Friday, January 03, 2014

An Audience of One

It seems no matter what I do I can't seem to get this blog's readership up into the double digits. Which says to me that the number of people in the world who are interested in the same things as me is less than ten. It is now routine for me to go for many dozens of posts without receiving a single comment, a sure sign that almost all the hits on my site meter are from bots. At this point I have concluded there is nothing I can actually do to change this. In the course of nearly a decade, less than two dozen real people have ever read anything I have written here. I am quite sure it is the least read blog to have survived over nine years of regular posting. Most people would have switched back over to a private journal or to e-mailing family and friends. I don't because I would lose a private journal and having this thing in cyberspace lets me find it easily for my own reference. On the other hand my almost non-existent audience means I am really writing for an audience of one person, myself.

7 comments:

Nina said...

I read your posts even if I don't comment much. Keep it up

Leo Tolstoy said...

I think Wordpress has displaced Blogger to some degree, too. It's pretty hard to search for blogs on Blogger. The question is how to get people's attention. I've found Twitter works pretty good. Maybe you should start a Twitter account and advertise your blog posts there. I know you'd get more people looking at it after you get a couple hundred followers on Twitter.

Unknown said...

I would question your measuring system. I tried in the past to post and reply. If I get through this time will surprise me. Your visibility and influence is bigger than you think.
Your research and experiences on the Soviet times are helpful.

Anonymous said...

I very recently started reading your blog via Bardiac. I find that I am much more sporadic about blogs since failing to choose something to replace Google Reader. However, I'm interested and I'm reading!

Anonymous said...

People tend to comment a lot more when they disagree. You simply need to stop being so right about stuff. :-)

I, for instance, posted this comment precisely because I disagree with the statement that nobody reads this blog.

J. Otto Pohl said...

Clarissa as I mentioned on your blog almost every single tenured professor in the US disagrees with my claim that there was a racial component to the national deportations in the USSR 1937-1944. Yet, I don't get any comments from people coming here claiming there was no racial discrimination what so ever involved in the deportation of the Kalmyks because natsional'nost is not race. Which is what their entire argument boils down to. I suppose I could blog more on Palestine, but that never got me any comments either.

Unknown said...

I find your blog interesting.

I happened upon it by accident and lose it every time I replace my computer (computer used until they die so lots of links get lost).

Your posts are interesting and give a view of part of Africa few talk about.

Your honest perspective on racism in the USSR is refreshing.

You may be writing for one, but as that one is me :o) please keep on blogging.

Chris'