No One Cares About Your Blog
…The latest in my wife’s wardrobe. I LOVE IT! “No one cares about your blog.” I read that there are over 30 million blogs throughout the blogosphere, but only 1-3 million actually write something at least once a week. Ya gotta hate people who get all riled up about their blog, tell all their friends, and then write for a solid month before quitting. And yet their buds are left hanging, just waiting for something…ANYTHING.
But even of those who write at least once a week or more – do 1-3 million people actually have something worthwhile to say? Consider the 1% rule. If you take 100 people online, only one person creates the content, 10 will interact with it, while 89 just view it passively. So even among the 1-3 million, only 1% are really delivering anything new and interesting.
What is my blog about? What do I consider to be the purpose? What am I contributing to the entire world by posting my thoughts and postulations? I suppose more than anything, I’m joining a much bigger conversation that has been going on for a long time. The principles of missional living, radical transformation, and simple, communal life are concepts that have been around for millennia. I certainly don’t feel qualified to add much to the conversation. So why do I write? For me, I enjoy the struggle of reflection. I believe learning only happens through action, followed by solid reflection (especially in reflective dialogue with others). That is why I blog.
It could be that amidst the reflecting, I flow in and out of the “1%” that offers something new. Is so, praise God – I hope others can use it for their benefit and reflection. But truly the goal for me is to make my struggles and victories known, and invite personal reflection. Those other blogs out there that I find myself reading regularly, (many of which are on my “links” list,) are not the ones with the coolest content or discussing the latest issues. They are the ones that truly are dealing with life and issues and aren’t afraid to share those issues in a manner that invites reflection. Over time it feels like I’m learning from their experiences, just like they are.
trey, 
Imagine: spending an entire day just driving around town praying for your city. Today my buddy Miller and I spent the majority of the day together in prayer; the first couple of hours in our abbey’s living room, and the rest of it in his old pick-up truck driving around the city with our eyes open to what God wanted us to see. Now that is graduate education – the kind that gets you out of a sterile classroom and onto the streets.
guy muse 6:17 pm on July 27, 2006 Permalink
Where can I get about a dozen of those tee-shirt? Most of my friends and family would enjoy wearing them whenever they come over!
One reason I try to blog is the need to communicate about ideas and issues that we are struggling with. Often in our work, we are unable to interact on certain levels with those we work with on the foreign field. Having a broader audience out there allows us to share things and bounce ideas that normally we wouldn’t do. I do agree that you are one of those 1%ers. Keep up the good posting!
DPS 9:26 pm on July 27, 2006 Permalink
WWJB
Julie 2:09 pm on July 28, 2006 Permalink
Thanks for the link to Wallis that you left on my blog! You pointed me to a great resource and gave me things to ponder. And….TURTLE POWER!
trey 11:17 pm on July 30, 2006 Permalink
Why do people journal? Besides the rare person that writes an autobiography, most people aren’t even going to read their own writings! I think it gives structure to our lives, encourages higher level goal-directed behaviours (truly a human trait), and is emotionally fulfilling in a confessional, expressive way.