Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Who Do You Blog For?

Posted by Diva's Thoughts at 9:10 AM

This question popped in my mind this morning as I was perusing blogs and reading. There is a blogger I am pretty fond of but reading his posts as of late have really turned me off. It's made me look at him in a negative light because of some of the things he's written.

Well, this guy posts and he posts and he posts. But no one really comments on his posts. He writes as if others are reading and commenting but no one is commenting.

It made me think. If I blogged and no one read my blog would I continue to write? If the answer is no then who am I really blogging for?

When I first started blogging, it was with the intention of chronicling personal aspects of my life. Pretty much like a diary but it would be online so I wouldn't run the risk of my friends and family reading it. Then it evolved into interacting and writing for those that actually read my blog.

Because no one in my personal life reads this I can be completely free to write what I feel but I get such a thrill when I receive comments that now I don't know if I would blog without an audience. Wierd. I don't know.

Who do you blog for? If no one commented on your blog would you still write?

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36 People saying stuff:

Anonymous said...

I blog for myself. When I first started blogging I rarely got comments and I never checked my tracker to see about hits and visitors.

If all the comments stopped, I'd like to think I'd keep blogging.

March 11, 2008 at 9:15 AM
Nicole P said...

That is a hard question. Originally, I started the blog for myself, not caring who read it or if anyone read it. But now, my readers and commenters have become part of what I blog about and why I blog. I have come to know many of them through reading their blogs, corresponding through email and so forth. I don't know if I would keep blogging if no one ever commented.

March 11, 2008 at 9:27 AM
Eileen Dover said...

It's hard. I started blogging for me, and then all of a sudden I had a lot of readership. The demands of that and continuing that feeling of community became overwhelming so I started to fade off into the distance. Oh, and work and life demands didn't help.

Now my readership is small... people who comment are people I truly treasure and enjoy the community I have with them, by checking on their blogs and feeling like I'm worthwhile and can leave more than a silly sentence just to leave my tag that I was there.

So, I'm back to blogging for me again, but if anyone stumbles along, I welcome them.

March 11, 2008 at 10:53 AM
Vi said...

I think Eileen said it well. I've watched her go through it all. It seems to be the circle we go through.

March 11, 2008 at 11:24 AM
ME said...

I blog for myself. Would I still blog if no one ever read it? Yes, but it would probably become more personal than it is now.

March 11, 2008 at 12:15 PM
shorty said...

I think we all blog for ourselves and others.

The whole point of putting out on the internet makes it public, of course you want people to read and make comments or you would just keep a diary on paper shoved under your mattress...right?

Anyway, I began writing for me, to get thru a divorce, then I met 3 very cool people and began to write for them, two of the three faded away and so it saddens me that I don't have their comments on a regular basis, but I do have ways to communicate with them outside of blogger.

So yes, I would still blog if no one read it, but I would still like to keep in touch with those that read and don't comment.

March 11, 2008 at 1:12 PM
1/3 said...

I blog for myself but I dont think I would post as often if I never received a comment. Its crazy cause my blog turned from to a venting session about my ex into a music blog, now into a blog about random happenings to me and people I love. i get inspired by my readers and other blogs. So yea this is kinda a hard question to answer..

March 11, 2008 at 1:18 PM
Anonymous said...

First off, I'mma need you to tell me who the mystery blogger is, thanks!

Second, I don't know who I blog for. I just have the need to write and if nobody read it would I continue to do that??? Hmmmm! Good question. I probably would but that doesn't mean for y'all to stop commenting..hmpf!

March 11, 2008 at 1:46 PM
soumynona said...

There is a part inside me that says "F" what you heard, I'll write about what I want, no matter who reads or comments. Then theres a part that says, I value those who read what I write and I look fwd to hearing from them. Sometimes writing allows us a bit of self-discovery and whether its good for a month, year, or whatever all good things change in some way. People wont always like you or appreciate you no matter what you do. Just as long as you are still able to appreciate yourself

March 11, 2008 at 2:09 PM
Rita said...

I mostly blog for me, but I know there are people who read me. There is one blog I ALWAYS read, every single day. I dont post any comments but I talk about what this person writes.
I appreciate comments and they make me smile, but I'd do it even if I dont see any comments.
:)

March 11, 2008 at 2:11 PM
Brittany said...

Good question. I don't really know the answer for that. There is only one person that I know personally who reads my blogs and therefore I can't really post actually how I feel a lot of the time.

