Monday, May 6, 2013

The Handling and Feeding of your Blog

a.k.a. Take care of your blog and your blog will take care of you.  H2Lat40k is one year olde.

Warning: Opinions ahead




JJ typing, Blogging is much like tv shows.  Somebody makes a blog and hopes someone else will read it.  Some tv shows remain on the air because of viewers or the love of those who put work into it.  There are many reasons why tv shows stop.  I imagine blogs are the same.  In the past year I know of three blogs that have stopped.  One guy told me "I lost my blog.  I can't find it" in that he lost the desire to blog.

Making an original blog is akin to reinventing the wheel.  You can't invent a better wheel.  You can change the size, materials, colour, etc of the wheel, its still a wheel.  You think you're providing something original, something nobody has seen before.  After blogging for a bit you come across a blog that is presenting almost the same material in a different way.  Then you hope your blog presents the same material in a more attractive way.  Much like Fight Club 'You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake.'  You blog.  Others blog.  Comes down to, do you enjoy blogging?

Some blogggers talk about how much you get back from blogging.  I'd say you get about a tenth back what you put into it, if you're lucky.  You can't pick your audience.  Fortunately your audience picks you.  Something about your blog spoke to them and they come back for mostly unknown reasons.  You'll occasionally get the attaboy from a post.  Which of course generates the pavlovian response to find out exactly what you can do to earn the next attaboy.

Keeping with that point.  Rewards of blogging are few and far between.  You need to give.  Give a lot to blog.  Blogging regularly quickly becomes your primary hobby.  I've mentioned this before and do so again.  Tallarn brings up a good point.  Paint, game, hobby before blogging.  Blogging shouldn't be the priority.  Though it can come close to being one.  You need material to blog about.  Blogging isn't a reward.  The impetus to the blog post is the reward.  If you blog just to blog you're material will soon suffer and you won't be doing anyone, or yourself, any favours.  Example: my First Impressions on Chaos Daemons post.  Please don't bother reading it.  Its horrible.

This is where the audience, visitors, you the, readers, come in.  It's strange how people want the same thing presented in different ways.  Some are picky and need it worded exactly the way they want (/waves hand), others are less discerning.  You visitors are awesome.  There's an almost unspoken agreement between the author of a blog and its readers.  That unspoken agreement is a mystery and its one you readers keep close without revealing it.  You readers are the point of this post.  While I don't know how to handle and feed you.  I'll do my best when you ring that bell.  This blog is here because of you.  I thank you for your attention.  I deeply appreciate those of you who have been commenting for a long time and providing inspiration.  In no particular order.  Thank you: Zab, Suijin, Samuel, Spyrle, Tallarn, Anons, Aleman, Bryan, Dale, LT, Ryan, Ron, Shawn, Connor, Simon, Joe x, IDICBeer, cpyke, Tom Jokul the Furious, agemmanjw, Malthus, Makers and anyone else I have missed and thanks, Natfka, for being my source of inspiration.

I'll close this post with: It's not about how to handle and feed your blog.  Or knowing how to blog or even what to post.  It is about handling and feeding the people that visit your blog.  It is because of them that this blog keeps going.  Give value.  Treat your visitors with respect.  Connect with them.  Converse with them.  Make time for them.  It is not about scratching their backs so they will scratch yours. Or taking care of them so they will take care of you.  We take care of each other.  Thank you.


slainte mhath

p.s. The new blog header was created by Tallarn.  Thanks!

8 comments:

  1. Your welcome! Thank you for the "rules of the game" and the "codex reviews" where you discuss all the units in a particular FOC slot eg the HQ's. Was almost tempted to collect Daemons or Tau because of you.

    For me, a blog is where I write fiction without pen and paper. My posts can be notes or scribbles, taking thoughts from my head and putting them somewhere, actual fiction or the chronicling of games.

    If I find 0 views on my blog I won't cry or throw in the towel. Why? Because my blog is not about popularity or proving something. It is, as it should be, my web log. The reward, for me, has already occurred when I click on "publish".

    Must admit though, knowing that someone has read and enjoyed what I've published is a welcome bonus.

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    1. Surprised to see someone liked my daemons.

      Completely agree. Blogging is not about popularity or proving something to the world. Also agree click publish is a reward from the effort put into it.

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    2. Was the most unbiased look at the daemons I read. Even Slaanesh looked good. They'll get shot to death, won't hit very hard without the roll of 6s, but they're fast.

      I've never been keen on Eldar, so I'll be reading your reviews when the codex is out. Just to see if I change my mind.

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    3. Jokul, I'm looking forward to doing a First Impressions of Eldar 6th. Should start working on the post soon.

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  2. Hey, it's not all out of your control. You have a great blog with solid hobby content and gaming content. there is something here for either side and your writing is easy to follow and very clever and enjoyable. Keep up the good work! I know we all want praise but don;t for get to do it for yourself or you could lose your passion ;)

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    1. Thank you, Zab, for the kind words and different perspective.

      At times I look at what I typed and wonder if its english. Glad to see some of it is easy to follow.

      Losing my passion? You'll have to pull my metal and plastic from my cold dead hands before that happens.

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    2. Glad to hear it - wait, what about your Finecast?! LOL!!!!

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