Friday, December 28, 2012

Post-Holiday Doldrums

Well, Thanksgiving, Christmas, as well as some other lesser celebrated holidays have come and gone, and I have noticed a sense of weariness among people. Everyone seems to be just going through the motions, senses slightly dulled, tired, but there's a lingering hostility under the surface too. It's as tough people are just frustrated with life anymore, but too tired or content to do anything about it.


I have noticed that blog readership is down dramatically (and two other bloggers have also told me that they have seen the same happen to their blogs). It seems as though people are tired of discussions,except for about guns, that is, it seems like that's the one release valve where everyone is venting their frustrations at the world, I had a discussion yesterday on guns that went over 300 comments, and went on long after I went offline yesterday afternoon, lasting all night long.

It seems like that one issue is all that people have the energy to get all worked up about anymore. Everyone just seems worn out and tense. I wonder if this will change in the coming weeks.

The new year is arriving, and I hope that given some time to recover, people will start getting back to normal,  until then, I'm really not in a kind of mood to post often on the blog (since so few people are reading right now). Once life starts returning to normal (hopefully in a week or two), I'll start thinking about what I can do with the blog, if there's anything I do to change it up a little. I'll also get back to writing guest posts, I've been in talks with Andrew Hall of Laughing In Purgatory to swap guest posts back and forth between our blogs on a regular basis, maybe twice guest posts a month each. The last time he wrote a guest post for the blog was a big hit, and I got a favorable reception when I was a guest poster  over on Purgatory. This should be a great idea for both blogs, and it would boost readership for both.

Right now, I'm rather shocked at how fast the blog numbers have went down, I reached a high of over 1,800 people a week at one point, and now it's down to under 700. Right now, I won't do much to bring that back up, because it seems like people still haven't gotten back into their normal routines yet, but I'll try to come back with a vengeance this January, and start promoting the blog more. Until then, I'm not much in a mood to put much time and energy into posts that people won't read.

If you wish, you can start writing guest posts for this blog, for them to be published later, I happily take submissions, and despite all my begging for guest posts, I haven't gotten very many in the past from you, the readers (I have had some great guests before, mostly from fellow bloggers). Read this post first before submitting, I think I may make that post my new official guest post policy, it lays out my guidelines, and what I am looking for in a guest post.

I would be happy to post any submissions in the upcoming weeks, it would give some great variety to the blog.




9 comments:

  1. I wouldn't worry too much about fluctuations in traffic this time of year. Lots of people are traveling or spending time with family who wouldn't understand their love of atheist blogs. It will pick back up. It always does.

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    1. It did scare me at first, but then I was asking some other bloggers about their traffic patterns, and they said it's happening to them, it's a normal pattern for this time of year.

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    2. Exactly what vjack said, Sheldon. I noticed a downturn in my numbers too. Actually, I'm on vacation myself so even I didn't have any time to post and it's likely I'll miss a few more days as well.

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    3. I'll get a post in today if I can.

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  2. I second Vjack. People are busy with the holidays right now, so they probably have less time for reading blogs. Your numbers should return to normal after New Years.

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  3. I 'third' both comments before, Sheldon. Nothing to worry about. I've learn through the years that life stops at this time. Lay back and take a little holiday yourself too. :D

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  4. I keep up posting regularly even during the slow times because funny is a muscle and it you don't use it you lose it.

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  5. Well, Andrew, I don't have a talent for humor, so that's nothing I have to worry about ;)

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