Not Really - Seth Godin

Seth Godin asked the question If no one reads your blog, does it exist?  He said simply writing a blog forces the author to be "respectful and clear" which is important.

Yes, if you write a blog and no one reads it, it exists, BUT it exists in a horrible unfulfilling state.  The point of writing, of communicating is to reach someone else, to connect.  If you put a message in a bottle and toss it into the ocean (a lot like the feeling you get when you post the first entry in a new blog), what you want is for someone on a distant shore to find the bottle and message and READ IT.  What you really hope is that they contact you back and you get the joy of knowing that you connected and communicated.  That's the thrill of writing.

I would argue that most blogs die, not from lack of the blog writer posting, but from a lack of comments.  A blog is meant to be chatty and it's hard to chat by yourself.  And if you do chat to yourself easily, it's hard to feel that it's particularly worthwhile.

Wow, I just came up with a new service.  The I'll-comment-on-your-blog service.  Anyone out there who is feeling that their blog is dieing (dying?) a slow death from lack of feedback, can (hmm... should I charge a fee?) request a comment on their blog.  And I'll make it a meaningful, discussion-inviting comment too (ok, it might have a misspelling or two).

A blog without readers, without commenters, is like a person on life-support.  Sadly, it's just usually a matter of time.

Comments

[Terry]

Hey, I'm reading. I also think it stinks to write something and have no one read it. I'm writing a novel and some people tell me that I can get a lot from that whether it's ever published or not. But telling a story that no one ever hears, well the thought is really depressing to me.

[Suzanne Bellerive]

I can relate to this post in two ways (by the way, hello; first-time reader of your blog, here). When I started blogging, a-way back when it was still called online journalling, it really was in hopes that I'd get email from readers. I always enjoyed that evidence that there actually was someone out there, reading.

However, when even just a few readers took it upon themselves to give me longwinded, unasked-for, judgmental advice ... that's when I got the urge to blog in a way that was more like writing into my paper journal ... you know, where you'd write but there would never be an answer. It frees me up to be as candid as I am in my private journal, and that is what a journal should be -- at least, that's the kind I like to read and the kind I prefer to write -- without the self-editing.

[ScamHunter]

Welcome first-time reader!

Hmm... I hadn't thought about the fact that the comments could be a downer. I guess that's something to register under "Be careful what you wish for." :)

[Puma Shoes]

I like the way in which this article was presented for us to enjoy. It has a certain flair about it that places it first above many that give us a good reason to think.