Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Who's your audience?

Brian and I were talking last night and I found out he hasn't been reading my blog. I was a little insulted since I find the blogs of friends so engaging. And I think it's neat to learn stuff about people that they might not tell you about in person. (In his defense: he says it's silly to have to keep in touch with your wife through a blog, which is a good point)

It got me thinking about the fact that only certain people in my life even know about my blog. I'm just branching out and telling non-MFA/writers group people about it now. (Hi Sarah!)

So, I was hoping you would share with me who you share your blog with. Who in your "real" life have you told about it? Do they read it regularly? Best Blogger Tips

10 comments:

TI said...

What a great post and hits home. Just last night I was showing R my blog, which he has only been to *once*! I told him he would learn a lot about me if he read it regularly (he said he already knew quite enough, more than anyone could learn through a blog; I said well you haven't read my blog -- then he did and was very upset to hear that I never want to go on a 2 week bike trip again. Ha!). I have told a number of friends about it, but it seems that only my writer friends and a few people I've met on the internet read my blog. I have kept it quiet from all colleagues at my university and students. It is a little bit hurtful to tell people you care about and then they don't visit. I have one brother who reads regularly and even comments sometimes, and has a great website/blog of his own: http://www.khendron.com/ Last point: I feel a little protective of my blog and myself; I don't want anyone I know going there without my say-so. So I try to keep it kind of anonymous so that someone who stumbles into it wouldn't know it's me.

Anonymous said...

Great question. Other than you (*smile*), I have a few friends locally, a coworker, and a few long-distance friends who read but do not post. I'm told that I have a lot more readers than people who post. My husband reads it when I ask him to; otherwise, he has no interest.

I'm a little squeamish about letting coworkers and relatives read my blog. But ultimately, the blog is about poetry. If I consider myself a poet I should be up front about it, right? Not being forthcoming about blogging makes me feel as if I'm hiding something. So I’m a little conflicted about coming out of the blogosphere closet.

I even had business cards made up with my blog’s url for the Dodge Festival. I handed out a few but I have yet to give them to the people who know me.

Anonymous said...

My hubby doesn't read my blog regularly either. And he comments even less frequently. I agree it's silly for him to have to write to me, but I wish he would say something to reflect that he's been reading.

Anonymous said...

My husband reads my blog but doesn't comment, which is fine by me--I hear enough of his comments at home!

As for others, my writer friends (both local and internet-only) know about my blog, and I *think* my parents know about it, but don't understand what it is and don't read it. I haven't told my non-writer friends or my coworkers (although, interestingly, I have a coworker who aked me to co-author a blog with him. It's been slow to get off the ground).

Like January, I'm hesitant to come out of the blogosphere closet. For me, I think it's because my blog has yet to find an identity. Yes, it's about writing, but it's also about random stuff. In order for me to expose a wider audience to it, I feel that I'd need to have a level of consistency. I'm not there yet. I like to think of it as a testing ground for now.

Anonymous said...

I am circumspect about who I tell about my blog. Sometimes I go a little gungho about it and tell rellies (relatives) and friends, but that's only cos I'm pretty confident they aren't interested in reading it!! (Which suits me fine.)
Anyway, I have probably only told them through some sort of misguided notion of 'doing the right thing' and /or feeling guilty about the secretive nature of a blog.
I have a writer's website as well with regular posts or Updates (sometimes a repeat of what I've wrtten on my blog - or vice versa) and have put a link from the website to my blog - not the other way around. I needed it to be a controlled link.
I am conflicted - sometimes I want tmy blog to be an 'open book' - other times I want to guard it from the scrutiny of friends and relatives.
My sister reads and comments and I think my husband occassionally pops in to read.
Great question! Thanks.

GoGo said...

I just wrote 8 paragraphs in this comment, then laughed and deleted it. I've had a bad incident this last year of telling someone about my blog who would treat me like
SH!T when I talked about my blog, but read it all the time. A thousand times she had the opportunity to tell me she read it, but not until I began writing about dating did she speak up more afraid I'd out her then anything else. But then, that was our friendship...all about her. Yeah, I need to let go.

Anyway, the short answer should be - I agree with Ti. I am protective of my blog. Though I have some very supportive friends, overall I'll leave my audience to the random blogger and accidental find. I try not to control who reads b/c I don't want that kind of control over someone, but I no longer share the experience. I think public view is public...but I stay away from friends knowing about it.

I live a private life in public these days...and apparently still need to process out the voyuer on the page.

Thanks for the question.

Repeater said...

I too have told friends who have never read it, so now I rarely share because it does suck when they don't care. And I can't tell my family I have a blog because of certain things I've written about. My husband reads it occasionally and is usually hurt that I don't mention him more, though he loves that I'm blogging. So, I guess I mostly do it for the discipline and the community (ie, you all). It's sparked at lot of ideas.

Anonymous said...

I found this comment thread to be fascinating because so many of us have the same feelings, or at least so many of what others have said resonates really strongly with me. I was just thinking what bostonerin expressed: that my blog is supposed to be about writing but it's all over the place. I feel as if I need to get focused. And like January and others,I feel as if my blog is my "secret life" in a way. I think that the writer/artist in me is still young and fragile and still harbors a bit of 'who do you think you are?' doubts. But I feel very supported and encouraged by the other writers I've met in the blogosphere! Thank you !

Michelle said...

This is an interesting question. My family, except for one sister, doesn't know about my blog and that sister doesn't read my blog which I find kind of insulting but I'm not sure why. My boyfriend reads it sometimes which is good and bad. I want him to be curious but I feel like I have to be careful about what I say.

Writer Bug said...

Thanks everyone! This is a great discussion. I also struggle with feeling really hurt if someone doesn't read my blog after I share it with them, and with what Michelle said about wanting people to read it but then feeling the need to edit myself because of those eyes.