Friday, February 24, 2012

When Blogs End

I've learned we blog for different reasons.  For me, it's an essential opportunity for expression, which is I will never give up blogging.  It is too important to me.  Yet, for others, I've learned blogging can be much less significant -- which is why some blogs end. 

When a blog I follow ends, I grieve.  That window into another woman's life was a portal through which I learned about her and female culture in general.  Its closing shuts me out of that education and the personal connection I hoped to foster with the blogger herself.  I try to remain connected to people after they stop blogging (via e-mail, etc.) but with varying success.

Occasionally, a blog will end but after a few months, the blogger will return with a new one.  That's nice, especially if the new blog is obviously more fulfilling to the blogger than the previous one.  Sometimes people blog out of perceived obligation and it becomes joyless.  For them, pulling the plug is healthy and their later return with a re-focused blog is a smarter approach.

Have you ever considered ending your blog?  Wouldn't life be empty without one?

26 comments:

  1. First of all, WHEW. When I saw the title, I thought you were quitting blogging.

    I've probably had close to ten different blogs in the past eight or nine years. TEITM has been around for--in 3 mere months--2 years, and that's definitely a record for me. The combination of the type of media presented (pictures, text, fashiony stuff) is more inspiring to me then just text (which all of my old blogs were made up of), AND I'm older now (really, do you think a fickle teenager could keep the same blog for ten years?), so I think that's why TEITM has stuck around. After doing this type of thing for 2 years, I can't say I'll be quitting anytime soon. I'm too used to it now and would miss the outlet. There might be times (ok, a lot of times) when I don't post regularly, but that's a lot better than flat out giving up.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I hate it when blogs end. I feel like I lose a friend when that happens. Honestly, I'm not sure I will ever stop blogging. It has become such a strong part of my life.

    http://www.glamkittenslitterbox.com/
    Twitter: @GlamKitten88

    ReplyDelete
  3. its frustrating when blogs and and for a while last year i thought i had a curse--every blog i started following and really liked would end or go on hiatus and it was really frustrating. i think that even if i blog less frequently i wouldn't want to end mine, i love it too much and it's become too much a part of my life. i love yours, too! and i was also scared that you were gonna quit when i saw the title :P

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm definitely guilty of quitting blogs. I got too much crap about how unflattering my pictures were on my first blog, felt too limited by my second blog, and with my current one, I can't rebuild my readership and am getting frustrated. I try to be interesting, I return comments and try to reach out to new bloggers, and I promote my new posts on Twitter/Facebook. It seems that author bloggers don't 'get' the whole follow/comment back thing like fashion bloggers do. That's part of the problem, I guess. Also, I guess I'm just boring.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I consider myself fairly new to blogging and I'm enjoying it too much to stop. I hope to keep up with it and look through it years from now, and review the memories

    You look awesome by the way :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have toyed with idea of ending my blog a couple of times, but in the ned I realize that it makes me happy and I'm more apt to actually get dressed when I'm blogging. For me the hardest part is visiting and commenting on other blogs. The main reason I sometimes think about quitting is that I feel guilty about not being able to comment or visit as often as I would like and then I feel like it's unfair to expect others to visit me if I can't visit them.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hello, I became a reader of your blog, I hope that u'll do it too;)
    Also i have a video blog (VLOG) and write posts about fashion, and so on. (my video blog is in russian)
    I will be glad to see you in my MUSE galaxy)

    with love, Polina
    www.polinamuse.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love the blogging world and don't think I will stop blogging any time soon ... my blog is really my on-line journal as I have never been able to keep one going in written form. It is also a good way of keeping everyone who is interested updated on what I am up to.

    ReplyDelete
  9. When blogs close, I'm always so sad. Especially when people say nothing about it and I wonder where they went and the blog is just gone.

    I thought about closing my blog a lot. For the first two full years I struggled to "get in" and meet people. I am very bad at online friendships because I don't use a lot of media (I use a lot more than I used to). But I've made stronger friendships in the past year that my blog is the major way of communication with many people. I also feel like I'm hitting my stride in terms of my personal style. I've also streamlined the photo process so it's much less of a to-do getting it done.

    I don't think I'd ever close my blog, I'd be more likely to change focus. My blog is Megan Mae Daily. It's me everyday. Right now it's about fashion with occasional life bits thrown in, but it would be just as easy to shift the focus of my blog. I probably would not remake a new one.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oof... I think I've started & stopped a blog about 20 different times. But I finally landed on something I think will stick for a while. It took me a while to figure out that 'lifestyle' blogging is a thing. And I like that it basically lets me write about whatever I feel like. I know I post a lot of 'style' things but in my head I have the freedom to write about ANYTHING. Which is why I didn't quit 2 weeks in like every other time. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. it's always sad when one of your fav bloggers ends
    i haven't ever thought of quitting, just taking time away for a few days.
    i might not ever get up and get dressed if i didn't blog lol
    brett

    ReplyDelete
  12. I think about it a lot. Especially when I'm uninspired. But then I get inspired again. I guess I'll stop when it stops making me happy.

