Monday, October 22, 2007

Site traffic...vroom vroom beep beep (or something)

OK, so my little website is not exactly the M25 of the Internet Superhighway, in fact, it's one of those minor routes that only sheep lorries use, and maybe they just about have the edge. All the same, I am surprised with the number who view the page on a weekly basis. No, it isn't just me, as internet access at work is now severely restricted and I really don't visit my blog that much after I've posted.

The thing is....the thing is....is probably getting more traffic than this blog, oddly, that was totally not the point of the exercise.

Think I'll add a counter to that one too, to see if my suspicions are correct. Then decide what I'm doing right in the other...hang on...I'm part of the 82% revolution, and since I'm never read, this means I have to make efforts not to become part of the machine...omg my head hurts.

Thanks for reading, whoever, wherever and whenever you are.

Friday, October 05, 2007

YOU have something to say

Was browsing blogs today using the link facility in my profile.

Just clicking on North Wales brings up an incredible cross cut of society, amongst other types; some young, some old, some sci-fi addicts, some horror film fans, gardeners, hikers, dog walkers, cross stichers, strange musical tastes and stranger religions and frankly, some downright weirdos.

Unfortunately, the majority of them, although they felt they had something to say when they started their blog, after a week or two ran out of something to say, or maybe just got bored. OK, so I'm not the best at updating my blogs, and such a length of time passes on occasion that I sometimes wonder whether it is worth posting when there is too much to say, or is it just too mundane.

Of course, the reason for abandoning a blog could really be very simple. Lost the password, and even worse, lost the webmail account that you used to sign into blogger. Thus the poor website is lost forever as a piece of history clogging up the web, but never read. However, these lost souls are in the minority. Sadly, I think it is just plain boredom, in the main, or laziness, even worse.

YOU have something to say. Yes, I'm sure that you thought that your blog would become a masterpiece fit for the Booker Prize, but once you get over the disappointment that even your mates can't be bothered to read it, writing, even with poor spelling or with grammar as bad as mine, it can be an outlet for your frustrations and is in fact a piece of history. Oh yes, writing brings out the very personality of the writer. It's what makes them fascinating.

You can't change the world with your blog. You may sell a book (as some have done, and some are trying to do) or you may even get a job (that's happened too). But the likelihood of making a shedload of money from your mundane ramblings are fairly similar to lottery odds. But that doesn't matter, cos this is YOU. Something to look back on later, you may be surprised at how insightful you are, even if you didn't think so at the time. Something you could even show your kids, cos unless you tell blogger to ditch the blog, or you're breaking blogger rules (some sick ones out there I can tell you) it is there forever. Unlike a diary or book, it is difficult to destroy and can't be burned. Why consign it to one post saying something along the lines of 'my first post! look forward to all sorts of excitement!'. Six months later that same first post is still there and looking utterly pathetic. One even said that his blog was 'under construction'. Oh dear. Batteries not included.

So then. Post. If you're not going to post, delete the blog. When you feel the muse upon you, start again, they're free after all. Don't post with 'update later' and don't. It's annoying. It's like saying you'll phone a friend at 9 and wait for them to phone you.

If we've lost the power of actually talking to each other because of the 'net, let's start a new revolution, and be part of the fascinating culture that is 82% of the net. Unsung, never read, sometimes boring but actually a reflection of world society and all its personalities and culture.