Jan 7, 2016

The Death of Blogs

While mine has visibly drooped due to lack of attention, (blogs and houseplants- beware of my watering abilities),  I feel like blogging in general has taken a hit.  Many of the blogs I so adored several years ago have shut down.  Others have become virtual Nordstrom catalogs.  I don't like product placement on screen, nor do I appreciate it in blogs.

Instagram hasn't helped either.  Our attention spans have shortened, and posting a cute picture of our activities is far easier than sitting down and typing blog post.  And honestly, I get more feedback on the Insta stuff, so I have that gratification.  Immediately.  I'm just a big old Pavlovian dog over here, folks.

So, I'm lazy, and sometimes overwhelmed by taking pictures of my meal then posting the recipes.  Typing out recipes takes a while (see yesterday's cut and paste). Sometimes I just want to sit down and eat in the five seconds my children will remain seated at the dinner table.  Sometimes the thought of opening my computer for reasons other than work is just daunting.

However, a loose resolution this year is to blog regularly again.  Not for head pats, but for the discipline of writing.  Even though it's nonsense the majority of the time, I am compelled to write.  My attitude is far better when I de-clutter my mind a bit.  Ha, that makes this blog the recipient of said clutter.  Explains a lot.

What do you think the drop in blogging is due to?  Oversaturation? Reward Style? Instagram?

Or lack of interest. . . .resolutions to the rescue!


22 comments:

  1. Yours is seriously one of the last "real" blogs (not right word you but you know what I mean) that I have left to read. I enjoy it so much and look forward to benefiting from your resolution! Instagram is part of it but really it seems like the desire/need to make money off of blogs has taken over since many "popular" bloggers transition it to their full time job. I understand but pretty much as soon as I see a post is sponsored I stop reading... Need more relatable bloggers!! Maybe a future blog post could be some of your remaining favorites ;)

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  2. I struggled with Some 'Readers' trying to invade my privacy - I tried to keep certainly people in my life anonymous or off the blog altogether, my own name included (I work in online media... don't need the crossover!) I miss it very much, but only the fun parts - the hate and people trying to "gotcha" me all the time was yes pretty terrifying and also totally not worth the fun parts.

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  3. I think it's a lot of factors. There was an over-saturation issue for sure, everyone and their sister had a blog. Then RStyle came on the scene and it just became obnoxious. I love the style of your blog, good recipes and cute kids, and miss all of those that used to exist back in the day. Keep it up, I need some interesting stuff in my feed!

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  4. While I do think Insta/RStyle/etc has had an impact, I really think that we are all just plain BUSY. Blogging was a hobby for most of us in our early/mid twenties, and now we're chasing (multiple) kiddos, keeping up homes, wife-ing it up, and still trying to keep some semblance of self. Aside from the (very) few who have kept up an "old-school" blog, the only ones still around are the blogs that are generating a decent amount of income for the writers.

    I've been feeling so convicted about the demise of my own blog. Seeing mamas my age pass away and leave behind kiddos makes me want to document EVERYTHING for my own daughters, God forbid something happen to me. Here's to best intentions in 2016!

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  5. i can totally relate to this... i think a lot of people are really trying to make a career out of blogging, which turns people off = myself included. i am all for one sharing good finds, great sales, and such, but it's overkill and it turns me off so i try to make that just a component of the content i post.
    i agree about the busyness of people's lives that have caused bloggers to turn it down a notch... i get far less comments and it's hard to want to crank it out when you feel like no one is listening.
    on the other hand, i am scared to open up due to sites like GOMI which seek to completely tear people down and make assumptions about your life based solely on what you post online. i think i've tried to protect my family from this, but i can't lie, people's hurtful comments go deep.

    anyways, food for thought... i love you no matter what!

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    1. Natasha - I love your blog. Have been a long time reader, although I don't comment much. I'm sorry. I know that the GOMI must hurt. But I've always loved your style, your happy outlook on life, and I'm a mom of two young girls as well so I love seeing what you're all getting up to! Samma, I hope you don't mind the shout-out to Natasha on your blog:)

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  6. I started a blog in 2010 and carried on with it for about 2 years, but I felt so narcissistic posting about what I purchased and then felt overly protective about my family so I shut it down. Silly me, I could have made an empire out of affiliate links and forced sponsored posts on items I "like" in theory, but have never used. In my opinion, a Sponsored Post should not include the word "I" anywhere unless you have actually tried the product and are giving a review. If you haven't tried it then the post is an Advertisement and should only recap the product's services with no personal opinion included. Sorry for the rant. Your blog is always a joy to read for its commitment to authenticity! Thank you :)

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  7. Instagram killed mine. It is so much easier to post a photo than to write an entire blog post. Plus my Mac gives me the rainbow wheel of death every time I try to upload to Wordpress. So glad you aren't giving up on your blog. I made the same resolution but you are actually following through!

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  8. Instagram killed mine. It is so much easier to post a photo than to write an entire blog post. Plus my Mac gives me the rainbow wheel of death every time I try to upload to Wordpress. So glad you aren't giving up on your blog. I made the same resolution but you are actually following through!

