That’s what Valleywag author Paul Boutin wants me to do in his latest Wired magazine article aptly-titled Kill Your Blog. Don’t worry, I am definitely not going to heed Mr Boutin’s so-called advice and I’m not shutting down my blog (although I bet this post title just got me a ton of clicks). Neither should you.
Boutin, the hypocritical author of a New York Times article published in March aimed at showing you how to blog, now asserts that you should quit your blog right now.
It’s almost impossible to get noticed, except by hecklers. And why bother? The time it takes to craft sharp, witty blog prose is better spent expressing yourself on Flickr, Facebook, or Twitter.
No. Flickr is great for posting a photo of the $500,000 Mercedes McLaren SLR I spotted over the weekend, but I can’t tell you how I learned to code with Flickr. The same type of thing goes for Facebook and Twitter. Each service has its own purpose and use. Understand that.
Boutin states that it’s hard for bloggers to get recognized. Louis Gray and Chris Brogan agree that running a popular blog is about how often you promote others on your blog, therefore making it easier for people to find and read other great blogs. Every few days I discover blogs through conventional social bookmarking news sites like Hacker News as well as through recommendations of friends via services like Feedly. Generally the great blogs I find are small but have very detailed, niche content – stuff that would have no place on a Facebook Note.
“The odds of your clever [blog post] entry appearing high on the [search engine results] list? Basically zero.”
Basically zero? Not so fast Boutin. It all depends on the content. Niche is king here. Of all the things I’ve ever written on my blog, a post I didn’t really care about when I wrote still brings in new visitors. If you Google for “you need permission to perform this action” you’ll find my post about fixing a Windows Vista quirk. It’s those types of blog posts that I am so grateful of blogs. Now what if everyone took Mr Boutin’s advice and stopped blogging. Google would sure as hell be useless for searching for code errors and tech support. In my experience the best answers are found on blogs.
The “authentic voices of amateur wordsmiths” are still there and most definitely get noticed. Take this blog as an example.
The rest of the article has no real substance as adequately supported by this blogger’s reaction to the piece. Boutin brings up the case of Jason Calacanis who stopped blogging in favor of his private mailing list. Boutin failed to bring up how Calacanis himself or other bloggers republish just about every email in that list to blogs.. kind of defeats the purpose, no?
I could have gone into much more detail slamming the Wired article but it’s quite obvious that it’s just linkbait. As usual, some wise commentary can be found on Hacker News:
Writing a blog helps you organize your thoughts, improves your writing skills, and teaches you to make good arguments (and recognize bad ones).
None of that requires having an audience. At least an audience larger than your friends and coworkers.
If you like to write, don’t stop writing because it’s not “where the buzz is at”. There’s more to life than following trends.
Note: As for why I have been posting sporadically lately, three of my professors have somehow found a way to set identical due dates for sizable projects.
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Damn, your title scare me…
edit: scared*
Damn right it’s going to get a lot of clicks!
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I almost had a heart attack…
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I’d glad to hear that your not giving up Paul!
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oh noes!
Then, man, what a jerk (the guy in wired). Then- “I should blog something soonish.”
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The author of the post uses WordPress for his personal blog, and grabbing some keywords from his posts, I’m seeing several of his posts listed on the first page of Google results.
Example: Bono busted
Seems like a bunch of FUD. He writes for Valleywag. Go figure.
And Paul, don’t scare me like that, man.
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Hah, yeah I thought you were serious for a minute there when you posted “shutting down my blog” on Twitter. Initial reaction was *gasp*, initial action was a mouse click – followed by much relief when I actually read the post, thankfully.
Agreed with your comment that each service has its own purpose. It’s true that every kid and his sister has a blog now, but so what? That doesn’t mean you can’t still create a successful blog and post great content. It just means that there’s more competition, and more reason to create niche content.
Your blog is a fantastic one, Paul. Thanks for sharing so many interesting things with your readers :)
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I whole heartedly agree with the hacker news comment. I’m thinking of starting my own blog just for this reason. I’m not a huge fan of writing, but I do feel my skills need to be sharpened. What better way than to write about something I’m interested in?
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And you almost made my day worst. I’ve already had a brand new harddrive fail on me today and then I though you closed your blog… at least I had some luck…
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Oh GOD WHEW! Good call, Paul – that article is bullshit. The thing that interests me, though, is this: why do so many people equate fulfilling blogging with popularity? Mind boggling, this is.
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Right, eff you Paul, eff you! Damn it man you’ll get a hell of a lot of clicks off this! But you are absolutely right, blogs are where I find a lot of advice about coding and tech errors! If that article was published (which in one way it shouldn’t since technically that would make it a blog), I’d love to see the comment thread!
