“Is Blogging Dead?”
That question pops up periodically on blogs and Facebook. Huh? I must confess, as a prolific blogger, I am always a bit bewildered when I encounter it. My experience tells me that blogging is as big, if not bigger, than ever. I started blogging in 2008 and the amount of blogs out there has quadrupled since then. (This is not based on anything scientific, mind you, just my observations. Perhaps they’ve only tripled.)
One reason cited is that, in general, commenting seems to be down. That may be. Certainly the amount of comments on any given post on this blog ebbs and flows. Sometimes I get a handful of comments. At other times, usually on a more thought-provoking post, the amount of comments greatly increases. Makes sense to me. Here’s what has changed for me since I started blogging: I read more blogs, I seem to have less free time, I post every day and I simply cannot comment as much as I used to. I feel guilty about that because one of the things I prided myself on in the early days was the fact that I commented a lot. There’s always a twinge of guilt just beneath the surface. I try to make up for that when I have a chunk of free time and I can visit everyone. All this is to say that we are all busy people. We comment when we can. I don’t find the comment issue to mean anything more than that. I know that a lot of people read my blog that never leave a comment. And that’s okay. I’m writing for you. I’m writing for me. But let’s face it, not every post is earth-shattering. My garden is pretty, but how many times can you leave a comment on another New Dawn rose? I don’t expect you to.
I also think the proliferation of social media has something to do with it, as well. Too many little or big devices, too many other distractions like Twitter and Facebook and Pinterest. It’s very easy to find yourself overwhelmed by it all. If you’re tweeting, or Facebooking, or whatever, you’re going to have less time to leave a comment on a blog post.
But, and this is a big but, there is no way on earth that a 140 character tweet or a status update on Facebook can even begin to take the place of a blog. I’m sorry. It ain’t happening. I’ve read that certain bloggers are now more ‘into’ Facebook and Twitter. Maybe it has to do with a lack of available time and the allure of the quick update. I suspect it’s generational. (I could and probably will write a post on the disappearing attention span out there. I find it very distressing.) If your world is that of sound bites, then you probably will like tweeting more than blogging.
That’s not my world. I use Facebook, yes, but I really only scan it once a day to leave a birthday greeting or see if anything momentous has happened to one of my friends. I can count the number of times I’ve tweeted anything on one hand. Yes, I know it is now the recommended thing to get your blog “out there.” I’m not saying it works or doesn’t work. I have no idea. It’s just not for me or, I suspect, this blog.
I’d rather put my energy into writing something more than 140 characters or a status update. Yes, these are all valid forms of communication in the 21st century but at what cost? Heads buried in smart phone keyboards, constant texting, twitter updates – it all seems to be condensing real communication into something that obscures and hides who we really are. And that fills up our moments with keystrokes.
If I’m going to write a blog, I want it to be more than pictures or quick sound bites. I want to share – share me, my life, my observations, my work, my home, family and passions. And sharing those things that I love takes more than a quick update. I’m a writer. I love to talk. If I can’t talk to you face-to-face, the best way of communicating, then I will try to write a post that reflects who I am and shares a part of me. Just as if we’re having a conversation – but an in-depth conversation. It takes time to write a good post, as all of you know. It takes planning and writing and re-writing. It requires my heart and mind.
From what you’ve shared with me over the years, it seems as if, though we are drawn to all kinds of blogs, the ones we keep coming back to are those where the writer shares the good and the bad, the ups and downs of life. That takes a willingness on the part of the writer to be real. To open up. And, yes, I could tweet something like “Our septic system is screwed up” and add the appropriate @ and #hash tags, but all that extraneous stuff only serves to muddy up the thought. It becomes about what hash tag you use, what you can do to get people to read your (now even shorter in terms of word choices) tweet.
Like so many other things in our tech crazy world, it serves as a distraction and keeps us from really sharing. So while I use it when necessary, for a BlogHer post that requires tweeting, for example, I tend to stay away from it.
I want readers to come to this blog who aren’t averse to reading words. Yes, I love my photos and I am proud to be a good photographer, but the words are what count. I suspect that those readers out there who are more inclined to use Twitter and Facebook are not the ones who keep coming back to this blog. They’ll say my posts are too long or that I talk too much. That’s fine. There’s a big old tech world out there full of different types of blogs.
