Hari's Corner

Humour, comics, tech, law, software, reviews, essays, articles and HOWTOs intermingled with random philosophy now and then

Gone awfully quiet

Filed under: Internet and Blogging by Hari
Posted on Thu, Sep 13, 2007 at 23:45 IST (last updated: Wed, Jul 16, 2008 @ 20:10 IST)

I'm subscribed to around 20 to 30 blogs through Live Bookmarks in Firefox and a few more blogs which I check out occasionally (without being subscribed to them). I don't know if it is the time of the year, but most of these blogs have gone quiet of late. Some haven't received updates in several months now while others have slowed down gradually and come to a standstill. It's not just one or two blogs. Dozens of blogs which were active a few months ago have suddenly experienced a freeze mode.

I cannot find any reasons for this broad trend although I do think that a lot of people start blogging at a frenetic pace and then find that they cannot keep up because they're too busy, lack the motivation to write or simply don't have anything to talk about. I know it's not easy and especially when creative inspiration is at its lowest ebb. I often start writing at random and find that I am writing nonsense, so I click the "delete" button. You won't believe how many articles I've deleted that way. In short it takes a lot of effort just to write something meaningful when you're short of ideas.

Nevertheless, I wanted to break the trend in case you belong to my little piece of the web, so you have something to check out. :)

14 comment(s)

  1. I don't know if my blog is one of those you're referring to, but I've been a bit busy at work and so too mentally worn out to blog as frequently as before.

    Comment by A.Y. Siu (visitor) on Fri, Sep 14, 2007 @ 06:46 IST #
  2. In fact, I wasn't even thinking of any particular blog when I wrote this. A *lot* of blogs I subscribe to have gone quiet lately. It's not happened all of a sudden. It's over a period of two or three months...

    Comment by hari (blog owner) on Fri, Sep 14, 2007 @ 07:58 IST #
  3. It is called the Writers' Block --- although this time it seems like an epidemic!

    Comment by Sudipta Chatterjee (visitor) on Fri, Sep 14, 2007 @ 11:32 IST #
  4. It seems to be an epidemic all right. I actually have a theory about this. I think people who blog form little communities around themselves and then their motivation to blog is tied to the activity of the other bloggers in that community. What do you think?

    Comment by hari (blog owner) on Fri, Sep 14, 2007 @ 14:01 IST #
  5. My opinion: The craze and hype that was exiting around blogging has died or dying. Only those who have a craze/interest in creative writing are writing blogs once a while, whereas others have moved on to more exciting platforms or have decided that effort spent on blogging is not worth.

    Comment by Shrinidhi Hande (visitor) on Fri, Sep 14, 2007 @ 16:23 IST #
  6. It's true, Shrinidhi. That is another aspect of the issue. Most people who start blogging because it's the in-thing find that it's actually a serious business and can become a chore if you don't enjoy it.

    Comment by hari (blog owner) on Fri, Sep 14, 2007 @ 18:30 IST #
  7. Busy and just haven't really had anything to say online for my site, although I am about to make a post though about a new job I was offered and accepted, last day at present employer is next Friday. :)

    Comment by drew (visitor) on Fri, Sep 14, 2007 @ 20:03 IST #
  8. Drew, that's good news. Are you getting a farewell party from your colleagues?

    Comment by hari (blog owner) on Fri, Sep 14, 2007 @ 21:07 IST #
  9. Not that I know of, if there is one, it'll be a suprise to me.

    Comment by drew (visitor) on Fri, Sep 14, 2007 @ 22:59 IST #
  10. Well, in any case, best wishes for your new job, Drew. :smile:

    Comment by hari (blog owner) on Sat, Sep 15, 2007 @ 08:43 IST #
  11. **taps microphone**"Is this thing on?"**feedback squelch squeal**"Oh, hello out there! Welcome to my silent blog. Do stay a while, as I've stepped out and I wouldn't mind you watching the place for a bit..."

    Comment by MrCorey (visitor) on Sun, Sep 16, 2007 @ 01:00 IST #
  12. Hi Hari,I can't explain the trend but I can say that I was, unfortunately, a part of it. It was part writer's block, part not wanting to write and part not even wanting to read other blogs, which I'm ashamed of because I've neglected good friends like you, Ray and Drew over the past few months. However, I'm back and I've added your three feeds to my mobile's RSS reader to make sure that I never forget to read your updates, just in case I do while on the PC :PI'm glad to be back and to read your posts again! Cheers to continued posting! :D

    Comment by J_K9 (visitor) on Sun, Sep 16, 2007 @ 03:29 IST #
  13. MrCorey :mrgreen:Welcome back to the fold, Max! :grin:

    Comment by hari (blog owner) on Sun, Sep 16, 2007 @ 09:15 IST #
  14. [...] a very good online friend, recently wrote how a lot of blogs have Gone awfully quiet and can't find an explanation for this broad phenomenon. Some reasons are that authors have [...]

    Comment by Never give up. Never Surrender. - Untwisted Vortex (visitor) on Mon, Sep 17, 2007 @ 20:50 IST #

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