Blogging is a fun pastime. At least that is what all bloggers say. It is a great way to vent, share opinions, interact and spout your imaginary wisdom. Yet, I find certain aspects of blogging confusing. Let me share some of them with you and ask you for your inputs.
Blogging is stressful!
Pray why? Wasn’t it supposed to be a way to de-stress, even unwind after a tiring day at work. Most of us got into blogging because of that. Mommies wanted to connect with similar mommies out there and get a break from the baby chores. Travelers shared travelogues, gyan gurus gyan, humorists lightened proceedings, aspiring writers their stories and on goes the list. This was their place to rant, to lose steam. But now, we have bloggers who worry why they aren’t writing often enough, being more organized, writing every day and so on. Why stress? Wasn’t it appealing to blog because it was unstructured, because you did not have deadlines for it? I am very sure, your readers are not stabbing themselves to death over it. Unless you live under the illusion that you have any reader (even your most ardent self-proclaimed admirer) who is actually waiting with bated breath for you to churn out something spectacular :). Or perhaps, it is stressful because you missed the deadline for a contest post!
I can’t read enough
This part is true! I am sure there are some truly sparkling blogs out there that we all haven’t read. Why fret? I am aware that there are only 24 hours in my day, and that I am already short on time. I come back to the same premise. Reading and writing blogs is pleasurable and not a PR activity. Read what you genuinely like and what you can. You have a life beyond blogging. Don’t feel guilty about living life :).
The elusive stats!
Someone really needs to explain this one to my dense brain. As far as I am aware, most bloggers are not making money from their blogs. Some of them turn their self-righteous noses at you the moment you mention the word ‘monetization.’ Hence higher stats are not earning you more or getting you more kudos. If you are a decent blogger, most of the people who read you are reading you anyway. So, why do the stats matter so much to the bloggers except for giving some ego boost? Loads of spam in our spam folders proves that many views have nothing to do with reading, anyway. Many of those who comment also have no clue what the post was about. Yet, we fret over our traffic. Is it a way for us to assess our self-worth in writing or to prove to ourselves that we are popular?
This is a testimony to the fact that sometimes a harmless activity can end up creating its own complications. What does help is having non blogger friends. If you have any false pretensions that you have become popular or a successful blogger, they will quickly bring you down to earth, quickly. Blogging is not as big or life changing, as we bloggers think in our head :).
Have you been baffled by some aspects of blogging? Do you have some conundrums of your own to add here?
Huh! You mean readers are not waiting with bated breath for my posts? You broke my heart, Rachna 🙂
The problem is that people can never do the least little thing without entering into some sort of competition – at least in the mind. Go out on s stress-buster holiday and obsess about whether you have done everything and more than the Joshis did when they were here on vacation 🙂 So, how would blogging be different? 🙂
LOL Suresh! Indeed, sad isn’t it? Everything just seems to descend to comparison and competition.
Lovely read and so true!
Thanks Shaivi for dropping by and reading :).
I agree with the I cant read enough part !
I used to stress about that but not any more. If someone points me to a good blog or post, I read provided I have time. Otherwise, it is fine too :).
Yet another informative and thought provoking piece,
But unfortunately I want to say something more by quoting some of the lines from your content but sorry you stopped or put off the selecting or copying options. Why some bloggers are practicing this system, this I can’t understand, is it the fear of plagiarism? If so don’t worry there are so many ways to catch such people at the present age. I can suggest a wonderful web page who deals with this and give guidance to this.
But my point here is: if someone wants to post an elaborate comment on the subject by quoting some of the lines or passages from your text it’s not possible. By saying this I am leaving the page
Keep inform
Best regards
Phil
I am really sorry, you felt that way and left. In my defense, yes I have faced problems with plagiarism and sometimes this is among the simplest ways to deter someone intent on copy pasting content. That said, I really empathize that you wanted to quote from the post and couldn’t.
