As regular readers have observed, it’s been pretty quiet on my blog lately. When our whirlwind, non-stop, action-packed summer 2006 came to an end in early September — with our symbolic final trip to the track (10th time of the season on the last day of the track season, Labor Day), so, too, did my blogging.
This happened for a variety of reasons, including “smaller” reasons like simple lack of motivation; eyesore from being in front of the computer all day at work and wanting to get away; falling out of the morning blog-before-work routine; not having as much time as I’d like to dedicate to new entries.
I’ve also been reflecting lately on “bigger” reasons for not blogging as much, such as the changing technology that drives blogs and photo sharing and Webs (the Internets have transformed to a Web 2.0 status before our very eyes — did you notice?), and wanting not to get left behind; my company’s continuing success and our increasing visibility in the world of business (I work for a small company that’s only going to get bigger; I have a pretty visible role in the company, so I’ve been questioning lately how much personal information I’m comfortable sharing with the world).
All that said, I love blogging. I’ve been doing it for 6 years and I don’t want to stop. It’s a great way to get my thoughts out there not just for friends and family, but to document for the sake of my personal history and for my future children to enjoy. It’s also fun to look back and see what Jen and I have been doing with our lives since time really flies and life is precious, as we were recently reminded. Time flies and I forget what happens, so I like to document it not just for my enjoyment, but for yours.
So for now, nothing will change (except maybe the way I share photos since, although I rave about Kodak EasyShare, which is great for doing what it does, flickr is really better suited for online photo sharing on a blog). But in the future, it’s possible that this blog will change — perhaps even disappear behind “closed doors” into a more anonymous domain where friends and family will be invited to join — so stay tuned… I’d also love to get your thoughts on this topic.
In the meantime, time to play blog catch-up and post some photos!
2 responses so far ↓
1 Alex // Sep 26, 2006 at 10:16 am
I have certainly noticed that most blogs have a finite lifecycle. They start totally honest with frequent posts, and then interest wanes, and they become abandoned. Seems like your romance with blogging is in its twilight. It’s normal– documenting it just ain’t as fun as living it. I tried starting a blog a few times, but I lose interest for many of the reasons you listed. Furthermore, I just don’t have much to say to a broad audience, and I lack the discipline to stick with it. One does not have to be an exhibitionist to have a blog, but it sure helps. As for the personal stuff, I understand. Even posting our wedding photos feels weird sometimes. I don’t want to be too open with most people (and with a blog I have no control over who they are). Maybe you should dedicate your blog to a theme (e.g. local politics, the automotive industry, track season, the empreza, movie reviews, etc). Although it would be more restrictive, you may find a targeted audience is just what you need to stay interested. I think you just need some “pull” to motivate you. I noticed that commenting really dropped off on your site since you upped the security. Maybe go back to the way it was for more commenting activity (if that’s what you want). I know my mom and Cati’s mom use your site to spy on us– they love it. But come to think of it, once my mom adopts a technology, it may a sign that it is time to move on (sorry Mom, but a techie you are not). Also, it could be that not a whole lot of blog-worthy stuff is going on in your life right now. You might rekindle your romance soon. Food for thought.
2 Jordan // Oct 1, 2006 at 4:08 am
Another idea to play with is the one I (and some of my friends use). Two blogs. Keep your public facing one that you’re comfortable with and have a secondary one that is private.
I actually have three blogs. I do my writing on Writely (another Google property) these days. When I’m done with the entry I decided where it gets posted… Public Blog, Personal Blog or Private Journal.