I have been mulling my reason for blogging ever since Nancy at Life in the Second Half wrote a post about the whole business of followers and the widget in Blogger that allows you to parade your followers on your blog. I did a little research.
The expansion of blogging in the past few years is phenomenal. I myself follow 47 blogs, using Google Reader or the Dashboard to show me when someone has posted something new. I try to acknowledge anybody who leaves a comment on my blog, whether a follower or not. And some comments I even delete, because they are either trolling or sending people to some place with an agenda I don't share. This requires some diligence in staying in touch with my own personal blogosphere. I write a personal blog (from Wikipedia):
The personal blog, an ongoing diary or commentary by an individual, is the traditional, most common blog. Personal bloggers usually take pride in their blog posts, even if their blog is never read. Blogs often become more than a way to just communicate; they become a way to reflect on life. Blogging can have a sentimental quality. Few personal blogs rise to fame and the mainstream, but some personal blogs quickly garner an extensive following.Almost all of the people I follow or who follow me use Blogger.com or Wordpress.com to create their blogs and most allow comments. I chose to use Blogger because I don't need to use any cool stuff in my posts. I did find out, in my research, that Blogger has the following limitations (none of which I was aware of):
- Number of blogs = Unlimited
- Size of pages = Individual pages (the main page of a blog or archive pages) are limited to 1 MB
- Number of posts = The blogger editor can only access the most recent 5,000 posts
- Number of labels = 2,000 unique labels per blog, 20 unique labels per post
- Number of pictures (hyperlinked from user's Picasa Web Album) = Up to 1 GB of total storage
- Size of pictures = If posted via Blogger Mobile, limit 250 KB per picture; posted pictures are scaled to 800px
:-)
I didn't know those limitations. Good information.
ReplyDeleteI suppose I'm fortunate to know why I started blogging; I do have to remind myself now and again, though. Since I didn't know what blogging was I ended up on blogger because that's where my cousin set me up. I have to say that I had no idea about the limitations, but I doubt they'll affect me any.
ReplyDeleteThe cartoon is cute! Oddly enough, I tend to compose blog posts in the shower. Typically I've forgotten whatever it was by the time I actually sit down to blog:)
I read those limitations somewhere. 5000 posts - can you imagine that? I can barley think of making 500 and I have a long way to go to do that. I started blogging to record my thoughts. I still do that, but it also keeps me in touch with others. I like to read other blogs and I enjoy comments on mine.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you blog. You should not be self conscious about your posts. They are well written and insightful.
A big part of blogging, for me, is to see what shows up on the page and thus learn about myself. Having a few readers makes me work at it, try to make the sentences meaningful and accurate. I think it's another way to have a thoughtful conversation.
ReplyDeleteYou've had such a full life, it makes sense to me that you are motivated to write about it. The fact that I'm transitioning from worker-bee to retired person and very involved grandma is prompting me to do the same, just not in a chronological way. I agree with Rae; don't be self-conscious!
One of the things I have REALLY been enjoying about my blogging lapse is NOT thinking of everything in terms of how to blog about it. Sometimes it's fun just to live. :)
ReplyDeleteIsn't it funny the different reasons people blog? I love the diversity! I think I did know about the picture limitations as I always use pictures and I remember thinking I would get cut off at some point. But I don't think I have to worry about 5,000 posts.
ReplyDeleteYou should not be self conscious about your blog, DJan. You write beautifully, and about very interesting topics. I love your blog. I am amazed that there is 113 million blogs, however. Can you imagine? Think of all of the good stuff people are writing about that we will never have the opportunity to read. There is just so many hours in the day.
Have you read Wizard of Otin's post today? You know you're addicted to blogging when...
I didn't know about the limitations but I knew there had to be some limits. Why do I blog? I'm really not sure but it does give me a creative outlet for photography and the occasional writings. Have you ever searched for your blog on the internet? My hubby found my blog when he searched using post titles.
ReplyDeleteYour cartoon is so funny, I figure that with my last breathe I will hit "Publish". LOL!
this is great info! I have been blogging most days for two years and almost all of my posts have a picture - i have yet to hit 1000 posts. so i guess they are limiting it to a reasonable sized blog over five years.
ReplyDeleteyou can bypass all of this by hosting your own blog - companies can do this for you for pretty cheap rates. then the limits for storage are set by what you are willing to pay for :)
ps: that cartoon is fabulous!
xx
Being a blog reader only...it gives me the chance to see how other people really feel about things. Something you don't get much chance of in "real" encounters. People have a tendency to open up much more on a blog and I love reading them for that reason.
ReplyDeleteIt is also a lovely diversion from the news. It is news with a heart.
I love blogging because I'm able to share my art and photograpy with people other than my husband! Things aren't actually that bad. I do have a gallery show going on right now.
ReplyDelete"I'm not likely to write 5,000 posts!"
ReplyDeleteOh really? How many times have you jumped out of perfectly good airplanes? I'll check back in 15 years to how many posts you're up to.
Oh, don't be self conscious of your posts..just go with the flow....free spirited, just like you!
ReplyDeleteOh DJan, You have nothing to be self conscious about..your blog is always well written and entertaining. I still write for my Grands..but sometimes I write for me...selfish I know..but it is true. I knew that there was a limit on the photos..but in 16 months here on blogger I have not reached it..yet. 5,000 posts..if that happens maybe I will have enough gobbly gook for a book!
ReplyDeleteYou just keep on writing:)
Hhmm great info DJan, I had no idea how many posts or pictures.
ReplyDeleteI see lately where you can turn your blog into a book, the estimate is given depending on the size of your blog. Interesting eh !
I thoroughly enjoy your posts, and only wish I could comment everytime I read one. Still being in the workforce limits my blogging time, I do well to read, but not so well in the commenting catagory.
I love your posts!! I write when I want to but I try very hard to read every day!! Life first and blogs next...I am very behind.. I love to comment but only if I have something to say. If I have to think of something then I don't comment!!
ReplyDeleteBoth my wife, Patty, and I, began blogging in 2004, as I recall, and did it on ModBlog that was run by an individual. That was like a "community" and we all knew each other. He ran into hard times and had to quit and we had to all run around looking for someplace free. Thus, we ended up at Blogger. I saved all of my blog posts, less the photos that went with them but also deleted all the photos from Picassa and from Photobucket. So the text works and the code for the photos is still intact -- it would take a me a while to find the picture to match.
ReplyDeleteI wrote several pieces about why we blog and the gimmicks attached to it now that are there to cause people to respond to visitors and comments.
Some bloggers have so many visitors and hundreds of comments per post that they can't possible follow or visit others.
There are people making money on blogging and if they were not it wouldn't be a free service.
That cartoon kinda says it all. makes you want to unplug your computer for a few days!
ReplyDeleteI did not know about Technorati and certainly did not know that there are 113 million blogs! I thought maybe 3 millions… I was way off. But every day I find a new blog that is interesting. I can hardly keep up with the blogs I read though, but I enjoy reading them. I hardly know anyone around here, so if it were not from blogging I would never have contact with anyone – apart from my husband. Your blog is top in my book.
ReplyDelete