🙂
First we try to do as the Romans do and then we start planning how to step on their toes, if not into their shoes. Spot on, Rachna! This competitive survival of the fittest is a sentiment we scarcely shed, no matter how much we hide within the cloak of “Blogging is a fun past time”.
Great read!
Exactly, Sakshi! You have eloquently summarized the journey from an innocent beginner to a seasoned competitor all in something as harmless as blogging. Thanks for reading as always!
Oh Rachna… I loved this write up…
We all started blogging because we enjoyed writing… There was no expectations of others reading it and commenting… But, many a times, we dont find a comment to our post… we do worry…
Thats another conundrum…
Why the needs and expectations of blogger change with time?
Thanks Locomente! Oh yes, of course, how could I forget this one? The eternal hankering for comments. For some, it begins with immediately commenting on others’ blogs as soon as they post to putting numerous updates on social media. I guess no matter what and how much we profess to writing for self, it is always about getting people to read, isn’t it? I wonder too, how and why did blogging transform so drastically?
What a wonderful take on the sweet fever called, “Blogging”! Loved reading it. 🙂
As a person having jumped into the blogging world quite recently, I do admit there definitely is some sort of longing for the blog hits. But honestly, even I am not sure what is that big number that I’m waiting for and by what date. First it was 5000, then 10000, then 15000 and so on…I’m now close to 25K and I do realize the fever is coming down. Thus I believe I’ll again be back to my ‘writing for fun’ days. 😀
Thanks, Rekha. Arre abhi toh you have to aspire for minimum 1 lakh views. Once you reach there, the aim must be 10K views per month, then 1K per day… you get the drift :). Thanks for reading!
You made me laugh 🙂 If it’s stressing you out … don’t blog then, at least for a while 🙂 But can you keep all the thoughts in your head? 😉
It doesn’t stress me out at all, Iliana! For me blogging is always for pleasure :). I don’t have set schedules when I have to post or I don’t sweat if I haven’t posted for some time. Thoughts — oh I have a lot of them in my head, some that cannot even be shared on a blog ;-P~
Hmm…I don’t consider blogging as a fun activity. It’s a passion I take seriously. No one has put a gun on my head to write. I do it because I love writing. And I do get disappointed if a post of mine isn’t received well. It makes me try harder 🙂
You are different, Purba! And you are damned good at what you write. But for many folks,blogging begins as a diary or as a hobby. For some, it translates later into passion. If it gets stressful or competitive then it defeats the purpose of being a hobby.
Thoughts that I’ve had on my mind for long….with so many of fellow bloggers doing UBC and posting daily, I just wonder how do they manage? Seriously I’m not cut out for that! My blogging frequency is v.less comparatively….for days I’m blank and suddenly I surprise myself with a post. I enjoy this!
Definitely agree with second point!! My reading (books) has taken a backseat :(, but instead just read blogs…such variety 🙂
I wonder too! I cannot do it, but good for them if they can do a post a day. Yep, my reading books has suffered too. And I don’t like that feeling at all! Thanks for reading, Aditi!
Frankly, with the way it is, I am almost convinced that many folks get into blogging only to win prizes like smartphones and hair products! 🙂
It’s highly likely, Rickie. For many years after I started blogging, I still hadn’t heard of blogging communities :). But the newbie bloggers are way smarter.
There can be different motivations behind blogging.The trend these days is for even famous people to blog and convey their views on men and matters.They have no doubt a very big following.
For young things bubbling with enthusiasm and skill in writing,it is to share their views,poems,
,thoughts,on their children and pet subjects.Artists jewelry makers and fashion people use this medium to popularize their wares..There are scientific or technical blogs to limted audience
For an oldie like me ,it ia timepass and a device to be in the midst of young minds though virtually.When I read other blogs,i find myself young in mind and inspired to write more
Traffic to blog is not necessarily proportional to the merit of blog.There are many reasons.Some excellent blogs have hardly any readers and undistinguished blogs are swarmed with comments.
