I have asked the question...Where Have all of the bloggers gone? I have a list of my favorite bloggers, which can be found on the side of this blog and my other blog, Escapades and Good Foodie...The other day I went down the lists of blogs...unfortunately, only four of the blogs are still up and operating...out of maybe 20 some blogs...
I was saddened at how many of my favorite bloggers haven't written anything in years..and how many of the ones still somewhat active ,haven't posted in months...It's just not the same...
Circa 2008....Although I launched this blog in December 2007...I didn't really start writing good until 2008...When I launched my second blog, Escapades..By then I had been introduced to a number of young black bloggers who were just like me..
Excited...Those were heady times...Barack Obama rode into the White House and signaled a new era....We were politicized and full of piss and vinegar and had a lot to say...Politically and personally....I loved reading and commenting on these blogs as much as I loved writing my own...
We all commented and supported each other and helped each other grow and mature as writers and as bloggers...I'm willing to say that I did some of my best writing between 2008 and 2011....
Then came Facebook and Twitter and Instagram and Tumbler....By 2012...Practically my entire Blogger family was on Facebook,Twitter and some form of social media..
Because it's so much easier to make a statement on these mediums and because it doesn't require the thought and effort that go into writing a good post...It was inevitable that a lot of the blogs died..
My wife said that this was the difference between those who are really writers and into good writing and those who had just jumped on the bandwagon of the latest fad..
My crazy ass went and launched a third blog...."Good Foodie" -A food blog in 2010...
Must have been out of my mind... As a result..I have three blogs up and running at the time of this writing...
I have pondered shutting down this blog and Good Foodie a lot ...but I can't bring myself to do it...This is my baby...My first blog..the blog that got me into this world in the first place...
Let's be honest...Life does get in the way of blogging...Being married, working a demanding job, raising kids, grandkids in my case and all the other things that fill up a day and a life can sometimes push blogging to the background... Some of my blogger fam have shut their blogs down when their life has come to a certain crossroads...Others just stopped writing....I've gone on their blogposts and found that their site has been taken over by seedy advertisements or by somebody completely foreign to me and unknown....It's been depressing...
I wrote a post last week that got me to thinking about how I tried to tailor this blog to fit modern trends like Tumbler...I began posting more memes and music posts on this blog to adhere to the short attention span generation that might not want to read the wordy posts I used to write....
Of course when I have to say something, when I need to educate the masses,I don't shy completely away from that...Still, I've added humor and short posts labeled as micro-blogging..that have modernized this blog somewhat....
Today...As of this writing...I feel like a dinosaur...The last of the original idealistic blogger family.....I have three blogs continuously running... this one, Keith's Space, Escapades, my poetry,fiction, art,erotica and music blog... (and my favorite to write of the three..it gets the most responses and readership...And for my money the most unique and innovative blog in the game...) and Good Foodie...my food blog..Most of my friends are on Twitter and Facebook...They don't blog much if at all... A few talk about coming back into the game....
I'll be here...waiting, still plugging away....
2 comments:
the problem isn't short attention span. it's just youth. all of the social media outlets just give in to selfishness where they can be wise or tough. they can condemn someone of their choosing because "you can't find me" or they lack an understanding so they attack from homophobia or an "ism". common sense should be free but it can't be bought. it would be great if it could be taught in schools. so if you intend to stay with your blog, know that light shines through cracks, and you just might be reaching someone. then again sometimes it's good to vent.
just my two cents worth.
Mannnnnnnn, this is dead on point!!! You and I started blogging at the same time and you're right...you are one of the few who are still at it.
I agree...that time span was dope. I would spend half the day reading and commenting on others blogs. In 2008, me and few bloggers decided to try this thing called twitter. This was long before anybody knew what it was. It was cool because we could keep up with each other in real time. The blogs began to fade because of social media. Not sure why...but it did.
My homegirl, Pretty Black, used to say "In between the blog posts...life happens." We all find different things to do. But I think most of us are writers at heart. Writers never stop writing. We may not blog as much as we used to but we always come back.
Personally, my blog introduced me to some of the coolest people. I found kindred spirits from people across this country and throughout the world. I got to know folks like you. I'm thankful for that. It also grew into two radio shows. Subsequently, the blog got pushed to the side. While I don't post as much, I have days where I have stuff to say and I gotta write. And on the days that I don't write, it bothers me.
Don't stop writing on this blog, fam. I don't comment but I have all of my favorites like this one on my google reader feed so I read all of the posts!
It's like you said...we always come back. I just wrote my first post in like 2 months. I'm back! LOL
Post a Comment