I'm finding myself yet again at a point where I question the wisdom of putting time into this blog. There really isn't any readership. Looking at the stats is depressing.
In fact, looking at the state of American politics is completely depressing, and largely unhealthy for me. Americans don't want liberty. They want one stripe of big government or other, controlling this aspect of life or other, and they're getting it. I would wish for them to get it good and hard, as Mencken did, but I'll be dragged along for the ride. On the whole, I'm better off ignoring it entirely, and putting my energy into my family and work.
I'll not delude myself: My voice isn't contributing to a change. What's the point?
11 comments:
Mike - your blog is valuable. Don't look at the stats: if anyone is reading thru an RSS reader, you wouldn't know it because you're providing a straight feed from the blog rather that going thru a feed tracker like feedburner.
I read every post, have been inspired and educated by many, but this is the first time I've actually come to the site, to write this message. I read your site thru the RSS feed in Google Reader.
Don't give up. Every voice helps. And bloggers throughout Indiana of all stripes read your blog. You have influence.
Tom B
I read every post, and the Wayne County candidates have incorporated your suggestion from last year on ranking the the importance of government funded departments when reducing budgets into their platform this year.
Hang in there. You'd do it for Randolph Scott!
I subscribe to your RSS feed, so I'm not sure if that counts as a "hit" on your blog....
Hang in there; you're more valuable than you know!
Mike,
Your blog's value is immeasurable! It takes what people think, and filters it into a well-thought, cohesive statement on the qualities of liberty! I can't thank you enough for the voice you provide!
Hmmpf. I guess I don't count, either.
Thanks guys. I appreciate the positive sentiments.
You guys all count, but I have to take my sanity into account. I have difficulty with exercises in futility, so when the hit count averages 24, and I have but one regular commentor/bone picker (Thanks, VG!), the general lack of feedback makes it seems like the proverbial tree cut in the forest. It's all the more aggravating when I see other (in my mind, lesser or more generic) blogs with 10x the traffic (or more), and 15x the comments, I just get to thinking , 'what is the point?'
The feeling is heightened every time I reflect on my campaign, wherein I cost myself at least $750,000 in business due to my perceived unavailability.
Opportunity cost, revealed like a punch in the brain.
I suppose what you have to consider is not us, but you, yourself. Is this forum, and its message, worth your time, effort, money?
If the answer to any of those is "no", then perhaps you might want to reconsider continuing after all.
Otherwise, revel in the fact that you aren't an "average" or "generic" voice in the blogosphere. So what if the pap traffic doesn't visit? Their loss.
Maybe, you might consider joining forces with some other like-minded individuals and create a collaborative blog. That is, if Libertarians can collaborate to their mutual benefit on anything? ;)
You got it, VG- Is it worth my time and energy? The message definitely is, otherwise I never would have gotten going in the first place. But, the reward of it has been sorely lacking. This is what I'll have to weigh.
BTW, We can collaborate, thank you very much. :-) They have a nice one going in Fort Wayne right now. This one has been a personal one for five years now, so I'm not sure I'm inclined to make this a joint effort. Probably would launch a new one to let it stand on its' own name.
But, of course.
I'll miss you if you pull the plug! --Better to do what you can, when you can; blogs seem to have a natural ebb and flow, like the tide.
A few of the local libertarian (and old-type conservative and what-have-you) bloggers and readers get togther one or two Sundays a month in Broad Ripple; it's kind of nice to get some face-to-face feedback. (About half the crowd are gunbloggers. But we're really nice folks apart from the cordite perfume).
Open invitation, details posted on my blog.
Post a Comment