Generally birds of feather flock together.The average age of bloggers should be less than 30 and what interests them woulld determine the ntaure of blogosphere.Most are light reading
But there is so much to learn,to improve oneself and to enjoy reading other blogs.It is a nice world with many good and amazingly talented people.in different areas.
I just can’t add anything more to what you say. Every point that you make is valid, KP Sir!
LOL, so so true Rachna! If blogging is done for the fun of it, then it can be so much more enjoyable. But of late it has become more stressful than fun!
Glad you connected with the post, Deeps :).
Blogging for me is fun,absolute fun and I am doing it out of choice,not out of compulsion.
Traffic has never bothered me..Do we know know how many actually read the articles written in daily newspapers?
Also,it has never crossed my mind to ” Monitize”
And I am sure you are enjoying blogging, Chowlaji!
So true! The fourth aspect for me to worry about is not commenting enough on fellow bloggers’ posts. Now I have commented. Yay!
In true Giri style :). I sometimes feel bad about missing out on my regular reading list. But I don’t stress if I miss them out during holidays or paucity of time.
Quite an interesting post. I personally started blogging as a way to let my friends back home know what my B School experiences were, but as it turned out none of my friends were really interested in that information back then. Nevertheless some of my B School batchmates started enjoying my posts and wanted me to post more. Then there was this huge phase of movie and cinema related blogging which I did for more than quite a while. And then now I guess I am into what is called “serious blogging” per se where I have converted my passion for writing into blog posts.
At this point in time, I have transcended the whole comments, statistics, followers thingie as I have been blogging for those things in the past and while I have not achieved any of the targets I set back then, I am more than happy with what I do nowadays.
As to why people are so ‘competitive’ in blogging nowadays, I guess it is just like the Facebook Likes phenomenon. Having an active social media presence which is liked by a lot of people has spread its tentacles into blogs as well, and peer pressure to get maximum hits and maximum comments is probably showing its colors in this area as well.
Interesting to hear about your blog journey, Mahabore. You know my attitude towards blogging is very similar to yours. I no longer worry about statistics, comments, pageviews, followers etc. I love interaction and that is the only reason why I love comments that are varied and make me think. That is the reason why I read and comment on blogs personally as well. But I don’t take stress. Yep, all this madness about being one-up than another sometimes makes me breathless. If they are happy doing it, it is their choice. I personally am saddened at how blogging has descended into a rat race.
You are bang on Rachna. Only a handful of readers read the entire post for the joy of reading. Since there is hardly any money involved, there is no need for stress.
It was interesting to read the comment section.
Thank you, Alka! Yes, the comments are quite interesting, probably one of the reasons why I enjoy blogging so much :).
Rachna this is very thought provoking post.To be frank I started blogging, after I retired from very active and exhausting service.Since I love to write and I did not know how to spend time, my cousin BKChowla inspired me write blogs. My grand daughter gave a name to my blog.Initially. I love to read as many blogs as possible.Monetizing was never in my mind.I never(till now) felt that blogging is stressful. Comments do matter.I feel at least some people are reading what I write. I always make it a point to thank my readers.
Ushaji, you are an inspiration to all bloggers. Gentle and warm, your commitment to take on something new at your age is really amazing. I understand that we all cherish comments. I do too. But I don’t tie myself in knots over it or expect tit for tat. I read the blogs I read for pleasure. I am very thankful for all my readers, for their caring and love that they shower on me.
Interesting post and the comment section is interesting too. I love blogging and that’s why I love taking up everyday blogging challenges. It becomes stressful sometimes when you are busy and there’s a deadline to write the day’s post and the inspiration is nil. Stats dont interest me now, I used to fret about them initially but now. 😀
Shilpa, your discipline is quite amazing. I have known you and read you since a long time. And your systematic approach is very non-stressful. I think many of us have beyond stats, and that I believe is always a good thing :).
It is true of anything – hobby and profession. For sometime we do something for itself. Then somebody praises us or we win something. Then you begin to wonder if you are better than others doing the same thing and slowly spirit of competition and stress enters the fray.
