Friday 6 February 2009

Is there anybody out there? Talking into the wind

Blogging is great but I sometimes wonder - is anyone actually reading this stuff or finding it interesting? I know trying to get people to comment on your blog is a common affliction for bloggers, and that the web is smothered with lurkers.

Having a blog about OT means that my blog might not get as much traffic as others on say celebrity gossip but hopefully the posts get read by people who have a real interest the the things I blog about.

It almost feels like talking into the wind.................. That said talking into the wind can be quite cathartic and useful in itself. Worst care scenario it's a great tool for reflection and getting some thoughts down.

So I'm going to try a different tactic and propose this as a delurking post. Maybe thats a bit mad because if no-one comments I'm going to feel a bit silly but oh well sometimes you've just to put yourself out there. So go on lurkers (lets hope there are some) dip your toe in the blogging water and say hi!

20 comments:

  1. Heh heh thanks Cheryl! For some reason I hadn't found your blog so I'm now following you. Do you comment much on other blogs? I can be hard to keep up with what you have said where - I am now using backtype in an attempt to keep track!

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  2. delurking here and now!

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  3. Ha love it thanks! Have you settled back into normal life after your trip?

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  4. "Talking into the wind," can indeed be cathartic. However, it can also elicit some really bizarre comments from people trying to figure out what the heck you're talking about!

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  5. Hey there - this is a comment from an absolut beginner ;) I'm just starting to get into the whole blogging business.
    I'm a german OT and a tell you there is nothing going on with blogs etc. Germany is a step behind with web 2.0 etc -specially the OT's ;)
    At the moment I'm thinking of writing my diploma thesis about OT and the web 2.0..We will see what will happen.
    Greetings from Germany!

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  6. @Andrew - ha ha love it, got you to post though even if you ha no clue what I meant! Fancy submitting a post to the new OT carnival?

    @Lisa glad you are having a go, setting up your own blog is so easy - why not give it a go? Is your diploma for a masters level? What area do you practice in?

    Nice to "meet" you both!

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  7. I lurk as well! I'm the staff writer at AOTA, always checking in to see what's stewing in the OT blogosphere!

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  8. Hi Steph - thanks for the response. What do you think about comments on blogs - how can we get lurking OTs (and other interested parties) more involved in ot2.0?!

    Any thoughts on the carnival? I'm going on a publicity tour this evening to check in with a bunch of OT bloggers to try to get them to contribute.

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  9. Definitely keep me posted about the carnival! I'm the new editor of our e-newsletter the 1-Minute Update and I'm always looking for content for it.

    Getting lurkers to comment is the perennial question of blogging. :P In my experience, the blogs that generate the most comments are either a bit controversial (forces people with opposing viewpoints to step up and speak) or they ask people to tell personal anecdotes (people love to talk about themselves).

    I know how you feel though, I have a personal blog and unless someone comments (or mom calls) I feel like I'm typing to the wind.

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  10. The first ed is due March 9th so I look forward to your thoughts - thanks for checking in :-)

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  11. strange .. tried twice to post my comment and nothing happens....

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  12. I am working in the paediatrics field (is it correct to say it like that?). Next to my work I am doing a degree (it is called a diplom and it is between a BA and a Master level).You probably know that the education of OT is quite different in Germany compared to the rest of the world. ;)

    Actually I am thinking of starting a blog but I am not convinced of my writing skills (trying to write my seminar paper is giving me the

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  13. Think the last bit of that comment slipped off! Interesting to hear more about how different training is in Germany...
    You should go for it with the blog and share it with your co workers as an example! You can set one up in a few moments using blogger. There are plenty of really helpful bloggers out there to support you too!

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  14. Hey Cheryl!

    I just got your post at my OT blog! www.occupationaltherapist.com. I ALWAYS feel like I am blogging in the wind. I sometimes even forget to check my blog daily- especially when there is a "dry spell" and nobody responds. I think the carnival idea is interesting!
    Annie

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  15. Thanks for taking a look Annie - go on and submit a post! The idea of a carnival is to both provide a central point of info for people who want to have an overview of OT in the blogosphere and for OT bloggers to connect. It should also serve to increase traffic to all the blogs involved.

    It can be hard to know of anyone is out there - have you got a stat counter to know how many people are visiting your blog?

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  16. Just discovered your blog and I'm enjoying it. Many many more people will be reading than posting - that's the way of the blog.

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  17. Thanks Its always good to have stat counters/maps to see who is about how I found another blog which had a "delurking post" so thought I would steal the idea. Its led to some nice conversations and connections already. Thanks for taking a look!

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  18. Hello - what a great idea for finding out if there is anyone out there. Congratulations and well done.

    Helen

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  19. Ha ha I'm such a cheat! It's been good to connect with some new people though.

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