Comments on: I have a theory about why people stop blogging

By: Real Wingo

Real Wingo — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:07:12 +0000

Simple: Sad to say but “Online community” may be an oxymoron.

By: links for 2008-12-16 « Valpurin vinttikamari

links for 2008-12-16 « Valpurin vinttikamari — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 22:17:10 +0000

[...] I have a theory about why people stop blogging | Online Journalism Blog Toiveikas vastaväite: ehkä ihmiset lopettavat bloggaamisen, koska he löytävät muita tapoja ilmaista itseään. Pessimistinen arvio: Online Journalism Blog voi silti olla oikeassa. Yhteisöä ei tosiaan synny tyhjästä – eikä sitä aina ymmärretä edes tavoitella. (tags: journalism journalismi media sosiaalisuus internet) [...]

By: interact » Tips for making an online portfolio (and a new one coming soon at laurenrabaino.com!)

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 22:20:08 +0000

[...] I learned from Paul Bradshaw, I don’t have a community to encourage my continued blogging A sneak peak of what my soon-to-be-released portfolio looks [...]

By: Is Twitter the future of blogging? « Jordan Farley’s Weblog

Is Twitter the future of blogging? « Jordan Farley’s Weblog — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 09:22:07 +0000

[...] the Web 2.0 conversation is something we can all work on together. In his Online Journalism Blog post this week Paul Bradshaw of Birmingham City University’s School of Media claimed the reason [...]

By: Steve Jackson

Steve Jackson — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:29:42 +0000

Dorien, I think there is a balance – I am not really a fan of groups blogs I think there should be a consistant narrator. However – it does provide different voices and does boost traffic.

As an example I have had an idea for a while to get three people to share their views on Cameroon – I thought a volunteer, an overseas Cameroonian and a colleague.

I think too many guest pieces though can dillute the style and (hate this word) brand of it.

By: Dorien

Dorien — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:20:36 +0000

@Steve: it’s really interesting to me that you say that you started with ‘guest pieces’. To be honest, it’s something I’ve been thinking about as well: working with guest pieces (like OJB also does), or make a group blog. It helps in spreading your blog (more contributors talk about it, online and offline), it makes sure that when one of the bloggers is busy with eg family for a certain period, the others can catch up, + together you are more complete and give different view points to your followers. A win for both bloggers and followers I guess.

By: Steve Jackson

Steve Jackson — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 22:57:16 +0000

I think what keeps you going is the desire to communicate. Stuck out in relative isolation in Cameroon I find I check my emails far more than I ever did back home. I just want that contact. Twitter scratches the itch.

And yes, I know that, as far as my blog goes, beyond family (and friends who soon get on with their own lives) the other option is to engage a community.

You can hopefully keep them coming back with regular and half decent content – but you have to attract them their first.You have to network. You may get passing trade from Google but mostly it’ll be people with similar interests and experiences who will discover you and hopefully stick with you.

The only thing I would say is that just a year or so a go in order to drive more readers to my blog I’d provide guest peieces for other bloggers or trade links etc. Now links from other blogs don’t seem to bring the traffic that they used to.

I also think that the big bumps in your blog numbers used to come if print media (or their online sites) mentioned you. Now they seem less interested in blogs and more in the wider web2.0 genre.

By: links for 2008-12-16 « Journeys through travel

links for 2008-12-16 « Journeys through travel — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 20:30:46 +0000

[...] I have a theory about why people stop blogging | Online Journalism Blog [...]

By: Blogs do they work for you « RapidBI’s Weblog - OD, L&D

Blogs do they work for you « RapidBI’s Weblog - OD, L&D — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 10:15:04 +0000

[...] thoughts were sparked by an interesting piece on “why people stop blogging” and an interesting look at the 5 stages of a blogger [...]

By: paulbradshaw

paulbradshaw — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 08:34:35 +0000

Thanks Dorien – I agree there are other reasons, I’m just suggesting that this may be the most common one. I think the combination you suggest is also really valid – the community fades when you can no longer contribute as you could.