What Would Make Me Quit Blogging?
Kind of a depressing subject, but related to my earlier post about nearly quitting this blog (which got a surprising amount of attention), I thought I’d consider: what at this point, would make me quit blogging completely? Take the whole site down? Turn away from the blogosphere in shame? Possibly less than you may think.
1. Interference with my day job.
I read this post: 5 Reasons Blogging Leads to the Unemployment Line by engtech and got sad, because it’s totally spot on. A lot of blogs get bloggers into hot water at their day jobs.
From this blog’s beginnings, I’ve not identified my primary employer nor blogged about work. I’ve even avoided blogging about the nature of my job in order to avoid any conflict of interest. But none of this may be enough. And I’d have to admit, if the choice came down to a job or this blog, I’d have to quit blogging. Because this blog doesn’t pay the bills and I don’t want to blog for a living.
2. My wife tells me this blog is taking up too much time.
Again, another really depressing post from Casey Serin, who bought several houses, lost them, and is now over a million bucks in debt, where his wife lays it on the line (rightfully so). Now I’m not that obsessed with this blog to start investing in it as a business and eating ramen as a result, but I do at times question the time commitment. The truth is, if someone I love dearly told me this blog was proving too much of a distraction, I’d have to quit blogging.
Update: Casey Serin’s wife wants him to shut the blog down.
3. Legal trouble.
If someone decided to sue me or this blog, I’d have to quit blogging. I have never had the experience of legal problems and don’t want to start with this blog.
4. Pissed off, angry readers.
I’m in a happy place where I get hardly any irate comments — probably because I don’t stick my neck out that far — but still have paranoid thoughts that any day now, the axe will fall. A full on flame war with death threats and distasteful insults directed at me or anybody associated with this blog would likely cause me to quit blogging. If this blog causes more controversy and harm than good, it’s just not worth it, as this blogger decided.
5. Real life is more important, or a life change.
The main reason why I’ve been able to blog so much is because relatively speaking, my real life doesn’t have all that much going on. But we’re looking at several fairly major life changes in the next year or two, and any number of life events: illness, job loss, cat with fleas, medical emergency, or simply starting a hobby involving the outdoors could conceivably sink this blog. The sun’s coming out; it’s summer time — uh oh.
6. The well runs dry.
Recently Gilmore Girls, one of the shows I write about, announced their last season, and rumors of Battlestar Galactica ending, point out that the very subject of a blog could vanish, leaving me without anything to write about. What if Web 2.0 goes bust?
7. It’s just not fun anymore.
Hard to imagine, but maybe there will be a day when I don’t find writing about technology, movies, and music fun anymore.
Oh well, I think I’m going to stop writing this post about quitting blogging. It’s so depressing that I think I should call it quits. On the post, that is.
Hmm… Interesting. I have a compulsion to write, so if it’s not in my blog, it’s going to be somewhere… I would never quit writing intentionally. I have deleted old blogs for various reasons but I always start a new one. Always.
That’s definitely something different, there. I think I would turn to an outlet other than writing to get the creative juices going.
[…] course, this raises the general subject of what would make you shut down your blog. I think we all have our limits whether we realize it or […]
It sounds as though you are a person who has their priorities in order. The points you make are well taken. I think most of the points are within your control, the exceptions being No. 3, “legal trouble,” and No. 5, “something unexpected happens in your life.”
I think as long as you don’t blog about work, you’re okay with No. 1. As far as No. 2, blogging can take up a great deal of one’s time. You have to be the one to limit it. An all out flame war, No. 4, is always a possibility, but again, you can control it by refusing to publish/answer comments. Don’t think No. 6, “no material,” will happen. The last reason, “no fun anymore,” well, you could always shift topics to whatever subject you considered fun at the moment.
Very well-written post. I enjoyed reading it.
Yeah it’s tricky. I have read some posts on other blogs that seem almost too personal so I have some lines drawn in the sand. But so far so good, and I have to say thoughtful comments like yours are really my #1 reason for continuing to blog.
Thanks for visiting and commenting.
Thanks for the compliment.
The legal aspect of blogging is scary indeed. But the odds aren’t there, if you don’t provoke, and negate spam.
Also, you are wise to not blog on your job. While it may be tempting, it can be a samuri experience.
Regarding too much time on the Net– yes, it’s a real problem for any blogger. The Net is rather addicting– so much info and a chance to interact with intelligent people. The problem is, some aren’t so intelligent!
Put out your message and defend it accordingly. I think you’re doing a good job with that.
I would love to add here : People quit blogging because they blog for money not for soul.
People that are tend to quit normally they blogged for about 3 months and decided to quit as the traffic not that bombastic.