Monday, January 30, 2012

Who cares?

In the beginning I blogged knowing that no one was out there reading (turns out I was wrong, Bobskoot was reading - ed).

I felt that if just a few people found my blog, and that I helped them with some scooter commuting challenge or question, I would have performed a public service, returning the favour other bloggers had done for me.  Paying it forward, so to speak.

Then at some point, several months later, there were some readers out there.  Then some people actually went to the trouble of subscribing to my posts.  Still later, some fellow moto-bloggers found me.  Then I got a few followers.

Pretty soon, I got traffic.  Not a lot of traffic.  Kind of like on a side street, off main street, in a small town, in the boonies.

Now I feel that I have some blogger friends.  What's a blogger friend?  I consider someone a blogger friend if, should they come to town, I would happily lend them my Vespa for a few days, and consider it an honor if they took me up on the offer.

As all of this was going on, I was checking my stats in the blogger dashboard.  At first a couple of times a month, then weekly, then daily, and now... well you can see where this is going.

I think I need to go back to daily, then weekly... Basically that little stick figure needs to sit down and smell the flowers while he's still in the foothills.

I'm curious what my fellow bloggers think about this, or indeed whether they think about this at all.

12 comments:

Unknown said...

David:

I actually started Twice. the first time I couldn't figure out how to use Blogger, then my ride reports were being deleted by server crashes on the forum I was posting on, so then I decided to HOST my own ride reports on my own "site". It was about the time that the scooter scene in Vancouver self-destructed. I thought that it would be a good way to meet others in the same circumstance. My mission statement has remained unchanged. Exploring the Pacific Northwest by whatever means with a camera by my side, not necessarily by M/C. I wanted to show the scenic beauty of our little corner of North America, through photography. I should have saved this for a blog post . . . and somehow I stumbled across you, when you first started.

bob
Riding the Wet Coast

Dar said...

I don't sweat the peaks and valleys. I figured if at least 1 person was reading it was cool. I tried blogging with a partner a few years ago and it was so so, we were the only ones who read our blog - lol.

For me things are slower in the winter because lets face it everyday life can get pretty boring and sometimes I am reaching for something to post. I am actually glad my blog is small, I think If my blog was huge I would probably have performance anxiety in trying to make sure I posted something blog worthy. I get days where the reader ship is way & then days where it is so low you can't even see it on the graph. I don't worry about it anymore.

PS - I like reading your blog!

Trobairitz said...

When I started my blog I didn't expect anyone to really read it much less follow it. To my surprise people do in fact read it and comment. I found it has been a great tool to make the world seem a little smaller and it is great to develop blogging friends around the world.

I check the stats every once in a while out of curiosity to see where people are coming from or what they are reading. I enjoy looking at the feedjit history more as it shows what people were looking for on google when they clicked on my blog or even what other blogs they are clicking on while visiting mine.

If you ever come to Oregon look us up and we'll go for coffee or a ride.

SonjaM said...

I started blogging using it as a diary during my unemployment, and it kind of evolved into a two-wheeler blog as this was the hobby I picked up while idling.

I did not count on anyone being interested in my pribble-prabble, but I am so happy that people are reading this stuff, and even better sometimes leaving comments.

Also, I have met so many nice people in the moto-blogger community, and appreciate that others take the time and effort to put down there adventures and encounters. So much fun!

Keith - Circle Blue said...

I wanted to start a blog to get back into the discipline of writing. I read somewhere that a blog should be focused. I knew I wanted to explore this surprising turn of events that brought me to riding, but that was still rather nebulous. I wanted it to be better defined. Finally, I realized that if I waited until that happened I would never start. So, I started.

The blog focus has started to sort itself out. I've discovered I wanted a daily journal of my riding (or not) to work, thus I started a new blog: Did He Ride Today. But, I wanted something else as well. This hasn't clarified itself yet and is still working itself out in Twists and Leanings.

It seems to me my writing is improving. I recently had a post in Twists and Leanings I was actually pleased with, rather than merely satisfied with. I'm enjoying the daily commitment of writing Did He Ride Today and it seems stories are beginning to find me again. What fun!

As to statistics, I don't quite understand them so I've been spared slipping on the slope you describe. But, I can see how easy it would be to get hooked into checking it. I know I'm always checking my email to see if a comment has come in. I can only imagine if I understood the charts and numbers how addicted I could become :)

The most wonderful surprise to me about blogging is the one that you and others have mentioned, which is the relationships my doing a blog has forged with other bloggers. What a marvelous bonus.

David Masse said...

Wow! Thank you for those very personal comments. I find that as time passes and posts accumulate, blogging is enriching my life in ways I have never before experienced. There is an intimacy that comes from our shared experience, our shared interest in riding and writing (curious how close those two words are in sound), that strikes a deep chord in me, that resonates quite unlike anything else. I think it's fellowship. Definitely a strong bond. Thank you Bob, Dar, Trobairitz, Sonja, and Keith. You are my blogger friends.

The City Mouse in the Country said...

Several years ago I was working part time for a winery. They knew that I was writing match reports for a local soccer team and had been published on a few different websites (where I got paid and everything LOL) so they asked me to write their blog. Sadly once the economy crapped out so did the blog and job. I have another blog on a completely different subject that is approaching it's fourth anniversary, for me at least blogging is a way for me to excite people, pass on knowledge or get them to think in a different way. I know that at least one or two people have thought differently...done something different due to my writing. I know that my match reports for my beloved Riverhounds (www.riverhounds.com) were used by an opposing team; their coach told me he used them to scout not on the Hounds but other teams as well. I guess what I'm trying to say is that blogging about something you love touches another life. That's why I write. I think you write for that reason too. Stats be damned (although it is nice to see several hundred people reading your work).

David Masse said...

Robert I think you are right. Blogs are not so much about things, or hobbies, or the subject that prompted the blogger to take up the blog. The very best blogs are about people living their lives and letting us peak in. This is what the bravest bloggers do. Each of you who have commented on this post have shared your ups, and your downs, for all to see. It really is inspiring. As I said in another context, we are all better off for that risk-taking.

Rick said...

I'm blogging knowing that no one is reading. I think in some ways I prefer it that way. I don't necessarily want to write for an audience. Eventually someone will show up, then maybe a few more.

David Masse said...

Rick, you can't contemplate the Cannonball without attracting some attention. So a) I linked to your blog, b) I'm following you, c) I set up the 2012 Scooter Cannonball links on my blog, and d) you get top billing, right after the link for the official site.

Anonymous said...

Well, you inspired me to start my blog, but I'm doing it for myself; in that it's a writing exercise that's a whole bunch of fun.
If I'm enjoying the story, some other folks out there might just enjoy it too.
But I'm not going to get hung up on how many people and how often those people read it. That sounds more like work. There's enough of that in my life already!

David Masse said...

Hagan welcome to the fold! I'm enjoying your blog. Scooter commuting has to be the way to go in Singapore. I was looking into Singapore's challenges lately. Seems to be like Monaco, but with Dutch challenges keeping the sea water at bay.

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