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  9. Pleas don't leave, I enjoy your blogs very much.

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  10. Nailed it! I feel like I used to have interesting content, but lately (okay-since SS was born) I feel I have just become boring. I am not doing as many DIY's in real life and the recipes that I am making are usually from Pinterest! I do enjoy documenting what's happening in our life, so I hope to keep it up, but I am with you, a lot of my must reads are no longer around! I am glad you are hanging around. I adore your recipes and your writing style.

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  11. Hey Samma :) I love, love, love your blog. You are real!!!!! I read quite a few blogs and I am so sick of the ones that have basically turned into an infomercial. I think you are funny, super smart, creative and a great cook. Your kids are precious. Buddy is adorable. I am a huge dog lover and love that you are too. Other blogs I think keep it real are Big Mama, Boo Mama, Paige Knudsen at Simple thoughts. Oh and Mel Larson at the Larson Lingo. Yes she does rstyle links (as does Big Mama) but they're not everyday and she has great content. So please keep blogging and I'll keep reading and following you on IG (I'm catsam80 on there) from Queensland, Australia.

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  12. Pretty much everything mentioned above. IG and Snapchat are fun and easy with tons of instant gratification. An overabundance of RStyle posts make me want to hurl. And, while I generally have a pretty tough skin, mentions (even positive ones) on GOMI make my stomach nervous.

    Personally, with kids in the mix now, I also find it's hard to strike the balance between authenticity and overshare. I think it's pretty easy for a "mommy blog" to become exploitive.

    But I plan to continue plugging away as I enjoy the process. And I'm so happy to hear you are as well!

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    1. *exploitative. Blerg, hate it when there's a glaring typo in my comments!

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  13. Ohhhh Samma, you've hit the nail on the head (as have many of the commenters above)! This is one of my favorite topics to talk about with girlfriends -- especially fellow bloggers. I'll add yet another idea into the mix ... I think the technological advances have also hurt the commenting process which makes blogs feel less like a connected conversation between friends. For example, when I started reading blogs, I was just clicking on bookmarked links on my desktop browser. I almost ALWAYS left comments. Nowadays, I'm most likely reading on my Bloglovin' reader app on my iPhone or iPad, sometimes in the checkout line or in a doc's waiting room. Commenting is a lot tougher that way. So, I'm reading blogs, but the blogger doesn't even know I perhaps exist. And like Katie mentioned above, I'm DIY-ing less. Like Kate mentioned above, having children calls for a fine balance with the propensity to overshare. I have chosen to use affiliate links but really try to keep them light in quantity and genuine ... the small amount I do bring home monthly from them is helpful as a now stay-at-home mom, and I also think - if I'm essentially advertising for these brands, and it doesn't cost the end user anything extra, hell yes I think that it'd be sweet to get a small kick-back from the brand!

    Not too long ago, I started (out of curiosity) a list of blog topics that I saw that I immediately marked as "read" and which ones I clicked on and was excited to read. I've been wanting to share that list with readers and get their input too. Such a fun subject to discuss! Oh and BTW ... your blog is always one that I am excited to read. :)

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    1. Yes yes yes to the technology point! I'm always on Feedly these days, and usually on my phone.

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    2. Aliz I read your blog and you don't have tons to those links. I get annoyed at ones where that is alllll they have now.

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  14. Frequent reader but infrequent commenter here! Just wanted to let you know that I appreciate your blog and your ability to keep it real. It is frustrating to read blogs I used to like, but now are basically ad after ad, especially when the "ads" are things the blogger doesn't even use. (I don't mind rstyle for people who were fashion bloggers to begin with as long as the content itself seems the same, it's when the content changes that I drop my regular reading). I'm sure it has to be hard to say no to what seems like easy money, but most of us out here have no desire to read more advertising than we get in a normal day anyway. Long story short--thanks for providing an "old school" blog for those of us that like that sort of thing! Looking forward to reading more in 2016!!!

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  15. I love your blog! Hope you keep on with even great frequency :)

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  16. I miss all the blogs too and I get annoyed that some only one me to buy their rstyle stuff😢

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  17. Samma- I've been reading your and April's blogs since I knew what blogs were and I always enjoy reading what is going on in your lives! The pictures of the precious children, the recipes and your writing style keep me coming back. I have stopped reading blogs that send me to "RStyle" every time I click on something. Furthermore, I feel that these blogs have taken away creativity. Everyone dresses the same; has the same blanket scarf, skinny jeans and riding boots. Zzzzz...boring! You, my friend, keep it real and that is what it is all about! THANK YOU! p.s. Making your famous sausage cups for a party next weekend!

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  18. Samma - I have been a long-time reader here too! I think that it's a little of everything you have mentioned. I think that we are so slammed with electronic information all the time, that it's easy to just click away to the next thing without leaving a comment. I have never had a blog, but I've seen many blogs that I enjoyed reading years ago shut down or become devoid of content and simply become sponsored post after sponsored post, and I'm not interested in any of that. I love your voice. I love the home tours. I love the mix of down to earth / glam you project. I will try to comment more regularly!

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