But I like reading. And I like writing. And, obviously, so does a lot of the blog reading public out there. In the end, I don’t think you can truly compare blogging, tweeting and Facebooking. It’s like the old apples and oranges thing. They’re completely different. Some will prefer the apple which takes a little time to eat, others will like the quick munch of a raisin or two.
So when I see that question, “Is blogging dead?” I think the real question for whoever raised it in the first place is “Am I tired of blogging, and do I prefer a quick something or other that I can read on my smartphone or tablet?” Or something like that. It’s about a personal choice rather than the larger picture.
I don’t see blogging going away anytime soon. Do you?
Blogging is alive and well, as far as I am concerned. I have never tweeted or facebooked. I have a loyalty to my blog list, and enjoy reading them, looking forward to posts from all my favorites. My own blog has a loyal base, and it is very satisfying to create a post that one is proud of. comments rise and fall, depending on the subject. I think there are a lot of people who like the blog world, just as they like a nice cup of real coffee, as opposed to instant coffee.
I think your blog is absolutely perfect and represents the best of the blogging world. I truly love it and look forward to it every day,but am not a commenter….Dianne
I’m not on facebook or twitter, and I’ve noticed I am often out of the loop with a lot of people I know in real life. But, I still don’t plan on joining in the bunch. Neither platform appeals to me. I enjoy blogging so much, and as long as there are readers and friends out there who enjoy sharing my passion for miniatures, I’ll just keep on going. :D
Blogging is not dead for all the reasons you mentioned. I would love the opportunity to meet at a local coffee shop and visit with my online friends but that just isn’t going to happen. So when I share on my blog I want it to be on the same line as that over coffee conversation. Yes, we might talk about your septic tank for a sentence or two but what will make us linger are the heart talks. That’s what blogging is to me…a heart to heart with a friend. Great post…p.s. My time is valuable and limited so if I am going to take an hour out of my day and write a post and edit pictures I want it to have a little substance. Not always serious stuff by at least engaging stuff to talk about. Okay, now I’m done. lol…#@^)$% I have no idea what hashmarks mean so I hope I didn’t just offend someone. ;-)
Like you I love writing so I blog (I’m not writing a book right now). And I take photos, which is fun with Instagram (I’m not a photographer). I like to read too. So blogging it is. ;-)
I have questioned this myself recently, Claudia. I actually did a post about it and the response was that at this time of year not as many people are on their computers.
I am having a Giveaway right now and have only had 7 response where as in the colder months I would have had over 20 by now.
I love blogging, I love to right and if I don’t get any comments that’s okay because I will still write.
I read you everyday and usually comment. I find it comforting that several bloggers post daily like I do. I don’t sit on the computer all day but I do take an hour in the morning to check on the blogs, it has become part of my routine ..
I don’t think blogging is dying, how could it, it is so interesting and written by interesting people.
Have a great day and keep on posting, please,
Sue
Very interesting post, Claudia. The death of blogging is something I’ve wondered about, too, and I tend to agree with you that it has and will continue to have it’s own niche for a long time to come.
There are a lot of blogs I truly enjoy, and having something like a Blogger dashboard that puts new posts right in front of you certainly makes it a lot easier and less time-consuming than having to check each of one’s favorite blogs individually for a new post.
I hope advances like this will continue to support bloggers and encourage readers.
Dear friend,
I am not interested in Twitter or Facebook. I enjoy reading your blog daily. If hash tags are what I think, I do not appreciate that language. It offends me if I hear it in public. Have a wonderful Weds.
I may start reading a blog because of projects they do or a particular subject they cover, but it is what they share about themselves that keeps me coming back. The more I get to know them and understand their lives, the more I can identify with them. I know of no other forum that lets you get that close to so many strangers. ~ Maureen
When I read your first sentence, ‘is blogging dead?’, my stomach sank just a bit. It can’t be! I love reading blogs and writing on mine. I’m taking a break right now, for personal reasons, but I think about blogging ideas all the time and find that I miss it . . . a lot. I was asking my son (19) yesterday if he knows anyone who ‘tweets’. I don’t! I’m thinking THAT will eventually go away, but I can’t imagine blogs going away. At least, I hope not!
