Lija Rasa

Lija Rasa
Location
Bethesda, Maryland, USA
Birthday
February 15
Bio
I am neither a leader nor a follower, just a philosopher. I make a living as a scientist, but my other interests include politics, history, economy, literature, psychology, and so on... Most of the time though, I just like to wonder why people do the things they do.

MY RECENT POSTS

NOVEMBER 7, 2009 3:49PM

Everyone and their cat is blogging, but who is reading?

Rate: 9 Flag

Just in case you don't believe me, here is a proof that my cat Claudius is blogging.

Claudius blogging

So many blogs and bloggers are out there these days, that I just can't help but wonder: do most blogs go mostly unread?

I assume that most bloggers want to have readers, otherwise they would keep their posts private. I myself will be the first to admit that I enjoy seeing that someone read my post and even rated or commented on it. Yet it seems that with so many people posting all the time, my posts disappear from the live feed very quickly.

Thus, my question to you: do you blog just for the sake of blogging or do you hope that someone will actually read it?

 

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I blog both for the sake of blogging and I also hope that people will read it. I did my first post here just over a year ago; it got one comment, and it was nearly 2 months before I had another. Keep writing and posting if it's important to you to do so, and get out there and comment on other people's posts too, let yourself be seen, and you'll begin getting readers.
When I write for here, I just try to write something that I would have a measure of pride for someone to read. If you keep plugging away, people will find you and make a connection.
My cats like to walk across my keyboard at inopportune moments...I like writing but enjoy when I resonate with others or read other people's posts and connect...cute kitty! Keep blogging!
I blog both for the pleasure of writing and for the feedback from readers. I make people "favorites" and try to read their stuff as much as I can, as well as send "mass messages" about new posts.

Build it and they will come.
ps
I read your cat's blog. He/she really needs to work on the typos:)
I am a blogger now for a year, but new to this forum. I blog because I want to write, and I hope people will read it. Generally I don't have tons of readers. But that's okay. I need to write, so its a bonus if I get readers. B
But the other cats read it too.
This post seems to be pretty well read.
Wow, I am amazed at how many other cats read the blogs! Thank you all for your comments. I am beginning to really enjoy this blogging thing. :-)
I blog on OS so people read it (if we're being totally honest here). I've had 2 blogs in the past and couldn't get more than 5 followers. Actually one of my blogs was from my dog's perspective--didn't work out so well, though my mother, aunt and aunt's friend loved it. Here, even if a post gets 20 views, that's more than I was getting! And, the interactive community on OS motivates me much more than when I just sit down to write something on my computer (I have dozens of abandoned, half-written pieces saved).
Karin, thanks for being so honest. That's what I've been wondering about - how many people start a blog, make a few posts, and then abandon it just cause no one is reading. OS does seem like a lot of fun, the community is really fun.
Lija Rasa, you are from Bethesda, Maryland.
Great question. I left when you posted this:`
`
Sometimes I think I seek a Afghani Friend:`
a woman who's hidden under a black burka,
older than sweet 16- in mentality and soul:`
Oh, and no pierced belly button to be seen.
I realize belly button piercing is cool? okay.
I need to be with tear-stained burka cheeks.

I love checking in:`
Good night. conk.
Cool comments:`
Part-timer help?
That's not cool?
-D's for duh/O!
Oho, harpie/O!
O smiles harps!
Hey! That looks like MY cat!
Only younger, fresher, and clearly he/she has its wits intact, as apparent from the look of contempt by being photographed.
Tell 'em Nigel said Hello.

I'm with nana (to keep it simple--no offense everyone else), write what you want and find others you like to read.
:-)
I mostly blog for myself. Sometimes what I say might reach out and touch someone else, and if so, that's great, and I can usually get into a great discussion or a debate with someone who disagrees with me. But, in the long run, blogging is totally for me. What I say often won't make sense to others, and even more people won't care what I think or how I feel. And that's fine with me. What's important to me is that my blogging, whether I receive feedback or not, helps me to figure out what it is I think, feel, and believe, and that helps me deal with people in the real world better.

In essence it's like therapy for me. Sometimes it's awe inspiring, but most times it's complete mindless mental masturbation (which isn't always a bad thing!)
Placebostudman, I haven't thought of blogging as a way of organizing your thoughts. Now that is an idea!
I just started posting here regularly about a month ago motivated by the vague notion that I would learn something. One thing I have found is that it has helped in letting me sort out things that are important to me and ones that are not. So far a few times I have set out to do a post on something that in my thoughts seemed important only to find that it wasn't so important once I started to write it down. So in some ways I have learned as much by what I haven't posted as by what I have.

So far the only interest my cat has had in computers is that the monitor can be a warm place to sit. Now that I have an LCD he has no interest at all.
Ted, thanks for sharing your insights. I am having a similar experience here after a few days. I think I will stick around.