Sunday, December 28, 2014

Through all the noise

I read today that there are 172 million bloggers on Tumblr and 75 million on WordPress. Blogger, which is the most popular platform, does not share the numbers of bloggers online.

Between the the smaller platforms and the big boys, I think it's safe to say a half billion people blog.

Mind you, there are a lot of bloggers that post a few times a week. Some only post once in a blue moon, but there are somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 or 80 million blogs posed each day somewhere in the world.

It's a little hard for me to wrap my brain around that number as I sit here in rural Alabama pecking away on this piece.

That's a lot of words, a lot of ideas, and a lot of pictures. People pouring their hearts out into the ether for others across the globe to read.

I'm often asked why I blog every day. Many of the "Professional Bloggers" say it's silly to post daily, and maybe that's true. 

But I've found that writing each day, even when I don't have a lot to say, takes discipline. Sitting down nightly to arrange a line of thought that's engaging, helps me to refine my voice.

My great niece asked me recently about blogging. She wanted to know how people would find her blog.  

I told her that even with the billions of words being written each day, if she writes with honesty and with regularity people will find her.....even through all the noise. 



25 comments:

  1. I'm new at blogging and only post three times a week. I like to think I make up for a lack of quantity with quality. And I'll never post a photo of my taco dinner.

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  2. Anonymous8:43 PM

    I'm glad I found YOUR blog!!

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  3. I write my blog for my children and grandchildren. I have told them family stories since they were born. It is important to know what you come from. They kept telling me to write a book because our family is quite interesting but organizing a book was too difficult. With a blog I can tell one story without having to link it to the next one. This way my offspring will have the stories at hand to pass on to the next generations. The stories will not be forgotten.

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    Replies
    1. A blog is a great way to write family stories. Anyone who had the time or inclination, could wander back through my posts and get a sense of me, my family and friends.

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  4. It is pretty crazy how many people blog... it is a great outlet and it connects me to so many people across the world... ;)

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  5. There are a lot of bloggers! I'm grateful for the ones like you that I can call my friends. Posting every day takes a lot of dedication...for me I'm happy at the moment with 10 posts a month. :)

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    1. You post with regularity and your posts are aways meaningful with good pictures.
      I enjoy my visits on your blog.

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  6. Wow, that's a lot of bloggers

    I only blog when I have enough time. I wrote spiritual journals every day for a while until I started blogging. I actually prefer not to blog everyday because it gives my blogger friends a chance to have a break from having to leave comments on my blog.

    Of course I love it when people leaves comments. On my last blog break post I had 40 comments. I have lots to blog about as my life sure isn't boring but just not enough time to do it the way I want my blog to be presented. I can't believe it's been a month today since my last post.

    JB

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    1. Blogging doesn't put food on the table for the most part, so you have to take care of business.
      That's not to say that you can't make money blogging, but I'd have to drastically change my focus into an area where there are money-making opportunities, and that's not something I really want to do.

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  7. This one is interesting and informative. It caused me to think. I was on AOL Journals for a year before I had a comment. That was from Lindy in Missouri. She still comments about once a year, I love that lady and we have never met. Love the photo of the collage of broken and displaced seashells. Lots of meaning there. For me also it is the discipline. It is also a learning process. I am trying my 'dangdest' to limit my words to 400 with a goal of 300, maybe one day I will make it. Always enjoy the visit. I too, am glad I found 'life101'.

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    Replies
    1. My blog started out for the high school alumni community of my hometown, but it quickly spread across the world. That's what I love about blogging:)
      R

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  8. I agree. It takes discipline.
    My blog originally was supposed to be about women.Then I found so many lost people on the blog and it got into the God arena and then I saw so many do not even understand religion and that God is not a person. Then my kids asked me how can Jesus be part of the triad?
    No amount of explaining would do it for them until I finally told them God is an entity of knowledge.He is positive energy.
    He is every where and in every thing and he can enter into your life when ever he pleases by just touching you. He can make every one his, except this is not the way he wants it.
    He wants you to come to him because you understand and the reason behind this goes back to Adam and Eve who wanted free will. Now that I am done teaching, I lost my momentum as to what I was supposed to make this blog about and kinda lost my incentive.
    In the mean time I seem to have touched upon bad energy which again I have to make realize that they are in a bad place These people need help in a bad way but not from me.
    I am here only to explain things and some people understood and I got through to them.

    Well in the New Year I hope to do other things and maybe then things will go better.
    Never in my life did I ever think I would have to defend God. But he needs to be defended.
    We take it for granted that we always do the right things but we dont, cause if we did, we would not have so many problems today.
    Glad you are enjoying your holiday.

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  9. I have met some wonderful bloggers since I started my blog back in 2006 ,many are no longer blogging and I miss them.
    I do not write nearly as much as I used to but I am still here and shall continue on as long as I feel the inspiration!
    Glad to have met you ....keep on with the writing and I shall continue to read you.

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  10. It's not difficult to express to another blogger why we do it. It can be pointless to try to explain to someone who doesn't. It's a community unlike the other social media. It's more precise in expression and we make it exactly what we want it to be. And the community if just fantastic. I'm so glad I got talked into blogging years ago. Your niece should also be reminded that people will find her once she finds them, as well. Blog visits reap return calls.

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  11. You're right Hilary. My followers numbers began to grow when I started visiting and commenting on the blogs of others.
    R

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  12. Yes, finding time to write is crucial. Every writer I have heard says that reading a lot and writing every day are the most important tasks for the writer. Blogging gives some of us writers the impetus to practice the art of writing.

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  13. What would I do without your wit and wisdom..along with a dose of humor and good old southern common sense? The sweet lady my son's been dating has family in Alabama. After visiting there he fell in love with it! He says he's retiring there one day. Made me smile!

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    Replies
    1. Tell him to come on down, there's always room for good folks :)
      R

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  14. I try to blog everyday and will often set aside a day to write posts like all the one Christmas ones I have done this last month and save them in a unposted blog folder but at other times I just sit and write what comes to me of a day. I think people who don't blog don't get how additive it is and how our blog friends feel no different to any other friend

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  15. WONDERFUL POST!! My blog has been around 7 years now this past Christmas day. I'm one in a billion,.
    I wanted to stop by today to send along my best wished for you and your family in the year 2015. Happy New Year, and cheers.

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  16. Great advice for your niece...it amazes me sometimes all the wonderful people I've met through blogging...I love it!

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