It is ten years since the first post on this blog. Some kind of retrospective seems called for.
I had lurked on others’ blogs for years. I probably caught the blogging wave just as it was about to recede. As early as September that year I wondered if that was so as I saw blogs falling by the wayside. That may have been more churn than decline, but by 2012 or 2013 other social media were clearly leaving blogs behind. Now it is mostly the older and more fixed in their ways who persist. (My bolding.).Mmmm. I agree re the impact of other forms of social media. I agree that blogging has greatly changed and should now be perhaps be classified as an aging form. However, when I look the really big changes in blogging the position is a little more complex than that.
The original diary blog has certainly declined , while there has been loss at the younger end of the age spectrum. The days when I used Google blog search to track evolving events are long gone, replaced by twitter and the adoption of live blogging approaches by the main stream media. And yet? Is it just the case that we have settled into our own niches? After all, new blogs are still emerging, although they are now probably far more special purpose.
Looking at my own platforms (blogs, Facebook, Twitter, column) based on what data I have plus my own impressions, there are interesting differences across platforms.Some of the data is a little uncomfortable. For example, on Twitter 63% of my followers are male, only 37% female; 84% of my followers come from Australia, 64% from NSW. That's a bit unbalanced.
On my public Facebook page by contrast, males drop to to 56%. Facebook also provides age data where there is a distinct younger skew. By contrast, on this blog I think my readership and certainly my commenters are older. This is the case for my newspaper column as well. Those interested in history in general including local history do tend to be older.
I fear I have sidetracked a little, although I blame marcellous for that! However, my purpose here was actually to congratulate him on surviving ten years of blogging. marcellous's post provides an overview of some of his posts including his neglected favourite Drug dealing in the Eastern Suburbs – a true story.
4 comments:
Yes, echoing congrats to marcellous - a sane and considered voice in an insane and mostly inconsiderate world.
kvd
For instance, how can you not admire writing of his fellow passengers on a train trip to Canberra as:
welfare recipients including old age pensioners and seniors. That certainly accounted for most of my fellow travellers when I boarded the train at Central on Saturday morning, leavened by a few slightly ABC-audience types (amongst which I suppose I might count myself) and some overseas tourists who may have known no better.
kvd
Morning, kvd. That excerpt made me laugh. As you know, I have always admired the clarity of m's writing leavened as it is with a somewhat sardonic view of the world. He has some beautiful sentences!
Thanks to all or I think in fact both for the kind words.
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