As is my wont I am going through the archives and using some old material again. (Originally Posted Here)
I have been blogging for a little more than 18 months now. In that time I have generated a little more than 3000 posts. Yes, that is right, more than 3,000 posts. Some of those posts have been pulled down, so the number of posts that is actually live is likely to be different, but you get the general idea.
I am prolific. I have a lot of interests and a lot to say and I do stop every now and then to consider whether what I have to say is meaningful. When I consider why I got into blogging and the reasons why I come back to the same place in which I do see meaning. I blog because this gives me a running diary of my life, a place to vent and the opportunity to engage and interact with interesting people.
I try to visit as many blogs as I can, but time is fleeting and it can be a challenge. Nevertheless I make an effort. I also make an effort to comment. I am not much of a lurker. I am “lurking challenged.” Some of that is because I feel a bit of an obligation to comment and not be as voyeuristic as I could be by sitting in the background watching and waiting. You took the time the write so I’ll take the time to remark is the unofficial motto.
Posts that have No Comments
Early on in my blogging experience I didn’t bother to visit any other blogs and I didn’t have any sort of stat counter so many of those early posts are devoid of any sort of comments. There is also a chunk of time in which I used Haloscan. When I removed it I lost all of the comments that had accumulated there.
Why do I mention this? Because now when I go back to my earlier work I notice a number of things. My first thought is almost always how bad those posts were. They were just awful but as I mentioned many times I tend to dislike most of my work. The second thing I notice is whether there are any comments or not.
Posts that have no comments look like orphans to me. Sad and lonely collections of words that have received no love. They stand there in the shadows with their heads hung low and a glum expression on their collective typefaces.
As Forest Gump would say, “that is all I have to say on that for now.”
That means that some of my posts which received no comments may have actually been loved… heck, maybe one commentless post has impacted one of my readers more profoundly than anything else I’ve ever written. It’s possible.
It is.
Rafi,
One would hope.
Babka,
Thank you.
Datingmaster,
I am.
Mist,
It is a dirty job, but someone has to do it.
Gooch,
I keep saying that I am going to pull down everything, but thus far it hasn’t happened.
Paula,
I bit she owns a pitbull and runs red lights.
Mata Hari,
It is nice.
Rhea,
🙂
Kasamba,
And we thank you.
You took time to write, so I’m taking time to comment!
A glum expression on their typefaces. How cute. And sad.
It’s much more fun and interesting when it’s interactive of course…but many people just read and move on. Either they don’t have the courage, the time, or feel they have nothing of interest to add. Ever since I added a counter (which was way after the blog started) I’ve been able to see how people got there (e.g. through other blogs, through searches, etc.) and which countries they’re coming from. I get a real kick out of it when someone reads my latest post and then starts backtracking and reading through the old ones. Anyway, it’s just satisfying for me to know that there are people who are interested in reading my musings, as a friend calls them.
MH
If I had my wits about me I’d pull down a good number of my early posts too – the ones where I was just getting my feet wet. Some of them are as embarrassing to look back on as the stuff I wrote in high school.
There’s someone who has been reading my blog for a long time from a city right next to mine–this person sometimes stays 15 minutes reading!–yet s/he has never left a comment. Drives me nuts!!
I am a volunteer commenter for an organization opposed to orphaned posts with no comments. It’s my civic duty.
You certainly are prolific and you should be proud of your achievements
Because of your recent advice to me, I am no longer lurking challenged! As a very new blogger, your visits and comments are very appreciated! I always enjoy your style and content!
when you know people are reading, and especially when they are commenting, it pushes you to write better posts…
Well, try to remember that just because you are lurking challenged, that doesn’t mean that everyone else is. I know my blog has a few regular readers who have never uttered a peep. That means that some of my posts which received no comments may have actually been loved… heck, maybe one commentless post has impacted one of my readers more profoundly than anything else I’ve ever written. It’s possible.
But still, there’s that innate desire for feedback. That natural human hope that someone will acknowledge our words, perhaps with a virtual nod of the head or tip of the hat. I guess that’s why many bloggers tell a few close friends about their blog… and then call and pester them asking “hey, what did you think of my most recent entry?”