Recently things have changed around my WordPress experience and I wonder if this has happened to anyone else as well?
I pressed the publish button on my first post on May 1st 2009 and I have kept up a steady stream of posts ever since. Three thousand- five hundred posts over seven years!
Progress was slow at first. I kept publishing but very few people visited and I despaired about achieving any meaningful interaction.
I worked at it. I joined in the challenges. I hunted down bloggers with similar interests and made sure to comment regularly.
Slowly my readership and on-line relationships grew and I was making new friends. I kept working at it. I kept fishing for new contacts and friends and it worked very well.
Then, I admit, I grew complacent.
One by one, my blogging pals started to disappear. I thought they would be there forever. I hoped they had the same staying power as me. They started to post less frequently. Some stopped altogether without explanation. Some stopped altogether with explanation. Some went off in a different direction. Some I guess just got bored by my content. They dropped by my blogging site less frequently and they stopped leaving comments. Some continue to comment (I am certain) only out of politeness.
OMG. Have I got to start again? Have my blogging pals got no stamina? Shall I bother? Shall I reinvent my blog and its content? Have I run out of anything interesting to say?
I am at a crossroads!
Kim says that I should stop and do more housework!
Have Bag, Will Travel 
Blog v Housework? No contest!
Keep up the blogging and the travelling. I couldn’t face the prospect of Connemara without a blog to look forward to.
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Forget the housework, it will still be there when you are dead. Keep travelling, enjoying the wine and the beer, and above all, keep on blogging. Your blogs brighten my day.
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Thanks, I appreciate your feedback. I will always keep travelling even without a blog!
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Andrew – this post really resonates with me right now. It’s exactly what I’m feeling. It’s been triggered by a few bloggers in particular who have ‘disappeared’ and it bothers me more than I care to admit.
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Losing friends and going off in other directions is a part of life I guess. I thought the blogging community was permanent but it is no different!
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Yeah – I hate to admit it, but I guess it is part of life and I was naive to think otherwise
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Andrew I am just starting out and am exactly where you were in 2009 and know the long hard journey ahead of me but looking forward to it. Keep going find new blogging friends and I can’t wait to read all about it.
Michelle
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Thank you, I appreciate the encouragement. I send the same back to you!
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It’s most certainly hard to keep follow-ship, both for yourself to others and others to you. I even cant keep up with posting contents. I haven’t gotten 400 posts, but I have been blogging for more than 4 years.It’s good to know that I always have blogging friends – those who always stick around and return back everytime I return back… even though i cant keep a steady pace.
Keep your blog. Believe me. Even if you make a hiatus, if you have enough blogging friends, you will find yourself always going back to blogging.
I think, just like everything else, things always go through some form of evolution.
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I have the same experience, Andrew…I have a ‘core’ of just a few regular commenters, and many others who come and go. You lose some, but gain new ones as you go along. But I enjoy the community, and will keep going! I have made real-life friends through blogging, and it keeps me going if I can’t get out so much. Please don’t give up, Andrew, I enjoy your posts too much!
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Blogging is a strange thing and never seems to have any logic to it in terms of followers and views; at least that I can detect. I have been wondering recently what I should do with my own blog. It started as a way to keep in touch with friends and family while we lived in Paris for 2 years and afterward I converted it to a photo blog but I am starting to lose interest so I am also not certain what I will do.
I think that you have do it for yourself. If you still find pleasure in posting your travel stories then you should keep going; if you aren’t then maybe it is time to stop…Just my two cents! (Suzanne)
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I agree about doing it for your personal pleasure, Suzanne. When it’s done just to keep things going, it becomes a chore.
Andrew, your blog is unique, well written and interesting. I may not always comment, but I always take time to read about your latest adventure.
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Don’t stop!
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Don’t stop! I love your work. I’m a big time fan.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Theadora
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You’ll always have readers. But mainly, do it for you. It should still be there when the kids and their kids are old (if they are anything like mine there’s no way they would read it now).