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Damn, that was close, lol!! Don’t say it, you may kill people, huehue ^^
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Good post Paul. Your title sure worked on getting me to read your post. I’ve found out that through blogging I’ve become more witty in-person (can you believe it). I’ve also seen how focusing your blog posts on a specific niche, truly is king. I think, “What would someone want to know if they did a google search?” I do the search, if nothing significant comes up (that’s of interest to me, of course) – I write a blog post about it. Within days I can see my site in the top 10 of google search results. Blogging ftw!
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It’s true. I stumbled onto your blog during a search for flickr slide shows.
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I actually read that same article just yesterday. I am sure it made plenty of people laugh. I mean, I am a new blogger, but my blog is gaining popularity very quickly. I agree that you need to post about very specific niche topics.
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He is right, some people should shut down their blogs. My wife and I did. There are some who provide value to the web and Paul’s blog is certainly one to keep going.
I was catching up on tweets since I went to bed last night and saw your post and did the same thing everyone else did.
I’ve found based on my google analytics that my niche is in howto linux articles… I get about 20 hits a day simply for my “VLC streaming media server in Hardy” post.
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I couldn’t agree more. I read that story and just laughed. If Google is punishing this guy with low rankings, I guess he deserves to be low-ranked. I think Google works great – my best and most popular posts are on the first page in relevant searches. Sure, they’re niche topics, but I write a niche blog!
I don’t expect a search for “Stephen” to rank me above Mr. Hawking or Gould. To want that is really misunderstanding your place in the universe!
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It would be a tragedy if your blog went down. And you’re right, Twitter and pictures don’t get it done. My blog has become as much about learning and being persistent as it has the content. I have learned to code, I’m a better writer, and hopefully it will help build a name for me.
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I’m thankful for Boutin’s attitude and article. It’s the Minnesota Effect for blogs – those of us that live here are happy for the “Bad weather” press we receive, because it keeps out the riff raff.
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I do enjoy reading the exploits of others, but quickly loose interest in the corporate bloggers and text message style of [twit]ters’.
After plugging along with a niche WordPress blog for a few years, I have decided to redirect my domain to a daily photoblog site, and confining my writing to a short anecdote pertinent to the image.
Excellent use of shock value to garner traffic.
This approach works EVERY TIME.
When you run a popular blog, and you announce to the blogosphere that you are going to shut down your blog, it sends a shockwave straight to your audience. The result is an amazing wave of traffic. Then, as you reassure your readers that you aren’t really going to shut down your blog, many in your lurking audience decide to subscribe. If you run a newsletter, many readers will pull the trigger and subscribe to that resource as well.
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it’s still a great time to be a blogger-
http://www.blogtogreat.com/2008/10/down-economy-ma.html
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Thank you for writing about this. I found that article so irritating. (Found your blog through Student Bloggers).
I found amuzing the fact of blogging. I think blogging helps you to share experiences and cool situations interesting to others (thinking globally instead of locally).
So yeah! close your blog if you dont have anything interesting to share, or anything to write, or any good movie you saw and your opinion about it and if you… well, the list might never end..
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Maybe that guy has a short attention span so for him Twitter is a more appropriate “blogging” platform.
For many of others is not (it remains a mean of fast and short communication).
Try to write a review of a product on Twitter…or an essay…
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Man….I was in Twitterriffic on my iPhone and had to head to the computer to read the post. Glad to see you aren’t giving up!
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Thanks for the post…I enjoy stopping by this site from time to time and see what you have to say. And I found this site because of a google search for a coding problem I had at one point :)
Hey Paul!
Great post! And awesome blog… I have enjoyed reading some of your posts. I hope you don’t mind, but I added the link to this post to a thread I just started on CollegeWikis: http://www.collegewikis.com/www/topics/is-blogging-a-waste-of-time. I’m interested in hearing what others think on this topic.
Cheers!
Crystal Williams
CollegeWikis Community Coordinator
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Just read the Wired article. This guy is just trying to get noticed and it worked pretty well considering more then half the blogs I read have already blogged about it. Although we ate it up hook, line and sinker I guess its difficult not to defend blogging when one has a passion for it.
Sigh, I just wish that provocateur articles like that would just be ignored and gather dust.
DON’T DO THAT AGAIN >=(
YoU BUBBLE! (IT’S A JOKE!)
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hehe….I clicked on your blog link from facebook after reading that shocking title….nice technique! ;)
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Paul, I have been following your blog for a quite some time and many of your posts have inspired me to look into certain subjects and topics. When I saw this post, I have to admit I too was shocked as many others state. I find it quite amusing that Boutin would publish something like that.