Give me the apple. I love your blog and your heartfelt posts. I got sucked into facebook, and it just doesn’t have the same feel as blogging. I love your blog more than any other blog out there. You always have the courage to say the things I can’t put into words. You are authentic. Yep. Give me the apple.
Hugs,
Jill
I agree the attention span is shrinking. I see my own kids and they are so used to everything right there right now. Scary. As for the comments, if there are more blogs than ever than it stands to reason people are spreading out their commenting I guess. That is my theory but I think we have our own lives as well so I refuse to carry any guilt over whether I comment or not. We have to be more in the home we live with our families than tied up in blogland commenting because we feel we have to. That is my take on it anyway. Good or bad. I agree though that blogging is here to stay. I really enjoy checking in on my blog friends.
I’m on Facebook more often than I read blogs — but I check Facebook when I have a couple of minutes. I read blogs when I have a chunk of time to devote to it. That chunk is usually in the morning before I go to work, and I check to see what’s new in the evening before I go to bed.
I have a twitter account, but I find it to be so much noise and so hard to hold a thread of a conversation. But it was very helpful when I wanted to find out why I didn’t have any internet or cable and the provider’s line was constantly busy.
My blog posts get pushed (I don’t have to do anything!) to Facebook and Twitter. But because I don’t do anything else on Twitter, I’m pretty sure those tweets get ignored. However, I’ve definitely got folks coming in via Facebook.
I’ve heard about this “is blogging dead?” You’ll find that aside from short statuses and updates, the next thing people post the most of are links to websites: blogs, online news, etc – and discussions can be had on Facebook OR on the blog!
So blogging is not dead. We need something to tweet about :)
Well, I don’t think it will go away, I think like everything else it evolves. It was “the in thing” when it was new and some have moved on to the next “in thing”. I happen to love blogging because I’ve made so many good “friends”, which I shouldn’t even put in quotation marks, because they (you) are friends, kind of like pen pals. I also will keep it up because it is a journal of sorts for me and my family. I don’t delve too much into the negative or sad aspects of our life, but I try to focus on the positive and that’s where my blog helps me. It helps me focus on the good stuff in my life. There were many times when things were going really badly here and blogging was my primary outlet and tool to try to find something good to say.
My husband just said the other day that we will have a scrapbook of sorts from our life the last few years I’ve been blogging – and that’s another reason I will keep doing it.
Besides, I just like it! There!
Ann
No Way!!! I, like you, am an avid blogger. I have seen the ebb and flow. But for the most part, my blog has grown, despite the fact that I don’t do much in the way of linky parties.
I love blogging. I think I always will. I use fb like you do…to scan once a day.
I thoroughly enjoy your blog!!
Kris
Claudia,
I read your blog posts, to me is like reading a book that interests me and it helps my English too. I love blogging and will never stop. I am short and sweet when I post I think am sweet!! lol
I do I do enjoy your blog and you are an amazing writer. Baci Rita
Maybe it’s a generational thing but I see blogging as alive and well! I love your blog for your insight and sharing your life. Your photos are great but what you share makes me feel like we are friends…and we are….blogging friends. I only FB to keep track of my kids and some friends but seldom put any updates on there myself. I occasionally put a link to a blog post for friends who don’t follow my blog but might like to read a certain post. I’m not a ‘tweeter’ at all. I like to share my life through photos and words. I blog for all of you but I also blog for me! I agree about the comments, I try to sometimes I don’t have much to say so I don’t. I read and enjoy and I feel like others do the same. I’m content with it all! Linda
I agree Claudia. I’ve become more interested in blogs in the last 6 months, not less. I have never tweeted and hope I don’t have to. I treat Facebook like you do. I want some substance not just a “status” update.
It’s one thing to hear your septic is screwed up – it’s another to hear how it affects you, what you have to do about it, how you feel and maybe even an eventual humourous summary (and you can’t tweet that!).
But it may be generational, most of the blogs I read are written by “a certain age”. Maybe the majority of bloggers are over 40 or maybe those are the blogs I’m attracted to. Either way, I’m happy spending some of mmy time in the world of blogging and I’m noot going anywhere.
