Don’t just read today. Comment. Give back. Identify yourself (or comment anonymously). As Louise would say, “Stop to pee on the lawn.” I’m hoping to get comments from 20 different people on this post.
For 15 straight months I posted every Sunday. After reflecting on 2009 I’m trying to decide if I should keep posting weekly or enter blog normalcy and post with the more typical frequency of sporadically.
A year in Review:
I started tracking my blog hits at the beginning of 2009. I had 290 hits in January, and after consistently providing a weekly column for an entire year last month, November, I was already up to 279. Okay, so it isn’t exactly exponential growth, but I have had a consistent readership. I’m not sure I’m up to my long-term goal of 40 weekly readers, but I do estimate over 40 regular readers, and I don’t read any blogs consistently either so I’m okay with that. I notice an increase of hits on Mondays so it is nice that I have followers that anticipate the new material.
I frequently scan to see the locations of my blog hits. Special thanks to Carla in Indonesia, whose regular blog visits keep me an international success. Karri, in Normal, consistently checks in. I also have a regular viewer in Iverness, Florida. Thanks for your readership. Who are you?
This year I managed to accumulate multiple bottles of hydrocodone. Any event that leads to me accumulating drugs with such great street value probably involves a good story. Sometimes, things are worth it in the end if you get to take with you a good story. (This is part of the reason why I used to consistently pick up hitchhikers walking home from jail.) Goods stories help make life a little more enjoyable and make blogs worth reading.
Of my anecdotal stories from 2009 I had a couple of favorites myself. There was the orange bowl story, and also the blogs about my emergency room visits, like this one. This year I also expanded my horizons and wrote a couple book reviews and even one fictional story. Let me know if you have a favorite blog that you remember. I need to hear a few comments like that to give me motivation to continue to find weekly material going into the upcoming year; I also could use them for my self-esteem. So try to say something nice.
I have added “videos” to my labels to the right. Feel free to click on that link to watch great selections like Que Hora Es, Seinfeld’s roommate switch, a couple of beer commercials and more.
For now I will plan on continuing to post weekly, on Sunday.
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11 comments:
Oh wow... it feels great to hear that from one of my favourite bloggers. Posting every Sunday consistently is a good idea. It keeps the readers checking back. I always tell myself that I should write more often on my blog but these past few months have been hard with the quitting of my regular job, planning how the photography business should work out, and researching for a new house to rent. Decent houses in Bali are getting so expensive these days. :S
Hope all is good with you.
I enjoy reading about random things that happen at school. Also, about the various ways you manage to injure yourself. =)
It gave me much joy to learn that statistics show that people with higher IQs tend to get married after 30. Thank you for the vote of confidence in my impending old age and continued lack of a rock on my finger.
It's nice to know that there are teachers like you out there who truly care about the kids they are teaching. Sadly, I know that this will not always be the case.
Kevin - you are a storyteller. As fine of teacher or poker player or house painter as you may be, it is in your nature, in the very fibers of your being to tell stories. I assume that you're doing that offline, too, but since I don't live in Sacramento and you don't live in Fresno, this is where I'm coming to hear your stories. So please keep posting them.
I think a good blog needs to be regular to succeed (whatever success means). For some blogs that I follow, that means updates 3 or 4 times a day. For others that means updates once a day or once a week or twice a month. Any of those is ok, but what's confusing for me as a follower is when a writer posts everyday for weeks and then nothing for a month and then nothing for two more weeks and then a couple of days in a row and then two months off. It's just confusing to know how often I should check back. I know that I'm guilty of it on my site, but my reader(s) has extremely low expectations of me.
All that to say, I love your stories. Please keep posting them.
My New Year resolution will be to read your blog...and comment...on a regular basis...keep writing!
--formerly Tampa and now New Orleans
Carlos -- I enjoy reading your blog. Clearly I am not a good blog reader when I didn't realize you posted every Sunday. I'm a lazy blog reader who reads every time you post on FB that you updated your blog. Your nickname is Stories for a reason, and you post great stories! You should keep posting on a regular basis. How frequent that is...depends on you. I do agree with some of the other comments that whatever the frequency is, just stick with it (1x/week, 1x/month, etc.). Oh, yeah. One more thing. You have beautiful eyes! (Did that help your self esteem?) ;-)
Ha ha... in line with my rule following nature, I will comment because you told me to. :) Of course people who read your blog want you to post every week.
I'm a lazy blog reader like TexAg... I read when Ryan leaves 'em open on the computer. I rarely comment because I always forget my Google account info and it takes me 5 tries with my password. But you make me laugh... maybe I'll stop by more Mondays in 2010.
Merry Christmas! Hope you're doing well.
I always enjoy your stories Carlos, but especially the current ones, and anything about your classes. I also enjoy the fail pics and other random quotes and such. For 2010 I would like to see lots more NEW stories from your weekend trips to Reno!
Who else calls you Carlos?
i am glad you are a more consistent blogger than i am a reader because sometimes i just need to read one of your stories. and there they are!
I like your taste in links, quotes, etc too
I get to plead a toddler-and-infant defense for not checking your blog as often as I used to, but I do love reading it. And hey, I'm an editor who's selective about what he reads when he's not getting paid to read.
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