Thursday, May 22, 2014

Should This Blog Be Closed?

CLOSED
CLOSED (Photo credit: Ben Husmann)


           As much as I enjoy this blog I'm thinking that it might be best to shut it down.   I would hate to do this since A Faraway View is a bit of a favorite blog of mine.  I enjoy the subject matter of dreams and the blog gives me a place where I can record dreams that I remember.

         Prior to April this blog typically only received less than 100 views per post with an average of two comments per post.   This is pretty meager return when I consider the time spent on my posts and the promotion involved in each.   During the A To Z Challenge the per post views dropped further while the per post average of comments remained about the same as they had been.  Since April the comments have remained about the same and the page views have gone down even further.   At times I wonder if I'm mostly wasting my time with this blog.

         Additionally, all of my blogs have been suffering in views and comments.  Some of this can be attributed to my own cutback in visiting other blogs and commenting on them.   To me this is strong evidence that the active social networking has a big effect on the activity at ones own blog.   Four blogs may be spreading myself too thin.

          Another option I've been strongly considering is to move this blog to Wordpress.  I've heard so many arguments pro-Wordpress attesting to the superiority of the blogging platform and the greater reach for networking purposes that I've been tempted to start a WP blog to find out if this is all true.  But why start another blog when I can hardly keep up with what I've got now.  Moving an existing blog there would allow me to test the Wordpress platform by using a blog I've already got.

           A third option is to just let this blog as it is now go to sleep for the summer.  I'll be traveling a good bit and not very active on the internet.  It's probably better if I let this blog rest until September and then decide at that time whether to keep it going.

            So that's three choices that I'm looking at right now.   Maybe you can help me decide.  I'll let you know what I decide in next week's post.

             Would you miss this blog if I were to just shut it down?  (If I get enough votes to stay maybe my energy to blog here will be renewed)     If this blog moved to Wordpress, would you continue to follow it there?   Should I just let the blog sleep for the summer and come back to reassess things?

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9 comments:

  1. I know your main blog got a lot of comments yesterday!
    Maintaining multiple blogs is tough. Posting for two other joint blogs is manageable, but I couldn't handle another blog just on my own.
    Depends on why you post here. Is it for you or for others?

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  2. I'd miss this blog and sadly I would probably not be into the Wordpress option. I hope you keep it. Or you could just do dream posts on Tossing it Out every now and then. I would love to contribute more of my dreams here but I just cannot remember them.

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  3. I'm one of those people who isn't in touch with her dreams. Within seconds of waking, they're gone. So while I've tried to stop here when I'm making my blog rounds, I never have much to say.

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  4. I'd vote for the 3rd option, and when you come back just reduce the number of postings. I find with my second blog which doesn't get as much viewing as the Rainforest blog, I can post a little less than I do on the main blog.

    I have no desire to start another NEW or regurgitated blog right now, as I've spent time trying to polish the ones I have. Two is plenty for me. I have been told that WP is better for a business presence, when what I'm aiming for is a creative presence. I like Blogger.

    Good Luck!

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  5. I've been going through the same thought process with far fewer followers and commenters.

    I discontinued my sports-themed blog, and will now place anything of that nature on the political-themed blog.

    The only reason I do not go down to one is I don't like to mix music and politics.

    How can I slam Springsteen for doing it in his concerts and then do the same thing on my blog?

    What about just posting these posts on "Tossing It Out" as a weekly series (which if memory serves me, is kind of how this blog started)?

    LC

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  6. Lee - I like the option of reducing the posts. It's an interesting blog (new to me) about an issue that has had ongoing resonance in history and folklore. As to how many hits you get per post, golly I'd be happy with that many... though I don't push my blog hard, still figuring out the culture and process of effective blogging :) -- Jeri storytellingmatters.wordpress.com

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  7. Alex-- I think it's absurd to post just for me. I always want readers on all my blogs. Four blogs is a lot and it would probably be more difficult if they all got a lot of comments.

    JoJo-- I came to this blog to get the dreams off of Tossing It Out. I'll have to come to a decision though.

    LD-- Dream recall does require discipline and a strong desire to remember.

    DG-- There is currently no business here, but it is the one I guess I'd be most willing to do a Wordpress experiment with.

    Larry -- After all Tossing It Out is my eclectic blog which is why I started doing dream posts there.

    Jeri -- Maybe I could go for a while doing one post per month here.

    Lee

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  8. Lee - one more comment, which is more of a question - in case you keep this blog going, I was looking for a way to follow - but not through Goggle Friends connect because to that I am not connected (yet I guess) - is there another way? - Jeri

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  9. Jeri-- I've added the "Follow By Email" option under the "Friend Connect" widget in the sidebar. See my post tomorrow concerning my summer plans for this blog. I will continue to post throughout the summer.

    Lee

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I'd love to hear your comments or to just know that you were here. Please let me know what you think. And if you'd be so kind, please click on the Friend Connect button. It's nice to be joined on my dream journey with others who want to explore the mysterious world of the subconscious mind.
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The Dreamer