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Andrew I am reading with great interest. Be assured I don’t keep showing up out of politeness. I will admit when you are posting daily I sometimes don’t read them all as I just can’t keep up. I post twice a week and that works well for me. Not quite so overwhelming. I just can’t possibly write more than that and keep a life balance. I have a grandbaby to snuggle. 🙂
James and Terri at Gallivance gave me some wise advice when I first started blogging three years ago. They suggested when it no longer felt fun it was time to quit or make a change. I have definitely made some changes over the years. A bit of variety has helped me from becoming bored and it has been interesting to see what readers respond to.
Many bloggers I had developed relationships with have vanished over time. I think that is just the reality of it. People’s lives and interests change. I don’t take it too personally…usually. 🙂
I do hope you continue writing if it gives you pleasure. You make me laugh with your ‘Brysonesque’ humor. It definitely beats housework if that is the option. 🙂
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Thanks Sue, I always appreciate your feedback. I have some posts in the can and so much much more to say, I just get downhearted when people disappear or stop interacting. James and Terri were a perfect example, liked feedback on their posts but stopped giving anything back in return so I stopped following them!
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I was thinking more about your post this morning Andrew. One other thing I did about 6-9 months ago is really sit down and set some goals with blogging. I tried to be really honest with myself and look at what I wanted out of it. It helped me over the hump of people disappearing, which I have had happen too.
I was following way too many bloggers so I have been cutting back on those visits as it was just stressing me out not being able to manage it all.
An interesting conversation Andrew and one I value. Has me doing some reflecting too.
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Thanks Sue, I always appreciate your words of wisdom.
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People move on. Perhaps you should, or perhaps diversify and so revitalise. Its a new challenge and that’s where the evolution is. 🙂
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I love your stuff, Andrew. If you stopped or cut down, my mornings would be less enjoyable! I will offer this: I took all the counting elements off my blog’s front page (comments, of course stay.) I don’t know how many posts I’ve made or how many followers I have. Of course, I can search it out if I want, but it’s not sitting there waiting for me to see. Somehow, this has made blogging more simple fun. (also – everyone needs a vacation from time to time..;))
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Andrew, keep writing, if only for yourself 🙂 Then again – the number of comments here speak for itself – there are lots of people interested in what you have to say. Me for instance – I value very much your work! Keep at it!
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Thank you, I appreciate the feedback!
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P.S. Perhaps WP is paying the price of being such a pain. 🙂
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I quite understand the feeling, Andrew.
You are particularly good at providing the background to any place you visit. I enjoy your historical details and it’s particularly interesting when you write about a place I already know – and that happens often.
Keep it up!
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I keep feeding the blog but it is a real struggle to maintain a level of readership or interaction. Some people just post a load of pictures and get a hundred responses!
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You could do a housework blog. Kim could take the pics…. Diversification always a good thing….
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I am currently doing research about some pretty obscure aspects of aviation during the Second World War. It is by no means unusual to come across somebody who has put together a long list of, say, aircraft serial numbers on a blog post but had literally no visitors since they did it back in 2013. I find the same with blog posts about monsters such as, for example, the Grey Man of Ben Macdhui. So it could be worse!
Another way forward would be to write your first book. You have more than enough material to do a whole series of humorous accounts of your travels in different countries, like Bill Bryson. Even better would be guides for people who want to see interesting historical or artistic sites in the cities of a particular country.
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I am at a spot in my life where I have far less time for blogging- posting, reading and commenting. The major renovations on the house we plan to move to have taken over so much of my time recently. It doesn’t help that we don’t have internet down there. I try to catch up when I am back up north, but I’m also overwhelmed at the number of emails, posts, etc to tackle. I still enjoy reading about your travels (some spots more than others) when I find the time. As someone suggested before me, it’s really about how much you enjoy the blogging for your own self. The feedback can be nice, but it shouldn’t be the prime motivator in my opinion. Besides, posting surely has to be better than housework hands down! 😀
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I’ve been at it for five years and have around 600 posts, Andrew. I’ve seen a slow but steady growth over that time period, and I’ve done little to increase my numbers, other than produce blogs. Each one takes a lot of effort, as yours do. I can tell by the quality. I really appreciate the people who comment regularly, and I always try to follow their blogs. I am amazed by the places I have been able to travel with my fellow bloggers. As for bloggers falling off the face of the earth. It happens, for a whole bunch of reasons. One of my blogging friends, Bill at Practicing Resurrection, once noted that he could understand people leaving the blogging world, but he could never understand their not saying goodbye. His point was that we would never do that to friends in our non-blogging world. I am in total agreement. Common courtesy and good blog etiquette suggests that we say goodbye to our friends when we move away, and give a reason if possible. Maybe blogs like yours that raise this issue will help to educate our fellow bloggers. As for you specifically, I have really enjoyed both your insights an sense of humor. A lot. I’d miss you and your contributions to the blogging world if you left. –Curt
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Thanks Curt, I appreciate that.
