Friday, October 14, 2005
Fun Irelander Feature - 7 stages of the blog
It's almost exactly 10 months since I started blogging. I never thought United Irelander would still be going after so many months. I never really knew what I was getting into when I set up this blog but I feel I've since learned alot about blogging and I believe that a blogger experiences various stages when maintaining a blog. With that being said, I hereby give you the seven stages of the blog. So without further ado:
1. Introductory phase - You have taken the plunge and set up a blog. You've read quite a few blogs and you feel that it's right up your alley. You greet things like the Blogger template the way a young Irish child greets the Irish language for the first time. With complete and utter bewilderment. You wonder how long it will take for you to destroy your own blog.
2. Enjoyment phase - You're actually starting to get the hang of the thing. You develop your own style of writing, you enjoy putting forth your views and you begin to understand why blogging is so popular. You master how to link to other blogs and you notice you are getting quite a few visitors to boot which gives your ego a lovely oul' boost.
3. Loony phase - You go a bit Mariah Carey with the whole blogging thing. You become obsessed with increasing the number of hits to your blog and you try to take over the blogosphere. You get more visitors than ever before and convince yourself that you are terribly important and that people demand to hear your thoughts on every little issue. You begin to look on blogging as a chore and a responsibility.
4. Resentful phase - You're pissed off with your blog now. You didn't sign up for this. You get angry at letting yourself become consumed by blogging and decide to 'go on vacation' or 'go on hiatus' to get you head together and escape the blogging craze for a while.
5. Enlightenment phase - You're back and you're better than ever. It's all so clear to you now. You understand what blogging means to you at this point and you accept it for what it is. You are over stage 4. You start to enjoy blogging once more you settle into blogging far more comfortably.
6. Blogging through the motions phase - Things have become so comfortable that they are mundane. The tempestuous relationship that you once had with your blog now feels more like a loveless marriage. You feel your blog puts forth its messages more effectively yet you're not really sure what it is you're trying to say any more. You begin to ponder about the future of your blog and resort to stupid posts such as ones commenting on 'stages of the blog'...
7. Disillusionment phase - You realise it's time to call it a day. Your blog has come as far as it can and blogging begins to feel unimportant. The lofty ideals you felt for blogging in the earlier stages now merely evoke from you a wry smile. You begin to understand that blogging is not as important to your life as it once was and you decide to make your final post - your goodbye.
To me, these are the seven stages of the blog. And if you want me to be perfectly honest, I feel I am definitely in stage 6 right now and growing ever closer each day to stage 7.
1. Introductory phase - You have taken the plunge and set up a blog. You've read quite a few blogs and you feel that it's right up your alley. You greet things like the Blogger template the way a young Irish child greets the Irish language for the first time. With complete and utter bewilderment. You wonder how long it will take for you to destroy your own blog.
2. Enjoyment phase - You're actually starting to get the hang of the thing. You develop your own style of writing, you enjoy putting forth your views and you begin to understand why blogging is so popular. You master how to link to other blogs and you notice you are getting quite a few visitors to boot which gives your ego a lovely oul' boost.
3. Loony phase - You go a bit Mariah Carey with the whole blogging thing. You become obsessed with increasing the number of hits to your blog and you try to take over the blogosphere. You get more visitors than ever before and convince yourself that you are terribly important and that people demand to hear your thoughts on every little issue. You begin to look on blogging as a chore and a responsibility.
4. Resentful phase - You're pissed off with your blog now. You didn't sign up for this. You get angry at letting yourself become consumed by blogging and decide to 'go on vacation' or 'go on hiatus' to get you head together and escape the blogging craze for a while.
5. Enlightenment phase - You're back and you're better than ever. It's all so clear to you now. You understand what blogging means to you at this point and you accept it for what it is. You are over stage 4. You start to enjoy blogging once more you settle into blogging far more comfortably.
6. Blogging through the motions phase - Things have become so comfortable that they are mundane. The tempestuous relationship that you once had with your blog now feels more like a loveless marriage. You feel your blog puts forth its messages more effectively yet you're not really sure what it is you're trying to say any more. You begin to ponder about the future of your blog and resort to stupid posts such as ones commenting on 'stages of the blog'...
7. Disillusionment phase - You realise it's time to call it a day. Your blog has come as far as it can and blogging begins to feel unimportant. The lofty ideals you felt for blogging in the earlier stages now merely evoke from you a wry smile. You begin to understand that blogging is not as important to your life as it once was and you decide to make your final post - your goodbye.
To me, these are the seven stages of the blog. And if you want me to be perfectly honest, I feel I am definitely in stage 6 right now and growing ever closer each day to stage 7.
# posted by United Irelander @ 3:37 AM 
© 2008 United Irelander.