My take on blogging is simple: I like to read. Pictures are a nice bonus, but I’m in it for the reading. Long ago when I blogged, I found out it was much more fun to read than to write. I only have so much free time and I’d rather read a blog than post one; that’s why I discontinued my own blog and why I’ve cut down on the number of blogs I read.
I like to comment (too much sometime); it seems like a polite way of saying I appreciate your efforts and the info you share with me.
Because it’s summer, my blogging time is short, but I “drop by” as often as I can.
Glad you’ve hung in there and keep MHC going; it’s on my list of blogs I’ve gotta read, can’t do without!
Long live the blog! Enjoyed this post immensely.
Heavens no! I don’t even know what a hash tag is. Do you eat it? I never signed up for Twitter. I signed up for Facebook and it lays dormant because of my disinterest. I’ve never texted (is that a word?) and don’t want to learn how. And you know, Claudia, that I don’t even remember my cell phone number, as I just have it for emergencies and swallow hard at even paying the paltry $30 a month for the peace of mind. Who am I kidding? I rarely ever charge the damned thing. I’m an old-fashioned gal. I plan to be in this blogging world a real long time.
Brenda
Hi Claudia! I don’t think blogs will disappear. They’re fantastic. Where else would one get a tutorial? Plus all those lovely homes and gardens and things that people make for their home and share with us. Plus the sharing of pets. And, Brenda comes to mind here, birds! Plus we get the opportunity to make friends. It doesn’t matter if we never personally meet. There can be a bonding of spirits. This often happens when people blog and comment. I love reading my blogs. I don’t have one of my own because it would stress me and I don’t want to do that to myself. Anyways, I love all my blogger friends and am glad I have made their acquaintance. I don’t have a cell phone. I wouldn’t tweet even if I had one. I do have a Facebook account, though. It enables me to keep in touch with certain family members and look at their photos.
Judging from the responses to your posts…Blogging is alive and well..
Judging from the responses to your posts…Blogging is alive and well..
What a wonderful post Claudia!!! I have thought about this so much lately. This past February I celebrated five years of blogging and so much has changed! Back then, there just weren’t as many blogs as there are now. Plus I look at the amount of comments I received back then and can’t believe it!! And you’re right, with so many other distractions and so many other blogs to read, I imagine it’s a time thing. I try not to let that discourage me as my blog is for me and also a vehicle for me to share what I do. But I must admit, the comments fuel my fire. They inspire me to be creative, to do more and share more.
So now, I’ll take whatever kind comment comes my way and continue on because I simply love the entire process. I love being creative and having my blog encourages that creativity. I hope blogging never dies…I’ve made some of the most precious friends all around the world!!!
Thank you again for posting what’s been on my mind.
Hugs and love, Dawn
This is a great post, Claudia! I don’t see blogging going away…maybe evolving with the culture. I don’t comment as much either, and don’t receive as many comments as I used to, but I know people ARE reading, and we are all busy!
i do not see it disappearing. but rather proliferating. i personally am having trouble keeping up. there are not enough hours in the day to comment on all the blogs i want to comment on. and there are new ones coming my way everyday! i don’t do fb or twitter or pinterest, i don’t know how everyone does it all?
Just being the devil’s advocate, I think the question refers more to how current, “in style,” or hip it is. Uggs were declared to be over years ago but more people wear them than ever. Kelly Wearstler’s Imperial Trellis print has also been declared dead many times. We still see it everywhere.
If more and more people are jumping on the blogging bandwagon, the impact of the pioneers and the leaders in the media gets diluted.
Just like in the dot.com era where we saw a huge number of new companies to which investors poured billions of dollars, the bubble burst and only a few survived. Perhaps the blogging bubble is about to burst and only those based on a legitimate platform of original content, photographs and thoughtful messaging will survive with audiences intact.
I don’t think blogging will ever die- its such a great way to meet kindred spirits. I like reading your blog because you “keep it real”.
I know I don’t comment as much as I used to- when I first started blogging, I left lots of comments because I wanted to get to know people and them to know me. I feel like I know you, Claudia, and you know me, and we only have to check in with each other every so often with comments- at least that’s my take. I’m still here reading.