Take a look at the blogosphere today and what creative bloggers are doing these days with UI, design and layouts.
Anyways keep it up!
Greetings from Austria,
HK
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This Replace-rather-than-Adapt ideology is getting very common these days. What people cannot understand is that there is a use for everything. Just because people get to publish their less-than-140-words babbles does not mean that it should suffice.
The article itself is not much really. I agree with you, it’s defiantly published in the aim of being a link bait.
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This was really disappointing and shocking at the glance.
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I’ve been meaning to post a reply here lauding your response to Boutin’s piece, which I think is awesome (your response, not Boutin’s), but have not found the time to do so. Then I read the second piece advocating the death of blogging in favor of microblogging that I’ve read in as many days, and finally became irritated enough by this trend to finally comment here.
I really commend you on writing and posting this piece. As someone who has maintained a personal blog for nearly the past six years, this recent and seemingly vehement trend in online media toward reporting “the death of blogs” and “the rise of microblogging” seems nonsensical and quite frankly mind-blogging. Because the two platforms for communication are two entirely separate media, in which all of those who use them both do different things, communicate different messages, and cultivate different audiences. So it rather irritates me when I read someone (um, an online blogger / journalist, no less) telling everyone to stop blogging, and it heartens me to see someone such as yourself (a tech blogger as opposed to a personal blogger, who is actually disseminating a product, and services, via his blog) respond against the calls to abandon blogging.
So, bravo, and great work!
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For a moment I thought that you will shut down your blog!
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You got me! Glad to find pout I was wrong. ;-)
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don’t give up my friend!
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Totally agree, Grant, and I too felt very cranky after reading his article earlier this week. Here is my response:
http://advocatesstudio.wordpress.com/2008/10/22/pull-your-blog/
My sense is, why dis’ the screwdriver while you are using the hammer? For some jobs, the hammer is going to get you further than the screwdriver. Keep a full toolbox and you will be the Norm Abrams of the on-line world!
Best regards!
Martha
This comment was originally posted on http://www.blogforprofit.com/)“>Blog For Profit
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Totally agree, Grant, and I too felt very cranky after reading his article earlier this week. Here is my response:
http://advocatesstudio.wordpress.com/2008/10/22/pull-your-blog/
My sense is, why dis’ the screwdriver while you are using the hammer? For some jobs, the hammer is going to get you further than the screwdriver. Keep a full toolbox and you will be the Norm Abrams of the on-line world!
Best regards!
Martha
This comment was originally posted on http://www.blogforprofit.com/)“>Blog For Profit
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“Blogging is dead, long live the Blog”. Sheesh. I think that perhaps Wired is dead. Now I remember why I stopped reading the magazine – irrelevance!
This comment was originally posted on http://www.blogforprofit.com/)“>Blog For Profit
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“Blogging is dead, long live the Blog”. Sheesh. I think that perhaps Wired is dead. Now I remember why I stopped reading the magazine – irrelevance!
This comment was originally posted on http://www.blogforprofit.com/)“>Blog For Profit
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Your last line says it all, “Ironic isn’t it, they used a blog to try to convince us blogging was dead.”
Cheers,
Kelley
This comment was originally posted on http://www.blogforprofit.com/)“>Blog For Profit
Your last line says it all, “Ironic isn’t it, they used a blog to try to convince us blogging was dead.”
Cheers,
Kelley
This comment was originally posted on http://www.blogforprofit.com/)“>Blog For Profit
As noted, there’ s more than a little irony in using a blog to tell the blogosphere — because that, after all, was the real target audience — that the blog is dead.
As also noted, it’s a bogus idea, good for little more than getting us all to talk about their blog. And in that respect, it’s worked out quite well for them.
Neither Twitter nor any other similar type of site can provide enough information to potential clients (in my field, anyway) to allow them to decide whether or not to utilize your services versus the services of someone else. My blog (hopefully) does; it at least allows people to know more about me than they can know about my competitors, before they even call.
Rick Horowitz´s last blog post..Spam Justice
This comment was originally posted on http://www.blogforprofit.com/)“>Blog For Profit
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As noted, there’ s more than a little irony in using a blog to tell the blogosphere — because that, after all, was the real target audience — that the blog is dead.
As also noted, it’s a bogus idea, good for little more than getting us all to talk about their blog. And in that respect, it’s worked out quite well for them.
Neither Twitter nor any other similar type of site can provide enough information to potential clients (in my field, anyway) to allow them to decide whether or not to utilize your services versus the services of someone else. My blog (hopefully) does; it at least allows people to know more about me than they can know about my competitors, before they even call.