March 11, 2008 at 4:02 PM
Chari said...

I would still blog. Don't think I would really post poems though.
Maybe a few haikus.

March 11, 2008 at 5:00 PM
OC said...

I was going to write a similar post and explore why I blog and what for... I would still blog even without comments, I believe. That's how I started and while it is great to see how people respond to your writing... it's ultimately for me.

I think my writing has changed now that I know people are actually reading. Not that I censor myself, but I try to at least be interesting and not write mindless dribble... at least not all the time.

March 11, 2008 at 5:32 PM
Eb the Celeb said...

myself... i started my blog to vent... to talk about life even if no one answered... getting comments gives me leeway to ask questions in my blog though which i love because i love hearing other people's opinions... but I initially started blogging for myself... making my diary of things i already ponder on public

March 11, 2008 at 5:47 PM
Anonymous said...

I think I blog for both (me and readers). I do like the comments. I try to always leave a comment. With people who regularly comment on my blogs and I on theirs, it feels like a little community of friends. You included :)

March 11, 2008 at 6:20 PM
Tired of being broke said...

I mainly blog about finances to keep myself accountable.

March 11, 2008 at 7:28 PM
Sizzle said...

You know, I used to blog just for me but as I started to get more comments and created connections with other bloggers, I've started writing more for my audience. I still write about me and my life, etc. but it'd not be as fun without the interaction with people.

March 11, 2008 at 7:57 PM
Lisa Steptoe said...

I blog for myself and about the events in my life. I get hardly any comments and that's okay.

March 11, 2008 at 10:22 PM
Lys said...

Interesting post. I blog for a number of reasons - one for me, as was the original reason and also for my readers.

Blogging has given me a creative outlet that sometimes gets stifled in the day to day. And I have an audience, even if it might just be me that day yippin' about shoes and such. I think it's also cathargic because once I vent, sometimes I feel somewhat relieved - like I just talked about whatever has my goat and that's it - I'm done and can move on.

I love comments, don't get me wrong, but if the readers went away - I'd still blog.

March 11, 2008 at 10:33 PM
Mizrepresent said...

I started off just blogging for myself...the freedom of being able to say what i want, and not be responsible at first felt good...and then i gained an audience...although i may try to cater to them every now and then, i still blog for me, because what i really like about blogging and reading blogs, is the individual effort put into it, the diverse personalites...i am really learning so much, laughing so much, crying too...it's like sharing yourself with the world...and i love it!

March 11, 2008 at 11:24 PM
MP said...

I started blogging for the same reason you did. I don't want anybody that I know personally to read my blog. It would change the way that I blog. If nobody read my blog I would still blog.

March 11, 2008 at 11:49 PM
Pageant Mom said...

My blog makes me feel like at least if I am but a speck of sand on the beach, I can be one of the ones that adds to the sparkle.

(Okay I admit it, I had waaaayyyyy too much sugar and caffeine today)

Good question!

:o)

March 12, 2008 at 12:06 AM
Jeni said...

My initial intent in blogging was to record events of my life -from way back when I was a kid, or even stories about my family or the village where I live that happened before I was born too. Then I started to add in things happening in the current time. Along the way, I picked up some faithful readers too as well as some who flit in and out from time to time. I enjoy the comments - especially when I get some really nifty ones - but if no one read my blog, I would still keep writing it -maybe not as often, but I do it mostly as a trigger to help me remember things that took place, sometimes when they happened, with the idea in mind being I would leave something behind for my grandkids to know as much as I can possibly record for them about myself - who, what kind of person Grammy was and also, bits and pieces of the history that surrounds their being here too.

March 12, 2008 at 7:18 AM
laughing said...

I have many times explained why I started the blog, so I think that everyone who cares already knows and I won't go into that again now.

Then the blog became mostly like a diary with the occasional what the hell is this sort of post. I have a few readers. The readership changes over time. Right now my list of regular readers is pretty small, cause I'm mostly doing the diary thing for myself, and other people just aren't that interested in ceramics class. I guess posts on the other kind of mud are more interesting to read.

I still vent about stuff once in a while, but there's less of the really ugly stuff. I have better things to do.

I wrote stuff before the blog, and I would keep writing if there were no readers. But sometimes I think that I should give up the blog and go back to my "real" writing. Except that I can hardly blame the blog for the lack of "real" writing, since I haven't done any serious work on that since 2004.

