Steve Gale at North Downs & Beyond posted the other day about the slow but steady decline in blogging output. This has prompted several long term writers out there to comment with their own take on things, so I might as well get it out there too.
Some of the bloggers I follow are good writers, being able to post regularly in an interesting, original, way on all matters linked to Natural History. I'm not so good at this, even this post is riding on the shoulders of giants, though I would like to be.
My blog has stood the test of time not because of my gripping content setting the world alight, no, it simply a diary type of thing, showing the stuff outside that I interact with. I can post some photos that I like, or ones that illustrate my sightings and I can show some originality with my notebooks and sketches.
I used to look forward to any comments from people and even an email or two from those interested enough to ask a question but now that mostly comes from other social media platforms.
This is where Blogger differs though. It is a much slower animal than say Facebook or Twitter ( I dont know how Instagram works). It allows reflection and roles out an actual timeline that the others don't. For me it is a source of genuine interest like a magazine or newsletter might be. Its free and you get a new one through your inbox every day to read...
I would never post something as long as this on Facebook. No one would ever read it. There might be no readers on here either but you never know, at least it remains out there, lying on the coffee table so to speak.
From my own selfish point of view, I hope the bloggers I like dont pack it in. If a regular poster misses a fortnight I am worrying about their health!
So to all bloggers out there, never feel pressured into posting. Just relax and do what you fancy. You do have a fan out here...
[ Note - maybe try a few lines at least monthly just to let us know you are still alive...]
13 comments:
Wow - something about "thinking alike" comes to mind. All I'd have to say has already been said in this very well worded post. It would appear that we both owe Steve a word of thanks for his original views on this subject? - toodle pip!
I’m not going to leave you typing away on your own Stewart. Honest!
And by the way, you do yourself an injustice. Stewchat is a Giant of the blog world!!
Thoughtful post Stewart. I too sometimes get comments about NQS on Twitter rather than the blog. I like your 'magazine on the coffee table analogy'. That is exactly how blogs work, but I had never thought about it that way before. You can pick them up for a quiet read any time you like. I really regret deleting earlier incarnations of NQS. Had I not been so rash, there'd be a whole stack of historic stuff to browse through still, back to 2008. Ah well... As you say, just relax and do what you fancy. Just don't delete!
Just updated my blog. I often think the same - does anyone read this? But then when I look at the stats, people do. I link to blog posts from Facebook and Twitter but most people just 'like' the pic not the post...
Does anyone read Nature Notes in the gazette?
For the record, I frequent your blog regularly and very much look forward to new posts. I am a PhD student in California in a field that has nothing to do with birds, but my dad is from Northumberland, and loves birds. Your writing and illustrations connect me to that. I find your posts both interesting and entertaining, and I plan to keep following!
I read both yours and Steve's blogs regularly. It's nice to sit down and read some well written stuff about nature and to find out what others are doing and seeing.
Thoughtful post Stewart. I really like the analogy of blogs to magazines. A good blog can be picked up and read again and again over time. Like you, I notice that sometimes I'll get a comment about a blog post on twitter rather than the blog.
I wish I had the level of creativity that would allow a steady output, rather than the fits and starts I seem prone to, but at least there's still some life in NQS on occasion. My biggest regret is deleting the first two incarnations. If I hadn't done that I would still have stuff going back 11 years. Ah well...
'never feel pressured into posting' - such good advice.
It's been nice to rediscover your blog too. I've got a lot of catching up to do.
I read your blogs every time and thoroughly enjoy them. They are informative and tell me about a part of the country I've not had the good fortune to bird in for about 15 years. But the blogger must get something out of it as well - like you I hope that the bloggers I read keep producing material but everyone needs a holiday from time to time. I also bear in mind that I don't blog, for a variety of reasons, and it is voluntary and that writers like you, Steve G, Jono L and Dylan do this in your spare time.
Fingers crossed though that you continue to write.....and thanks!
Thanks all for your comments, theyre much appreciated. It seems we are an exclusive blogging clique! :)
I don't blog myself, but I always read your blog, and hugely enjoy it, along with a handful of other regular reads. I was very pleased to read this one, and to know that you will be keeping it going. Whenever I see that you've posted, I look forward to reading it: it's always interesting and engaging, about an area I know well but can rarely visit.
Please don’t stop blogging as I enjoy reading about your area which being in Norfolk is a similar birding territory.
I am a wildlife photographer and enjoy visiting your patch whenever possible.
I have just realised that it must be hard being a blogger when you receive no feedback so will try and correct this.
Carry on the good work and look forward to your next blog.
John
Still blogging Stewart for the same reasons as yourself I think, bit of a wildlife diary and somewhere to publish my photos. I still try to post at least fortnightly, sometimes that's a bit of a struggle as getting older and still working I find myself pretty knackered on many evenings (but not dead).
Your tern is interesting, I've had G-bT here but messing about near an Arctic Tern colony, I wasn't really seawatching. I didn't have long with mine, it was over the sea, and fortunately I remembered about the rump/tail feature and looked carefully for the rump and tail being a uniform pale grey. The bill was very obviously deep, stubby and uniformly black. After a minute or two, and without me getting any photos, it cut inland and disappeared across the fields.
Alastair - keep at it too, you post a good variety of topics. I hate 'interesting birds' :) I much prefer 'straight forward'! ;)
Jeremy and John - Thanks for the comments keep it up.
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