Comments on: What We Don’t Want You To Know

By: Camel Rider

Camel Rider — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 14:29:18 +0000

Great post…thanks for being transparent. I started bloggin because I serve overseas…most of my friends are also team members so….I needed a place to vent and process. Through the blog I’ve met some good like minded guys and am able to network in a way that few of us serving overseas can. The numbers mean something to me because I struggle with feeling like I don’t have a voice….so this helps. For me the conversation is more important than the numbers….
(maybe by posting this my numbers will go up…stop it…don’t think this way….:-))

By: Beth Waldeck

Beth Waldeck — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 02:21:41 +0000

I recently started blogging as a means of expression. I must admit though that it made my day when your mom commented on one of my posts. Brody’s mom! How cool is that?!!!!

Beth

By: Brody

Brody — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 01:28:37 +0000

Walker… Now that wouldn’t be edifying would it?

Plus no one is allowed to use that many exclamation points on this blog but me. Sorry.

By: aaron ivey

aaron ivey — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:28:54 +0000

yikes. bitter about something? there are some people that blog because they genuinely love writing… not EVERYONE is a stat whore.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:16:06 +0000

Man…first I read Shaun’s blog (though I gathered he wrote his after yours…but not in response to yours…) and then I come here. Both posts hit me between the eyes.

I am a writer, so by nature, it is one of my major outlets of expression. I tend to communicate much more effectively when I write…but perhaps I am not as “real” or “authentic” as I should be. And I have paid attention to my stats lately, but mostly because I’m interested of where people are coming from and what kind of response I get from certain things. I guess that puts me in the same frame of mind to which you’re referring…

I hate being the center of attention. But I love communicating. And receiving feedback. I think our culture is full of “feedback junkies” and we freak out a little when we don’t get it. I have to fend that off, too. Usually unsuccessfully.

There are indeed good reasons for building readership, especially if there’s a purpose (like Compassion) to get people’s attention. And there is value in sharing our life experiences so others can benefit or simply enjoy our stories. It just gets messy when our motives are mixed.

Good food for thought and action, Brody. Gracias.

By: KFJ

KFJ — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 22:24:38 +0000

Unbelievably great post….very thought provoking as well!!!

By: Walker

Walker — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 21:07:10 +0000

“All I am saying is lately I have seen several blogs become an arm wrestling match for attention and the authenticity of many of those blogs have suffered. And I feel like I am just as guilty as anyone else falling into that trap and I don’t really like it. We have stopped blogging in a genuine, authentic way and are focussing on simply getting more people to click on our names.”

Name Them Blogs!!!
C’mon.
Walker

By: Raquel TWG

Raquel TWG — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 19:02:35 +0000

I’m not gonna deny it. Although ‘I am myself’ when I write, I still pay attention a lot to my stats and sometimes do crazy things in desperation every time I see my blog views going down.

By: Melody Milbrandt

Melody Milbrandt — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:01:17 +0000

Brody - What a blessing to read this post. I have actually been praying about this a lot. I had been feeling for quite ahwile that the Lord wanted me to open myself up to blogging. I really didn’t understand why and felt that visiting or supporting others was fine, but blogging probably wasn’t for me. After praying for a time I decided I’d step out and attempt to do it as unto Him (even though I was still like, “huh?”). I suppose it sounds silly, but I asked God to lead me with everything from my title, to the layout, the content, extras, etc. Perhaps that was just because I was blog clueless, but I hope it was more that my heart wanted to do it His way over mine. Anyway, He was very clear with me personally (I’m just talking about my experience here NOT a blanket statement in any way), and let me know I was to keep it very simple, clean, and to add no extras at all for tracking or stats or such. There wasn’t to be a set “ME” plan for posts. No expectations, just obedience(again, I’m just sharing my new experience here and I don’t do this for business and such - so I get there’s a big difference with that end). Oddly enough I felt that He didn’t even want me to tell anyone about it ’til a few days ago. It was kind of like it was our little secret at first.
I guess my belabored point in sharing this is to say, yes… I believe God desires for us to strive to be authentically like Christ in all we do - work or “play,” and that includes things such as blogs. There will be times, situations, or individuals that He directs with great boldness, creative flair, or a massive prescence (whether it be in person or on the web). Most certainly though, He’ll also continue to use others with a quiet steadiness, a smaller (albeit not less valued) approach, and much less attention (or traffic), just as He does in our everyday lives. This was another reminder from God to me that He wants all of me and that all I do is to be directed by Him. Jesus keeps teaching me that He likes to change things up, too. Just because He’s got me handling something one way right now, doesn’t mean it will stay that way. I need to be fluid in His will. So, for me to keep up with His best and be used for His greatest glory…I have to continually dig into His Word, converse with Him in prayer, and surrender my plans for His (and as I’ve recently learned, that includes this thing called blogging).
God Bless - Melody

By: portorikan

portorikan — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:47:52 +0000

I think you’re right about a lot of people. I will admit that I have checked stats and still do, although less and less than I used to when I started.

Maybe it’s cause I don’t have a lot of readers? I dunno.

I do think it’s true that people just want to get the most readers as possible. I know I have friends who have ’spammed’ their address book telling people to subscribe to their blog, or are always looking for a way to link to it. I feel dirty/sheepish even thinking about doing that, and I haven’t.

I can definitely see it as a ‘competition’ for some to get the most readers and beat their chests about it.

I hope people would be interested in the things I write about and what I have to say. I hope that people keep coming back for more info. I think the most important thing though, and I hope it’s true, is that I share stuff worth sharing and that people would be interested in reading. That through reading what I write about people will maybe learn a little bit about what I’m interested in, or maybe see a different side of me that they didn’t know.

I guess that’s being authentic, and I hope that’s the case with me.