Rick Horowitz´s last blog post..Spam Justice
This comment was originally posted on http://www.blogforprofit.com/)“>Blog For Profit
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The irony really is that Wired.com used a blog to try to tell us blogging is dead. And what is even funnier is the fact the one who wrote the post is the same reporter who just a few months ago was trying to tell us how to blog.
Thanks to all of you for your comments and for keeping the conversation going.
This comment was originally posted on http://www.blogforprofit.com/)“>Blog For Profit
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The irony really is that Wired.com used a blog to try to tell us blogging is dead. And what is even funnier is the fact the one who wrote the post is the same reporter who just a few months ago was trying to tell us how to blog.
Thanks to all of you for your comments and for keeping the conversation going.
This comment was originally posted on http://www.blogforprofit.com/)“>Blog For Profit
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I talk to people in the “real world” every day who still aren’t sure what a “blog” is. Upon further inquiry, it turns out they read a blog that very day. But no they didn’t – they visited a site that had content they found compelling.
I think one has to be careful not to assume that, because it’s “old news” for you, it’s old news to everybody. That seems to be the case for the author of the Wired article.
There are many more readers / listeners / viewers still getting into this new world of “blogging”.
There was one thing in the article I found particularly instructive …
“… personal sites have been shoved aside by professional ones. Most are essentially online magazines: The Huffington Post. Engadget. TreeHugger. A stand-alone commentator can’t keep up with a team of pro writers cranking out up to 30 posts a day.”
While most bloggers I’ve met are among the most generous in the world, I think this tells us that it’s even more important that we find ways to work together and cross-promote each other sites. If we want to remain independent, we need to ramp up our efforts to work interdependently.
Thanks Grant for another great post!
George Krueger´s last blog post..Seth Godin on Tribes: Part 2
This comment was originally posted on http://www.blogforprofit.com/)“>Blog For Profit
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Thank you George for another great comment. Keep them coming.
This comment was originally posted on http://www.blogforprofit.com/)“>Blog For Profit
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Good stuff Paul. I started our site as a personal blog about my car and it now has evolved into a full fledged "automotive news" site devoted to all things VW, Audi, Porsche and more. The site has been in the making for about 23yrs and with the advent of blogging, I was able to take my experiences, find a niche (King as you say) and expand it into what it is today. From personal to coming up 5th in Google search against the big boys (search say Lamborghini Estoque gallery) This year we were able to sponsor a driver/car in the Jetta TDI Cup. Next up, how-to make some $.
Check us out esp. if your into any of the Volkswagen brands/motorsport. http://www.oneighturbo.com
*Paul might drive a Mustang but hes our biggest fan!
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I suspect the Wired folks are mostly trying to generate interest in a topic via provocation. It worked.
This comment was originally posted on http://www.blogforprofit.com/)“>Blog For Profit
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Amazing rant (erm…post) dude! I totally agree in that there’s no reason for them to use a blog to stop people from blogging. As well, I don’t see how flickr, twitter, or facebook could replace blogging. You have to think about the purposes behind each application. Twitter is for updates, flickr is for photos, and facebook is for networking purposes. A blog, however, combines all of these elements to deliver information in a way that each platform couldn’t. These social media tools should be an extension of the main site: the blog. It’s like saying “stop driving cars, just roll around the tires instead.”
It’s really interesting to see the reactions around the net to Wired’s post. I’m certain many people feel similarly to yourself.
Corey Freeman´s last blog post..First of the Month – The Good, The Bad, and the Coming Up!
This comment was originally posted on http://www.blogforprofit.com/)“>Blog For Profit
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Blogging is dead only if the blogger is dead.
This comment was originally posted on http://www.blogforprofit.com/)“>Blog For Profit
The article really was stupid. Pure linkbait!
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I think you should really take his advice.
PLEASE?
Paul, nice rant. To me you are still the guy around the block, but today the technorati read your blog.
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I wouldn’t trust anyone who writes for Valleywag farther than I can throw them; Valleywag is pretty much a synonym for hypocrisy and shoddy journalism. Keep the blog up Paul, it’s great.
I’m glad you didn’t shut down your blog. It’s a wasteful move that people regret after doing so. I regret selling my old blog http://www.DesiNotes.com, anyways I invite you visit my new blog http://www.AzmiJahan.com. And by the way I’m from Atlanta too, I graduated from Georgia State University last December.
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There are better ways to get the word out. I concur, for instance a forum, or a full blown out website will get the message across. Of course, that’s no reason for you to shut down your blog.
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that was great you should not leave your blog
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