March 12, 2008 at 8:45 AM
*Tanyetta* said...

I blog to keep my sanity in check. I used to take it so personal when I never got comments and here I was updating my family and friends on what was going on in my life. My stats would show they were visiting but, they wouldn't leave comments. They would pick up the phone to call and tell me how much they loved such and such about what I posted. I'm like...umm so why didn't you leave a comment. geez!

p.s. i'm with durtymo who is this guy with NO commenters? maybe we can help him out. unless he's a female basher or something then, i'll pass :)

March 12, 2008 at 1:41 PM
RiverPoet said...

Hi Diva -

I'm a fellow Marylander (in Frederick) and I found you through David's blog (authorblog).

I started my blog for me, because I'm a writer and it was a lot easier to journal daily online than in a notebook. Plus it forces me to write daily.

My readership has slowly been growing, mostly because one person found me, then another, then another. I joined a couple of blog rolls and got some readers that way. I felt a little unloved at first, but no blogger has an instant readership.

I read a pretty cool book called "Blogging Heroes" that had interviews and profiles of 30 successful bloggers. I got some great info that way.

I'll be checking in with you from time to time, but it certainly looks like you have quite a few readers already! Feel free to visit me, too.

Peace - D

March 13, 2008 at 6:19 PM
CC Solomon said...

I have two blogs. One gets views and I blog for the written dialogue with others. I have another, strictly creative writing. No one leaves comments. And the writing is for myself. I don't expect comments but it feels good to get my stuff sort of published.

March 13, 2008 at 6:34 PM
Ebone' said...

I don't know who I blog for. I just let loose on whats on my mind for that day, you know. If someone agrees or can feel what I am saying then they can comment.

If no one commented, that would be coo too.

Interesting blog--never thought about that...

March 13, 2008 at 9:04 PM
Anonymous said...

Funny you should ask this. I have seen quite a few bloggers pondering this of late.

Me I brain dump. whatever is on my mind. But I love my comments like a crack whore loves her hit, so I dunno if I would continue without them.

I, like, you don't know anyone that reads my blog in real life. Makes it kinda special I think.

March 14, 2008 at 6:42 AM
Ann(ie) said...

ooooooooooh...I really like this post. I actually ran across a blogger that put me off big time, too. Unfortunately she's got a reader base that encourages her so she's getting her comment fix, but the things she writes about make me very sad. Especially for her children. I blog for the release. But now it's b/c so much more for me. It's about comraderie and support. I love it. I hope I love it for a long time! It is time consuming at times though. I find myself on the computer at 1 a.m. sometimes catching up on y'all!

March 14, 2008 at 7:11 PM
That girl said...

I'm a comment whore. I'd be devastated if they all dissapeared...lol.

March 15, 2008 at 7:02 PM
Lucy said...

That's an easy one; having once shared a home with an individual who thought the (closed) door to my bedroom was purely decorative, I learned long ago not to leave my written diary laying about.

Blogging allows me to express myself, for myself, freely and without fear of discovery by those who I'd prefer didn't have such insights into my "self".

If someone actually reads and responds to my blog (positive or not), well, that's just icing on the cake. - Lola

http://lolaology.blogspot.com

March 16, 2008 at 2:12 AM
Cat Hill said...

Definately, because although my blog did not start off as a personal blog I wrote whatever I felt or saw at the moment. my blog is a mixture of personal & entertainment. If no one comments although I love comments it wouldn't stop me from blogging.

March 16, 2008 at 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...

I've been struggling with just this issue lately as I find I'm editing my posts because there ARE regular readers.

I've been a little disappointed in myself. Might have to write on THIS topic...and quote you of course. ;-)

March 17, 2008 at 11:29 PM
Adrianne said...

I never heard of blogging until I started dating Joe. He was the one who told me about his blog. Then I wanted one.

I feel as it is very therapeutic. I was upset when I first started writing and no one would comment. I felt as a failure and that I didn't have the ability to write in the blog world.

But then I got over it and just wrote to make me happy and if you comment you comment if you don't you don't. Well sort of.

March 18, 2008 at 12:16 AM
The Ambiguous Blob said...

I blog for me. It's nice that other people occasionally pipe in with their whatnots, but I'm not doing this for kudos. I like to spew out my thoughts and look at them later on. It's a great reminder of things that I've been doing for the last... however long I've been blogging.

March 19, 2008 at 1:39 PM

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