An audience of one

[bkpkgene]

As usual I am out and about looking at this and that. I came up with some interesting blog stats from a New York Times story form 2009. Here are some highlights from the story:

many people start blogs with lofty aspirations — to build an audience and leave their day job, to land a book deal, or simply to share their genius with the world. Getting started is easy, since all it takes to maintain a blog is a little time and inspiration.

Technocrati is quoted: (note that this research came from 2008, could it even be higher today?)

only 7.4 million out of the 133 million blogs the company tracks had been updated in the past 120 days. That translates to 95 percent of blogs being essentially abandoned, left to lie fallow on the Web, where they become public remnants of a dream — or at least an ambition — unfulfilled.

More quote from the NYT:

many of the orphans were cast aside by people who had assumed that once they started blogging, the world would beat a path to their digital door.

And more:

Not all fallow blogs die from lack of reader interest. Some bloggers find themselves too busy — what with, say, homework and swim practice, or perhaps even housework and parenting.

Some more Technorati:

Richard Jalichandra, chief executive of Technorati, said that at any given time there are 7 million to 10 million active blogs on the Internet, but “it’s probably between 50,000 and 100,000 blogs that are generating most of the page views.” He added, “There’s a joke within the blogging community that most blogs have an audience of one.”

And finally, what I consider to be the real culprit:

Many people who think blogging is a fast path to financial independence also find themselves discouraged.

What are your thoughts on the high blog abandonment rate?

[ChickenFreak]

I agree that anyone that starts a blog with the expectation of making money is very, very likely to be disappointed. There's nothing bad or evil about making money, it's just extremely unlikely and should be considered an unexpected bonus if it does happen.

So if you wouldn't blog if you knew that you'd never make a penny, you may as well not blog at all.

[Audality]

Originally Posted by ChickenFreak

I agree that anyone that starts a blog with the expectation of making money is very, very likely to be disappointed. There's nothing bad or evil about making money, it's just extremely unlikely and should be considered an unexpected bonus if it does happen.

So if you wouldn't blog if you knew that you'd never make a penny, you may as well not blog at all.

I agree but I've left some what I think are relatively unobtrusive Adsense banners just to see if I can make a little more cash. What I'd really love is an active community around my blog for the huge ego boost.

[bkpkgene]

Originally Posted by Audality

I agree but I've left some what I think are relatively unobtrusive Adsense banners just to see if I can make a little more cash. What I'd really love is an active community around my blog for the huge ego boost.

Well, I guess that means you fall into two of the FAIL categories

[Audality]

Originally Posted by bkpkgene

Well, I guess that means you fall into two of the FAIL categories

I forgot to mention that their not my reason for writing, I write about music because it's something I'm passionate about, but 1 ad on main index and two on a post page 1 of which is barely noticeable I dont think does any harm.

Also is it wrong for a writer (or attempted writer in my case) to seek some sort of gratification for their works? I'd obviously love to have an audience. Surely writing for a site with no traffic is like talking to an empty room?
Also my previous post should be taken with a hint of sarcasm.

[bkpkgene]

Originally Posted by Audality

I forgot to mention that their not my reason for writing, I write about music because it's something I'm passionate about, but 1 ad on main index and two on a post page 1 of which is barely noticeable I dont think does any harm.

Also is it wrong for a writer (or attempted writer in my case) to seek some sort of gratification for their works? I'd obviously love to have an audience. Surely writing for a site with no traffic is like talking to an empty room?
Also my previous post should be taken with a hint of sarcasm.

Absolutely nothing wrong with wanting personal gratification, I wish more were like you and followed your path. I did figure your post fell into the sarcasm stream, which is kinda why I was being a bit sarcastic myself when I stated you were fitting two of the FAIL trends. It's all good.

[Audality]

Originally Posted by bkpkgene

Absolutely nothing wrong with wanting personal gratification, I wish more were like you and followed your path. I did figure your post fell into the sarcasm stream, which is kinda why I was being a bit sarcastic myself when I stated you were fitting two of the FAIL trends. It's all good.

It's all well I didn't take it to heart :P just good healthy banter no worries haha

[CammiMadison]

Originally Posted by ChickenFreak

I agree that anyone that starts a blog with the expectation of making money is very, very likely to be disappointed. There's nothing bad or evil about making money, it's just extremely unlikely and should be considered an unexpected bonus if it does happen.

So if you wouldn't blog if you knew that you'd never make a penny, you may as well not blog at all.

I agree. Money cannot be the primary motivation. If you do it for yourself and to improve your writing, you will get better at writing and who knows what might happen from there. This can't be a bad thing.

[Melody]

It's amazing to me that people start a blog thinking they will earn a lot of money. I suspect the failure of some blogs is a vicious cycle ... It feels like there is no traffic, and so the blogger loses interest, and then less traffic comes, and then the blogger neglects the blog more, and finally it's abandoned.

I'm really convinced if you're going to succeed, you have to love what you blog about.

But, on the other hand, there has to be a point where a blog hits its natural ending? The blogger runs out of content? Who knows? I can't imagine I'll still be blogging about Starbucks a decade from now!

[bkpkgene]

Originally Posted by Melody

But, on the other hand, there has to be a point where a blog hits its natural ending? The blogger runs out of content? Who knows? I can't imagine I'll still be blogging about Starbucks a decade from now!

I have to agree with a natural ending point of a blog. However, there is also the cynic in me that says the length of time from the starting point and ending points of an awful lot of blogs is

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