Nice post!!!! I use all of the social media you mention, but blogging is my favourite. I can’t compare to previous times as I have been blogging for about 18 months and reading lots of blogs just a little longer but it’s a great communication form and I have no intention of stopping my blogging habits (writing or reading) any time soon. Yes it’s apples and oranges, with twitter and facebook and I use them for different things, plus Instagram too, actually.
As I am doing more and writing more I find I have to comment less – partly because I read blogs on an iPad at night and captcha spam thingies don’t always show up so I can’t, and partly because I read LOTS of blogs and can’t comment on them all every time I read a post.
Clearly this was one I felt compelled to comment on :D
Xxx
No, I don’t think it’s going away any time soon. I’ve only been blogging for 1.5 years and finding it more difficult to find time to visit others like I used to. I so do love visiting others and of course, we all have our favorites. But to comment every time, just becomes too burdensome. And keeping up with all the other forms of social media …. oh my, it gets so overwhelming!
No. I don’t see blogging going away. I see people going away.
The Tweeting and Facebook status’; I don’t do those, but they seem to push people into the fast lane and propel them even faster to their destination of mind numbness.
You touched on a subject;(the disappearing attention span) I was just thinking about earlier this year, a few months back, perhaps even before Christmas– I had read a book, that I downloaded off Amazon, on my Kindle for PC (because I don’t have a kindle or nook; I prefer real books with real pages) But never the less, I read it. “HOW TO LIVE IN 24 HOURS A DAY”. It was quite eye opening for me,despite the fact it was written years ago!
I used to jokingly say, that I had adult A.D.D. but after reading that book; I made up my mind not to pander to that type of thinking any longer. I’ve realized if we can’t pay attention it is because we are lazy and don’t *want* to. We make time for and attend to the things we want. I would certainly read any post you would publish here about *the disappearance of the attention span*. I for one am re-training my mind to ‘attend’; it isn’t easy, but I’m doing it.
The other thing is, my writing is an atrocity! I write (you may have noticed) in a very broken and poorly written manner. My mother would be shocked. (and that makes me sad)
It reminds me of the double-speak, and new speak, that Orwell wrote of in his book 1984– things aren’t what they seem.
Enjoyed this post,
Pat
I hope blogging doesn’t go away…there are so many positive reasons that keep me reading. I receive your blog posts via email. Always look forward to seeing what you’ve been up to. You are real…authentic, and I appreciate that! I personally don’t tweet, nor am I on Facebook…guess I don’t feel the need to be that connected. By the way, your roses are beautiful! ;)
Claudia, You have created a wonderful blog. It is at times thought provoking, funny, thoughtful, heartfelt and informative. It is real and I love to read it.
I think the blog world is ever changing. In the couple of years since I started reading blogs I have found a big shift from actually writing to an emphasis on photos and the big advertising beast. Personally, I love a great photo if it complements the story but very often now I visit a blog to read a story that has been promised in the title only to be disappointed in finding a few sentences separated by way too many photos. Perhaps this is partially caused by the supposed demand to blog everyday. It is obvious that many are having a hard time keeping up with good content. Is this demand from advertisers? As for advertising, I would never want to prohibit someone from making a living or adding to their income but some of the blogs I have subscribed to have become a nightmare to visit. I refer to it as sidebar noise and if it is too much I just leave. If there was an easy way to unsubscribe I often would. As far as Facebook and Twitter. I have never Twitted and only recently have let in some businesses and blog writers. That is going to change. I just do not want to see the same information delivered to my outlets over and over again.
We are moving again and time is short so on my to do list is to weed out my blogroll and search for those that are a better fit for me. And, lucky me, I will probably use your blogroll as a start.
Eu realmente não acredito na morte dos blogs. É verdade que o tempo é curto para comentar, mas sempre consigo dar uma lida em algumas postagens de blogs pelos quais me interesso. Gosto mais daqueles em que sinto que estou tendo uma conversa real com uma pessoa real, com altos e baixos, e sentimentos e sensações e emoções. Acho que podemos comparar o facebook e twitter como restaurantes de fast food, enquanto que blogs são restaurantes com serviço a la carte, onde há tempo para apreciar o que é servido, com calma para manter uma conversa interessante.
