In the beginning, there were blogs, and they were good. Mostly.
Then came social media, which allowed everyone a blog, per se, and a common area to view everyone else’s ‘blogs’. In fact, most social media websites are just that – microblogging with better readership by the platform, through the platform, and for the platform.
Blogs had followers, or readers – as we have here on WordPress.com, which seems to have a confused identity in trying to be a site like Facebook or Twitter while not being Facebook or Twitter. Can I say Twitter still? Will this make Elon Musk angry? More importantly, do I care? Yes, dunno, no.
In travels, I have met people from all over the world. We shared parts of our lives, and these were generally good in some way. We’ve all moved on, as we should have, from the times when we were connected. This is the point I wanted to riff on with what Renard was blogging about.
More and more often I find myself telling others, even writing it, that although people may be going in the same direction, they may have a different destination. In the age of social media, followers will come and go. If you’re writing focally, people may grow beyond the interest. If you write personally, something you may be going through may riff with what’s going on in someone else’s life.
We all move on, or should. It’s healthy.
When people like every post I make, it’s nice for a while but then it gets a little worrisome. Maybe it tells me they’re not actually reading but just going through an engagement checklist someone wrote in “Blogging for Dummies”. It’s highly unlikely someone would like all those posts and not have anything to write as a comment.
Just remember, people do move on. It’s when they’re reading what you wrote that matters. They don’t have to come over for dinner, and they don’t have to have a blood oath. If they got what they enjoyed, wanted or needed (hopefully all 3), you’ve done something of worth.