
the face of it is all changing. It's quicker, there's more business, it's, well, different.
But i'm still on my site, writing away. Because at the end of the day...I'm a writer telling my stories.
Who comments on at least 20 blogs a day :)
My blog is still old school ;)
For me, I love both. I adore blogging and the community I feel in my and other peoples comments and I also adore Twitter. It's instant. That was always the hard part for me about old school blogging. If you weren't email friends with someone...you could go weeks between hearing about them.
Both have their place. I am going to go back to Ali's challenge though. I can handle 20 comments a day.
Word up, lady!
But it doesn't bother me. While I love the comments I do get, (oh, how I love them, I'm like a greedy little comment hoarder) I love even MORE the fact that so many more people are taking the time to read my words.
However, I do miss the intimacy of the 'olden' days of blogging. Typing that sentence out made me feel old for the record.
Now y'all get off my lawn. *shakes her cane*
I do try to comment quite often -- I mean daily, on numerous sites -- but I'm also like a kid in a word-candy store. And frazzled, with real -life deadlines of my own.
So if you don't hear from me, know that I'm probably stopping by anyway. And I'm saying Hello.
P.S. Must have been so cool to meet Heather Graham. Exciting!
That seems like lifetimes ago! I am trying to comment a few times a day and spread the love.
I noticed a while ago that my comments were going down while my subscribers and traffic were up. I totally blame twitter and FB! HA! But I'm at those two places a lot myself so...
I do still try to comment as much as I can but there are only so many hours in the day.
I also just kinda miss the way blogging used to be like you said in the first part of this.
Ahhh, the old days... ;)
Ironic, huh? ;P
It was all stories and life. It was fun, and people read each other because they were like girlfriends, and family, and sisters. There were no blog hops or linkys, just sharing experiences and laughter and sadness.
I look back at the comments I used to get back in 2009/2010, and they were so full of life and truly so engaging. And boy, did my commenters ever make me laugh!
I miss those days.
wm
Good reminder to people to keep commenting :)
But I started blogging in 2006 and I know what you mean, so much has changed, I find blogging to be less about connecting on a personal level (not in all cases!) and more about trying to attract more readers either by posts about controversial topics or hosting flashy giveaways for big name brands. I still enjoy reading many blogs, like yours, but I find I comment less. I should make an effort to do the 20 comments a day thing too :)
I enjoy twitter so much: it's instant, it's fun, but I have to realize I need to go back to reading blogs.
But, really: I could spend hours on twitter...
But yeah, I'm sad that many bloggers feel the need to resort to gimmicks and commercialization for page views.
When I started blogging in 2005, I just had to tell a good story to get noticed.
Again, I miss those days.
When I first got into blogging in 2004 everyone used to talk about blogrolls and comments as being important.
Some people got insulted if you didn't blogroll them or comment on their blogs.
But to me what changed the game was the advent of readers. When RSS became popular and people didn't have to visit a blog to read the content, that made it all different.
At least that is how it felt to me.
I know how much comments mean so I always try to comment, and if I really love a post I'll stumble it or tweet it. As writers we want to know reactions not just see a number increase on our google analytics.
Keep on posting great stuff! :)