And I hope the next step is that when you are breathlessly trying to outdo yourself and others in the rat race, one day you take a step back and really consider what is it that you are doing? Is it giving you happiness? Is it in line with your goals of blogging? If it is, then by all means go ahead!
Some years ago, blogging had become stressful for me too. Then I had to go and wash my brain with some strong soap. Now I write what I want… when I want. I read when I can, and disappear from the blog of friends like you for ages.
And I don’t feel guilty about it either. I console myself by saying that I will read whatever I am meant to read at any point in my life. It works beautifully for me. 😀
Love your philosophy, Dagny :). You are one happy blogger!
We discussed this a few days back, right? Was it my FB status that triggered this post? 🙂
There is another angle. Most of the bloggers believe that it is a give and take activity. You will start getting less comments on your blog the moment you cut down your visits to other blogs.
But yes, you have to keep all this aside and remember why you started the blog in the first place. It is supposed to be fun.
This post has been on my mind and in my drafts for sometime. And the part you point is true too. Many bloggers actually comment for return visits. And the worst part is when they do it without even reading the post properly. In the mad rush to get better, there is an urge to comment more and visit more in the hope of reciprocation tying themselves in knots over it. And going into depression over falling pageviews :).
Stress can only result when there is a gap between expectation and desired result! Anything if pursued just for pleasure can never be stressful and have believed so this far, Rachna:) Maybe it is an old fashioned thought!!
True, Rahul! And the stress comes in because the expectations get modified. The reasons can be many as others pointed out – popularity, praise, winning contests, peer pressure etc. And then one fine day, blogging is all about getting comments, followers, high Alexa rank and hardly about interaction, enjoying what you do, pleasure in reading something good and informative! Sometimes, we don’t even realize how we get sucked into this phenomenon.
🙂 Rach – blogging is stressful only to those who allow it to be. Lately, I’ve seen people rushing around to comment only when they write a post, in the hopes that they can get reciprocation on tap. Sad but true – mainly because they think blogging elevates them to the status of life and soul of the blogging party. It takes years and years to build a blog, good or bad. And with the obsession about stats, it is crazy. Why, we know that people create blogs so they can participate in contests and win prizes. Not that there’s anything wrong with contests – I love them occasionally, if they sync with my blog – but not as the sole reason for blogging.
I have no problems with blogging. I treat my blog like my house. Stats don’t interest me. I blogged for almost seven years with barely any comments and it didn’t bother me at all. I don’t worry about reciprocation when I visit others – I am usually loyal and will keep on visiting a blog even if they never acknowledge – because it is not about the blogger – it is about the blog. Strange no?
Also, depends what one’s goals are, with the blog. Businesses, of course are doing it to promote themselves. Personal bloggers fall anywhere in the spectrum between connections to making money. I always wonder, what if the internet disappears tomorrow? I wouldn’t cry. I’ve met most of the people I have met online and I have my solid group of friends.
So – blogging is not stressful 😛 It is a pleasure. My 3 paise.
Absolutely, Vidya! I started blogging 5 years back and got minimal comments for almost 3 years. I never made efforts to engage with blogging groups etc., wasn’t even aware of them. I wrote because I wanted to write. It is not to say that I don’t like comments or interaction. That is my basic reason to blog. I love the varied opinions. Like you I visit the blogs I love to read, whether they read what I write or not. And then I have discovered some wonderful friends like you through this space. Blogging is a huge pleasure for me. I am not in any rat race and very satisfied with what, when and how I write :). Always a pleasure to hear from you,dear Vidya!
Ek dam correct. I like reading comments and writing ofcourse and it is supposed to be a let out. But I guess after a while, we all get sucked into the mad rush. The point is to always remember why we started in the first place.
True Jas! Take a step back and perhaps wisdom will dawn :).
For me blogging is just about venting, giving our personal opinion about subjects some humorous some mundane. Blogging is also about connecting with good bloggers and reading their posts because only then you get a better blogger.
