You - yes YOU! - really are part of a very, very shy bunch of blog followers.
I currently have around 150-200 visitors and 300-400 visits per month (that does, as far as I know, not include people (like myself) who subscribe to the blog/RSS feed through Google Reader or similar software). This is blog post number 100 since I started the blog and the 30th blog post during 2012, but only three of the 2012 blog posts have garnered any comments at all by anyone at all! In fact, there are fewer comments during the past few months than there were during the autumn or last spring when the trend really "should" go in the other direction.
Being more specific, the total numbers of comments this year is seven, and three of those were answers made by me to the commenters. The remaining four comments were made by three different persons.
Where is everybody? I know that some people I know read this blog, and please do take the opportunity to also write a comment now a then! One comment per month by each person who regularly reads the blog would make it a lot more lively and bi-directional! I thought the Internet (web 2.0) was about about read/write, about commenting, about "everybody" generating content (comments) and about forming "communities" (that nebulous concept).
So, where is everybody? Or are you all super-busy continuously always all of the time?
So, where is everybody? Or are you all super-busy continuously always all of the time?
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OK, so let me be the first one to break the silence!
SvaraRaderaCongratulations on the 100th post. Having few blogs behind me (with non reaching that number of posts) I know that it's not a trivial task.
Now to the topic about this post. I'm reading most of your post. And by "reading most" I mean I see all your posts (since I follow you through Google Reader), but sometimes I just don't read the whole thing and I will share, in hope to help you reach more discussion, some of the reasons why.
The main reason sometimes for me is that posts tend to be quite long with several digressions from the topic (not uninteresting however) and with busy schedule I then end up just scamming through the rest of it to get the complete picture.
Another feeling I have (supported with your objectives for the blog which were repeated several times in the post) is that you write more for yourself then to trigger discussion and that might result in less reactions from people (even if they are reading).
Having said all that, I really do find your topics and views interesting and will continue to "read most of it".
Hope this won't be the last comment :)
Filip, perhaps you're not just the first, but the only one who will comment this blog post...
SvaraRaderaAnyway, reading habits is one thing and commenting is another. The fact you only read/scan most blog post is totally ok. I imagine few people are interested in reading everything from start to finish. I for example know a few people who follow the blog *only* to read about the the books I have read recently (in order to get ideas for interesting books to buy).
However, when you *do* read a blog post that relates to things that concern also you, or that you find interesting, *do* take the opportunity to also leave a comment!
I have to second the comment from Filip that it feels like we are listening in to your thoughts here. And often I am led away from your articles to interesting reading suggestions. It's not a bad writing style. I find your posts often very interesting and opening up new perspectives.
SvaraRaderaI imagine the things you often write about here are things that no one reading here really has as a speciality, but are in an exploratory phase of. Blogs often get the most comments when they write about opinions on already well-established issues, but it's also less interesting.
It's good though with this reminder. I will try to "think aloud" more in this comment box when i'm reading a post. :)
Well, I won't argue, and I'm not aiming for "the most" comments. But it would be nice to have some comments now and then. I know people are reading (I have the statistics), but it's nice to "hear someone's voice" now and then (<-- oh, how ironic isn't that!?).
SvaraRaderaI have noticed that I - also in the absence of reminders from my readers that they are there - use the blog as a sort of public "diary", a way to remember what I did, what I thought about it and to anchor these things in time. With more comments, I believe (I'm guessing though) that I would be slightly more oriented towards my readers rather than towards myself...