John Dvorak writes that the supposed blogging revolution has gone bust. For instance, he notes the high blog abandonment rate:
The most obvious reason for abandonment is simple boredom. Writing is tiresome. Why anyone would do it voluntarily on a blog mystifies a lot of professional writers. This is compounded by a lack of feedback, positive or otherwise. Perseus thinks that most blogs have an audience of about 12 readers. Leaflets posted on the corkboard at Albertsons attract a larger readership than many blogs. Some people must feel the futility.
The problem is further compounded by professional writers who promote blogging, with the thought that they are increasing their own readership. It’s no coincidence that the most-read blogs are created by professional writers. They have essentially suckered thousands of newbies, mavens, and just plain folk into blogging, solely to get return links in the form of the blogrolls and citations. This is, in fact, a remarkably slick grassroots marketing scheme that is in many ways awesome, albeit insincere.
Unfortunately, at some point, people will realize they’ve been used.
Yeap. All these blogs I’ve been reading have set up an elaborate scheme simply to get onto Resonance’s coveted blogroll. Tricky.
Steve Taylor challenges Dvorak’s column, emphasizing the emergence of academic blogs. Of course many of us non-academics also continue to blog, albeit on a much lower stage.
Busted
Brian’s on to me….
He seems to think that because many people have abandoned their blogs… that everyone will eventually abandon their blogs. I’m not sure how you can make that leap in logic. Dedicated bloggers have become just that… dedicated. I’m not planning to go anywhere. And I could care less if ABC, CNN, MSNBC, etc. have their own blogs.
The notion that nobody does anything just because they enjoy it is a bit irksome to me. I think I’m a lot like other bloggers: I blog because it’s a cheap, easy hobby.
I also do it to prime my pump for my other writing endeavours–you know, to get the flow going.
But mostly, I do it because I like to do it. I get to do my own thing.
All I’ve ever asked from blogging are these things. I could care less if I’m the only one reading or if 100 people are reading (though I’ll admit these things are interesting to me).
Never once have I thought blogging was frustrating.
And the person that does is obviously looking for the wrong thing.