    I'm happy that you are committed since yours is one of my all time faves!

    xo,
    Tracy

    ReplyDelete
  13. I am also glad you're not quitting, Ally! You gave me a scare this morning!

    I haven't ever considered stopping my blog - I love doing it, I love looking back at my outfits, I love the interaction with readers.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh thank goodness your blog isn't ending! It is such a uniquely personal blog - and so thoughtfully written I would truly miss it...

    I haven't thought of ending my blog but I did slow down a bit. I started to blog as I was loosing my father to cancer. It was a way to distract myself but instead it ended up making me realize how grateful I am for everything in my life. It is a way to reach out, to feel like I am making a contribution... I will never end it.

    I slowed down with the entries because I fell in love last year. Six months after I lost my father another amazing man entered my life. If I hadn't been in a grateful, bountiful place (which I was mostly thanks to my blog) I don't believe I would have been ready to accept love - or for him to even be attracted to me... So in love am I that I sometimes find the focus shifting. But I constantly strive to find balance and blog.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I know I have taken a couple of fairly long breaks (one for a month and another for three months), usually because of some demand on my time in my personal life. Both times I have come back reinvigorated. Like you, I have grown attached to a number of bloggers, enough to know what is going in in their personal lives. There are a couple that I actively worry about.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I guess I differ. I think my blog serves a purpose for me and when it no longer meets my needs I will end it. Just like any hobby or task. Maybe I feel less obligated because I only have a couple of commenters?

    ReplyDelete
  17. OMG, you just about gave me a heart attack! I thought you were ending your blog. :( Whew! Disaster adverted.

    I haven't thought about ending my blog, but I really needed that break last year to refocus on what I want out of blogging. Some of my favorite blogs have ended because the blogger got burned out. It's sad, and I don't want that to happen to me.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Guilty as charged... I miss my blog. But it started out as fun place where I could dress up and make jewellery and share all that and just be light-hearted and happy. My life changed a lot suddenly and none of the above is really happening. I haven't shopped clothes for a year - I don't feel qualified to give fashion advice anymore! But I miss the nice comments and people.

    ReplyDelete
  19. This is an interesting question. My blog is not a top priority for me. My family comes first and then my job. My blog is a lot further down on my list. There are days when I get tired of blogging and don't see the point of it. Other days I enjoy the little bit of social interaction. What keeps me going is when I find a blog that I like and that I find inspiring. I figure that maybe somewhere out there I am inspiring someone.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I don't have a blog. I wouldn't know what to say. I'm not into fashion, but I love clothes. My life isn't very interesting. I don't do much but go to work, come home, play video games, sleep, repeat. All of my friends live quite far away now so I don't do anything with them, and I haven't found any talents that I have. A blog about me would just be me complaining about life, and no one wants to hear "poor me" all the time. So I just spend time reading other peoples blogs and being on facebook :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. That title scared me for a second too. I've never seriously considered ending my blog, although I've had several times of cutting back on how much I blog, including somewhat now. Sometimes I just don't have the time and energy to write posts. I would be really sad to lose the blogging community, and without a place to voice my thoughts at least somewhat regularly, it would get pretty lonely.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I don't know when I would end it ... but if I it it would be gradually. I will reduce the number or posts and then disappear one day! :P

    ♡ from © tanvii.com

    ReplyDelete
  23. You naughty thing, you scared me too!

    I hate it when they end too. I think, though, if someone feels that's the right choice, they should at least leave the old one up and available for viewing. What I hate the most is when I want to go back and find something and the whole thing is gone except for their last goodbye post.

    After J was born, honestly, I didn't know if I'd ever have time to blog again or even care about it because she was so all-consuming and amazing and wonderful. And exhausting!! :) And she is still all of those things. But I started to miss it and had to get back into it. It has become my me time, and I'm trying to learn not to feel guilty about that. I still believe there is a big purpose to it and hope to start a movement somehow.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Sometimes I ask myself if I will stop blogging. I am usually very persistent and disciplined so I am guessing that the answer is not for a while.
    I am laughing a little because I read other commenters say they thought you were leaving the Blogosphere - I never doubted for a moment; i know you are here to stay !

    ReplyDelete
  25. I can't imagine my life without it now. I will post about having a a hiatus if I need one but I just can't see myself not blogging. I can honestly say I hope and I think I will never stop blogging

    ReplyDelete