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I used to write my blog while my son would take his afternoon nap – that was when he was two and would nap for two hours – now he’s seven and doesn’t nap anymore so I’ve gone from two posts a week to maybe one a month. So I’m not around on WordPress as much as I used to be. I do like your blog a lot and try to read it when I can, you have a distinctive style that a lot of other travel blogs dont have.
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I think it depends on what you’re trying to get out of blogging. An outlet for your need to write? A sense of community? Somewhere to record your travels for posterity? A need for an audience? A little of all of the above? If you need the community and the audience, then you’ll constantly need to work to make and keep those — people in the blog-o-sphere tend to move on to other things. If, on the other hand, you’re writing for your own pleasure — like a journal, which needs no audience but you — then keep on keeping.
I’ve never worked for followers because the general public is not who I’m writing for. I love it when people do come and comment, and I enjoy discovering their blog in turn. It’s just never been a major focus.
I usually read your blog (although not always on the day it comes out; sometimes they back up) but don’t always comment because I rarely have anything insightful to say. If you stopped blogging, I’d miss you. Spain was somewhere near the bottom of my travel to-do list until I started reading your blog, and now it’s a must-do-soon.
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OMG Amaizing Post!! Love this ❤ http://www.misskymmiee.com
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I do hope you keep blogging. Do what feels right. If you don’t feel like it take some time off. Blog when you feel like you have something to say! But whatever you do don’t do more housework!
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I will carry on. I just wonder what happens to others. I don’t want to keep working at keeping a network. I’d like to understand why people stop!
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It is an interesting topic. I know I have followed some people whose blogs got weird and I unfollowed them. Or I followed people who posted multiple times per day and it got overwhelming and uninteresting so I unfollowed. (Not your blog of course.)
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It’s interesting, isn’t it? And you’ve had some good responses here. I particularly like Sue Slaught’s attitude. She has really made that blog work for her and Dave. I keep feeling that I should sit down and work out where I’m going instead of doing my headless chicken act. I still make the effort of reaching out to new visitors but struggle to keep up with responses so what’s the point? Sometimes I delve wildly into the blogosphere and there are some cracking blogs out there, but I just can’t do more than I do and have a life. There, that’s got that off my chest! 🙂 🙂
On a side note, I do think about maybe an e-book, or looking for the odd freebie ala Sue, but it takes so much effort. 😦 😦 Help me, Andrew!
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We are probably in the same place. I was mostly lamenting the fact that fellow bloggers fade away or disappear.
More and more people seem to be abandoning the written blog and concentrating instead on Pinterest and Instagram.
I had a couple of freebie offers but didn’t take them up because I want to be free to say what I really feel.
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I, too, have been puzzled by getting and keeping blog traffic, although, admittedly, I am technology-impaired. I am overwhelmed when I read the technology “rich” advice about getting more people to one’s blog. That said, I do enjoy your blog with both personal and historical info. Best wishes whatever you decide to do.
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Is that why you’ve revisited roughseas? No matter. Your recent comments have been interesting and I enjoyed discussing Brexit with you. I’ve had discussions with Remain supporters which have been good too, and some which would have had me tearing my hair out if I were not more restrained. You know, xenophobic (because that sounds posher than racist), uneducated, dupes of Farage and Johnson, yak yak.
I’ve got some readers from nearly ten years ago. I think we all have a central core of readers, and the ones who come and go. Travel is a relatively safe option. As are flowers, dogs (!) and cats. Try writing about transgender. I was going to say I lost three readers over that, but apparently they still read and slag me off on their own blogs. I don’t read theirs but I get the pingbacks. C’est la vie.