I loved this post. Traffic has absolutely nothing to do with the quality a blogger comes out with.
Glad that you connected with the post, Red Handed! Enjoyed hearing your thoughts.
So many views,you have stirred up something Rachna!
I write because i want people to read my posts otherwise i could jolly well write in a diary.
That said,competition and comparison do not come in because i am what i AM,and i do not want to stress myself by reaching for the impossible.
I always thought that our writing comes from our heart-or brain!But how can one write posts on all sorts of given themes or cues?Especially poetry?
Yes, I agree, Indu! We all write blogs because we want to interact, share and know what others feel. But when that becomes the sole motive of writing, there is no end to wanting more and more. At least I feel this way. Writing is a joy, a vocation, a passion not a compulsion. It should never become one.
This is really interesting. And you echoed my thoughts too 🙂
Thank you, Muses of the Heart!
Hi Rachna
You hit the nail right on it’s head there. I did start blogging for fun and now I am gundu g it difficult to churn out more posts and to read other blogs. Very well said
Thank you, Jaish! It happens to all of us. Some of us are obsessed with followers and stats when we start out but begin chilling out later. Some get really competitive and obsessive.
Nice topic and interesting comments too! I started blogging to record bits and pieces of my life. Even was a bit let down initially when people did not visit a lot or leave comments, but perhaps personal blogs may not resonate with all. And I do like the interaction it provides but am sensible enough to know that it is not that much of a deal-breaker to anyone, including me:) If I enjoy writing and reading other people’s blogs, that’s good enough.
I understand! If I find no one commenting, it is a bit of a downer. But I don’t really go seeking comments. I love to read a number of blogs, but due to time constraints my reading does suffer. At the end of the day, it is just a blog!
It is so sad indeed that blogging has become such a serious activity nowadays fraught with competitions and deadlines and everything. I am guilty of the not being able to read enough part but I guess that’s the same as anything else. So little time, yet so much to do 😀 I wish blogging hadn’t become so commercialized and e-commerce centric and a money making / business venture. That seems to have taken out all the innocence out of it!
I also wish the same,Deepa. The innocent interactions and genuine friendships I have forged with some bloggers are reward enough. I have nothing against those who participate in contests; I’ve participated in some myself. But, I get put off by those who seem to be only doing that.
It’s true that blogging has become more of a competition, comparing stats,comments and more a PR activity. I never bothered about all those, but kept whining to myself that I contribute very less in my blog, and not very frequently. But the truth is, when a post is written from your heart it succeeds and satisfies the readers too. Posts written to merely compete and keep the blog going or written out of compulsion doesn’t really sell.
Completely agree, Anu! At the end of the day, I look for satisfaction from my own writing. Competition sometimes ends up taking away the soul of writing.
True that Rachna. What started as a favorite hobby is now a bit stressful indeed. I would sometimes be worried that I was not getting good traffic but I would be happy that those reading my blogs do not read it for the sake of it. That is the only thing that keeps me going. And any day, what one writes from the heart will win over the hearts of the readers than those written just to keep the numbers ticking.
I guess we all worry if suddenly no one is reading. But, obsessing over it hardly works just adds stress. And writing just about anything to get traffic defeats the purpose of blogging at least for me.
I agree, it’s like selling out.:)
:).
It is difficult to come back from work and start reading again. But on days when I get time for myself I almost lose track of time reading the wonderful blogs out there 🙂
I have been in those shoes too :).
I sometimes take the stress and sometimes ignore it. What if I don’t blog regularly. But then, these WOW and contest things are really stressful 🙂
I haven’t taken part in a single WOW, can you believe it? Simply because I prefer reading over the weekend not writing :).
By now, I forgot what I wanted to comment 🙂 anyway, after much scratching of my head, I think I wanted to write that, most of us have entered blogging to vent out or to fulfil our passion for writing.
