To Blog or Not to Blog: Managing “Inundation”; Coaxing Public Participation January 22, 2006
Posted by Yvonne in beginner blogger, Dynamics of Resistance, Power of Dialogue.trackback
One concern I’ve heard from folks that haven’t started their blogs yet is that they wonder: how to deal with an inundation of communication?
First off, it’s hardly been a firestorm. I mean, noone even knows my blog is there until I tell them. Maybe my blog is being picked up in Technorati now that I “claimed” my blog there. But someone would have to search for what I’m blogging about, then my blog would have to show up on the first page of results, which isn’t happening since I’m blog number 1MM+, being so new and unlinked. Which means that, so far, I’m the one who visits my blog most, LOL!
But seriously, if you should have very different experience than I, and are suddenly overcome with communications you feel are beyond your ability to respond to, I just found a completely effective solution: Robert Fulghum really knows how to manage boundaries!
Actually, the challenge I’m faced with now is: how to encourage folks who’ve been replying to my blog posts via email direct to post to the blog so the conversation is more public? So far, I’m getting some really super replies, but they’re to me on email rather than the blog, and I feel a little odd about posting someone else’s comments then replying. So the conversation misses something.
The way my blog works, any comment posted is in the public conversation, and I get it immediately as an email too. So (mostly) no worries I’m not going to see it.
Could it be that we’re so used to looking at websites, and sending emails, we don’t get it that the blog can be a place for public discourse? As long as things stay generally on subject, I like that blog conversations are public. I think the inquiry gains power when more people have the opportunity to find and engage, and I really appreciate being able to post or comment with links going all over the blogosphere and to trace threads without cluttering my in box.For some reason, thought, that leap that isn’t obvious for everyone.
Conscious Connections 
OK, I’ll bite. I am new to the Blog-O-Sphere, too. In fact, a few months ago I think I started a blog somewhere, but then had to change computers and I have no idea where that blog is! So if anyone out there in Blog-Land responded to my original posting, sorry! I lost myself. And yes, I, too heard Keith Kegley’s impassioned talk about blogging and podcasting. I feel soooo ancient and last millenium. Have to confess I have never heard a podcast. There – I feel better. Confession is good for the soul.
Yvonne, you are the best! You have an original way of putting ideas both old and new so I take a second (or third) look at them and sometimes discovering something new about my world.
Okay girl, so get yourself on! Just go to wordpress.com and make it happen. I swear it was 15 minutes and I was up and looking good!
Well, you’re right about leaps from e-mail. I had to make a conscious effort to post onto your ‘dead’ thread instead. (hey that rhymes) I also haven’t naturally adapted to pulling up the NextNow blog either, for the e-mails plop into my inbox effortlessly, & I have been linking from there. Alas, my own blog does not exist yet due to sheer overload/ deadlines…but your blog is inspiring me, so I know mine will come! It all takes time to discover a new medium but as Henry Van Dyke said, (yes, sorry, another quote) “As long as habit and routine dictate the pattern of living, new dimensions of the soul will not emerge.” I’ll remind myself of that whenever I see an e-mail from you and start to hit ‘reply.’
Thanks Amy, One thing I did was put wordpress as my startup location for my web browser. So that makes it easy to be “in the blog”.
I also have a bunch of post ideas that I created as “drafts” so whenever I have a few minutes, I can go to that list and complete and post one pretty quickly. Also having it in the blogging environment keeps it all together.
Hi Yvonne,
I agree with you. It takes a while to build traffic. I found a lot of the traffic I get is because of the trackbacks. The technorati claim is useful but does not generate much recognition.
Benson wrote that he posted a feed to my blog at http://syndicated.livejournal.com/ymburgess/ – I have no clue where that goes or how it works, but I guess that just provides access to another community, another avenue for search? or whatever?
Anyway, I just continue to be surprised that folks are interested! What a surprise … too fun!
see next post on this …
Are you still going? I see you haven’t posted for a few days.
I’ve found that posting on a variety of topics helps, cos the search engines pick you up more, but it seems to be a long, hard slog. I didn’t post for a couple of days last week cos I was away, and my hits dropped from high 30s to low teens.
Dear camdenlady,
Thank you for the encouragement. Hard to believe the Multiverse is actually listening …
I’ve posted again today and will promise to not disappear for so long again …
Forgive me.
YMB
[…] So spurred by camdenlady, I’m back … again … and then I saw chris’ post about my posts. Who are these people? Where did they come from? Why should I care? Do they know me? Apparently. Yikes! How is this world so darn connected while we (I!) haven’t a whiff of a clue?!? […]