There are blogs I visit, comment on, and never get stuff all back. So now when I read, they just get a like. On a good day.
I don’t have time or inclination to comment on daily blogs. One reason why I don’t blog too often. I also need to spend time visiting others.
My personal preference for blogs are those that mix topics. The unpredictability is interesting.
I totally agree that some people post 4000 photos of nothing and get loads of comments. And yet, I’ve followed some blogs and their 80+ comments die off to half a dozen as they post the same flowers, birds, whatever.
For me, I have some readers who write very thoughtful comments, and/or want a conversation, and I try and respond to that. More effort than ‘Great post!’ ‘Thanks’ but I prefer to have fewer longer discussions than mindless comments. Each to our own.
Sometimes I’ll follow a blog, unfollow and refollow. HT made some sound comments (apart from the one about Spain of course) about why we are all blogging. Fame, glory, money? Unlikely. So then we need to fall back on writing for enjoyment. Which is my main reason. The interaction is a bonus.
But yeah. Get on with the housework say I. Kim can get on with the blogging then 😉
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I just wonder why people start with a frenzy and then burn out. I admire bloggers with staying power! Travel is easy but even without it I wouldn’t run out of things to say. I steer clear of politics and social issues if I can.
You have been around a long time and I admire your stamina, content and enthusiasm. A pity we fell out and stopped communicating for a short while!
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To be totally ageist, have you read some blogs of young people? Cringeworthy. I’m not surprised they go nowhere. I’ve not seen blogs I’ve followed start out with a frenzy. I’ve seen some take a break, for health or whatever reasons. It’s nice to see them return.
I think travel blogs are OK up to a point, but they aren’t really my preferential read. I think I follow one. They tend to ooze superiority and patronising condescension. I don’t mean yours. Just a general comment. That’s why I like mixed blogs. Not all one thing but a mix. Read a great piece about Taiwan today, but not on a travel blog. Can’t bear political blogs apart from Revolting Europe which is good. I do read feminist blogs. Surprisingly. I did like your look backy blog.
Thanks. Blogging is a bit like Madonna. At times we have to reinvent. After breaking my ankle, and being sofa-confined, I had to do different posts because I wasn’t walking. I do have a slight advantage. I can rattle out a thousand words in no time though. Mostly I try to keep it under these days bearing in mind comments from you, and one other. The irony is, people don’t visit my post for a short read. Perhaps we don’t even define our blog style, it just happens.
I do have a huge urge to post about politics post Brexit, but am tying up my fingers 😀
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Hi Andrew. I say – Keep blogging! I don’t often comment but I often read. I’ve noticed the same as you, that others fall by the wayside but I’m impressed by those who carry on and you are one of them.
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Thanks Kathi, I appreciate that. I didn’t want to give the impression that I would give up posting I was mostly lamenting that fellow bloggers fade away!
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I enjoy reading your blog posts Andrew! I think that people drift off and do other things – haven’t been blogging anywhere near as long as you and find just keeping up a weekly post a lot of work so I guess many people just can’t commit the time? Anyway I’d say keep going – am sure the housework can wait!
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It is just disappointing that people just stop. I understand if people get bored and move on but why not leave an explanation on the way out of the door?
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Yes I know what you mean – do you think sometimes they’ve just deleted their blog or not been on there for ages? Even since I’ve been blogging (about 2 years) I’ve noticed people just disappear or else blog a lot and then just suddenly stop. Maybe life gets in the way?
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It is always disappointing when a fellow blogger gives up and stops posting.
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An occupational hazard of blogging I think!
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We’ve had the same experience and it can definitely be discouraging. If our purpose was to have as many readers as we could possibly get, I’m sure we’d make changes….BUT…the blog posts have definitely provided a wonderful account of our travels over the last 5 years. We never would have kept a journal like this complete with an assortment of photos. What a treasure! You must feel the same way. So, it’s been great when folks pop in and enjoy the posts, too. We love that. But, really, that’s frosting on the cake.
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