But I think, eventually we all get into that loop. With the hectic life and all, many times we miss to read. You don’t read; then you don’t write too…when you don’t write, people start forgetting you easily. When you lose your readers, you know how it is….the whole purpose of why we started blogging is lost somewhere in the process and then we come up with the thoughts like, “Why are we blogging?”…
Chalo koi nahin :). You still managed to put in so many thoughts. Going back to some retrospection always works, at least for me.
I like this post Rachna. I think I first began to blog in 2007 and I really had no idea either about blogging networks, commenting, anything. At that point I couldn’t have imagined writing a blog for anyone other than family members and close friends. I began initially to share our adoption journey with my family who lives so far away, and for about three years just communicated with a handful of readers. After that I started to reach out more, comment more, seek out other blogs and I got kind of sucked in to caring about things like followers, stats, etc. So eventually I stopped blogging because I didn’t like the way it felt anymore for me. But I miss writing and so have thought many times of making a new blog similar to my first one and just write there, read the blogs I enjoy and not worry about anything else. Maybe I will do this soon. 🙂
I quite loved your introspective posts, Colleen! I hope you start writing again, soon! Thanks for reading.
I’ve completely stopped looking at my stats! I used to obsess about it every day, but you’re right! What’s the point?! Blogging still is little stressful because of my self-imposed rule of a post a week; but I see myself sliding to stopping blogging if I don’t impose some discipline in me!
Some discipline is definitely good, Roshni, I agree. But when one starts getting obsessive, a problem crops up. I am just so glad that we are all getting more mature and happy with writing and interacting!
Truth nicely & neatly put. yes,we have to enjoy the process & not get caught in the feeling of rat race.May be the lines from the Gita about just doing your work without expectation of the fruits could be the inspiration to be balanced & level headed.
Thanks Rajeev for dropping by! I guess once in a while it helps to introspect.
I am just a beginner.. But yes, seeing some ‘successful’ bloggers, blog so often, I too fret thinking why have I not had time to blog.. And stats?? yes, they stress me too!!
Hi Jyotsna, I wish you well and success with your blogging objectives. Personally, I’ve never been able to blog daily. I take it easy and as per my schedule and hence keep it enjoyable. I guess you will figure out what works best for you in the long run.
I really liked the post Rachna. But where is the confusion? I guess it is all sorted out, in the post itself! 🙂 I took up blogging to keep myself engaged and to interact with people. I do not mind the stats, comments, money.. or anything that measures my blog. Though, honestly, I get in the trap when I see some blog awards ceremony or when I see my fellow bloggers getting noticed for their work. But that is temporary. At the end, I blog as and when I wish to! I get loads of personal email from my readers and that is what I cherish the most and this is all I have always wanted since the time I started blogging.
Thanks, Surabhi! You have a level head so you go back to the basics eventually. I’ve seen some folks really slog it out in the quest to be the best and not necessarily through the route of good content.
very well said!
Thank you,Rachna :).
Rachna, I started blogging to survive, so to speak. I had lost my father on my birthday on 8th Jan 2010, the date is looming large on the horizon again, so in a way blogging saved me. I still write for myself, don’t get me wrong, I love visits and comments but I don’t mind their absence either.
I changed over from blogspot to wordpress but didn’t know how to get my followers with me or some of their wonderful comments on my blogs, though I miss them, I carried on. I participate in writing contests only when I like the topics and have the time to devote to writing them, don’t like to do a shoddy job 🙂 I love reading blogs and discovering new and interesting ones, have made friends with some amazing writers this way. Love my blog and blogging, sorry for the lengthy comment.
So sorry to hear about the loss of your father, Sulekha! I know how the loss of a parent drills a permanent hole in our hearts. And, you tried to find a vent through writing. Oh, I wish I knew you when you moved from blogger to WP. It is quite simple to migrate everything including comments. I moved from blogger to WP in Jan 2013 myself. I am so glad you love blogging and your blog. I also love the interaction that I get through the blog and also in making wonderful friends. Thanks so much for reading, Sulekha! I love long comments :).