Este post vai em português porque meu inglês é muito ruim e eu não conseguiria me expressar corretamente.
Grande abraço,
Zilda
I agree with you completely, Claudia. I keep going back to the blogs that I love. Some are small and some are big, but there is always something personal about them that keeps me coming back. Yes, I use twitter and facebook, because they help promote my Etsy shop, but my blog keeps me in touch in a more personal way with my readers. I love your blog, so keep it coming.
Hugs,
Laura
Hello from a blogger on hiatus, or so it seems. Wow, your post is making me think….a lot….about my own responsibility as a blogger. As you might know, I haven’t posted in awhile, and it’s due simply to the fact that I am distracted by other things in my life and just plain forget to blog. Just like when I start a diet but then forget a few days later when I go for that second glass of wine. LOL My overwhelming thought on all of this is that, for me, blogging is a way of connecting and expanding. The world and technology moves so quickly these days – my iPhone and iPad became obsolete two months after I purchased them – I don’t want to see blogging become obsolete due to new technology. Frog Hollow Farm Girl is a part of me, and is in the wings waiting for a committed comeback…sometime soon I hope.
Always good to connect with you Claudia! xxoo
I am not a social media fan. I do not use Facebook much at all and do not have a page for Olive Out despite the fact that it may very well help me. I think blogging is alive and well. I read writing on blogs. Right now my blog is picture heavy but I do write. I do not understand Twitter and never will. I read your blog faithfully and enjoy it.
Hi Claudia,
It has taken me a day to have the time to read and savor your post. I’m so glad you spoke up about this topic, because it has been on my mind lately too. I agree that it may be a generational thing. Young people’s brains have developed in a different world than the rest of our brains. It’s a much faster world than it used to be, information-wise, at least, and that actually affects brain development.
When I started blogging and opened my Etsy shop, I read over and over that I needed to do Facebook and Twitter too, so I signed up. After more than a year of tweeting regularly, my blog stats didn’t even register Twitter as a referral source. I closed my account a week ago–woohoo! Facebook, on the other hand, was a fairly big referrer to my blog until recent changes by Facebook. Still, I couldn’t get over the lack of customer service with FB, the privacy issues there, and the idea that FB owned my images and content until I deleted my account. So, I’m in the process of deleting my account (in the process, because I’m doing a very thorough job of deleting everything). It feels great to follow my heart and values–woohoo!
I have met wonderful friends all over the world through blogging, and that’s at least partly because we can get to know one another on a deeper level than we ever could with status updates and tweets. Blogging is here to stay, in my world, at least.
By the way, I love your garden photos. I just posted about the field of foxgloves that has cropped up in my garden this year. I read your blog every day, I just don’t comment every day. I couldn’t stand a daily post from anyone else–yours I love!
xoxo Jennifer
Well I for one keep coming back here as you know, though I am commenting less. That though is a function of my own blog’s increasing popularity … I just don’t have time to follow up on every comment there and comment on all the other blogs I like to read every time I visit. I also find that where, as you do Claudia, folk post most days, I now pop in for a catch up once every few days. Again it’s just a time thing.
I don’t bother much with facebook, but I do use twitter … it’s proving to be a great tool and has been a driver of more traffic to the blog. Actually I rather like it, but no way could it replace blogging for me. I see twitter as equivalent to a quick phone call, where blogging is like writing a long, chatty letter. I do wonder if blogging is in a way though like twitter for writers. Blog posts are a lot shorter than some of the things I used to write and publish!
Hi, just discovered your blog via a friend posting something on FB about your blog. Followed the link, and loved reading your post for the day. I like your thoughts! Recently started a blog myself (about cards I make, so on a steep learning curve on several levels..cardmaking, photographing the cards to post, learning to blog). I thoroughly enjoyed your posts that I’ve read, and like you, I’m a ‘reader of words’, I enjoy hearing about other people’s daily lives (good & not-always-so-good), and think the txting, twitter, etc. is not necessarily a wonderful thing. Keep doing what you have been doing so far. I’ll look around, see where I can ‘follow’. Thanks for a great blog. Happy that I found it!!! Have a great summer with your 4 beautiful boys. Loved your Station rotation idea. Can’t use it, as I have one adult daughter, but it’s a great idea!!!