I was quite taken with the article on blogging that a reblogged earlier today because it contained a truth. It was a truth that was much deeper than it first appeared. The blog was humorous and yet it revealed a basic inescapable fact:- most people do not like to be made to think; they do not like depth; they like trivia.
I had been blogging for nearly a year when I read a post from a fellow blogger. He was a young lad, still living at home, who was thanking his followers. He had been blogging for a year and had amassed 50,000 followers. Now, as I had been blogging for nearly as long and had gained 547 people who found my writing of some remote interest, I thought I’d have a look at what this guy was doing that was making him so incredibly successful. His blog was unceasing trivia. It was just as described in that earlier post I reblogged – his blog was about what he was wearing, what he’d eaten, where he was hanging out, what he was watching on TV, what music he was listening to. It wasn’t as if he was doing anything, or any of it was interesting. It was ordinary and mundane. Yet 50,000 people found it essential viewing.
I went back and looked at my ranting, raving, social comment, ecological despair, diatribes, and general pieces of Rock commentary, poetry, my books, photos and religious antitheism and could see exactly why I only had 547 people who were interested. I was probably pissing off anyone who was interested in one aspect with what I was writing about with the others.
No matter.
I was told that if you want to keep your followers you don’t do politics and religion.
Well who cares?
I couldn’t do it any other way. What you get is the unadulterated honesty of Opher.
Why else would anybody want to blog?
This blog is a sharing of the mind. This is who I am. I’m not interested in trivia. There’s no time to do trivia (incidentally I had porridge for breakfast!)!
My 547 followers have become 4765. That seems a lot. Though I know most of that 4765 don’t really give a hoot, I’m not sure that matters. Even if I’m only talking to a few people out there. Thanks for sharing with me. I value our time. I love hearing from you and the ‘likes’ give me encouragement. We may be a small band but we share things on a different level.
Thank you – both of you!
You speak the truth, it is how you feel and that is far more important than someone say what they wore or what they watched on tv, I certainly would not read something like that. Your Blogs are fascinating, honest, pulls one in makes one want more. I have not been blogging for long and do not have many followers, probably because I only speak the truth, that is how I am so take me or leave me. Please keep going Opher I have only recently been following you but I so look forward to reading all you have to say on all subjects, more of your honesty Opher.
Thanks Anna – you give me energy.
!
?!
👍
Aaaah!!!
Interesting comment stream 🙂
Yes. It is so nice to hear from people. Working in a vacuum is not good.
Lordy, Opher! You are such a hoot. Sometimes you post so often I can’t keep up! But you are never anything less than fascinating. {{{Opher}}}
Fascinating is good. Thanks Cheryl
Well maybe there’s more than just the two of us! You’ve done well. I don’t think I want so many followers. It must become more impersonal and trivial then. But wish there were more out there to follow your ideas and not what you had for breakfast. Moosli for me and I did a post on it!
Eating well keeps the mind alert! But I am well aware that the vast majority of my ‘followers’ are not really followers. They are numbers. I’m not sure if they read my stuff at all. There’s probably five of us!
I’m sure a few more!
We’ll see.
Putting my hand up – did you count me in, Opher?
I always count you Raili.
Not a fan of trivia, unless it’s really fascinating trivia, like maybe something scientific. I like depth. Like Calensariel, I can’t keep up with the many posts you publish, but the ones I do read are great!
I’ll have to slow down. Can’t have you missing them. Thanks for the support.
Don’t be silly! I can always go back….or was that sarcastic? Obviously a lot of people keep up. You have quite a following!
It’s alright – my humour sometimes takes a bit of getting used to. They’re there – I’m not sure they’re all following though.
Reblogged this on Opher's World and commented:
I now appear to have 7895 followers – 1362 WordPress, 20 email, 5000 facebook and 1513 on twitter. Though I wouldn’t know it. Most of them are remarkably silent. Who are you?
(Big thank you to those who take the trouble to comment – you make it worthwhile!)
Yeah I mean why blog if you’re not writing about what you’re passionate about! Not everyone is going to agree with you but at least you’ll be writing about what you want to write about!
Exactly. Why bother if you are not passionate and true to yourself?
Yes! It’s not about how man followers you have it’s about getting your thoughts out there!
Well put Pooj. I think I annoy people, don’t I?
Add me to the group of two or five – or whatever it is, Opher. This is my first day following your blog and I’m enjoying it – and I think your humor is just fine. I realize that one day of following is setting no records, nor will it induce you to dance in the street, but I enjoy your deep thinking about subjects. Sometimes I struggle to keep up, but that’s good for me. I salute you, sir!
Thank you John. It’s nice to have you on board. I don’t know about deep thinking though. I just speak my mind – whatever comes into my thoughts.
Your blogs are not the usual- vet refreshing.
They are the usual for me.
You keep on doing you! That’s the only way to do it. I appreciate, also, that you don’t have 5 distracting GIFs in your blog post. 🙂
Cheers Pam – thanks for that. You are very encouraging.
Lol! You are funny. I daresay a good deal of those 50,000 followers are electronic ‘bots. I do not really know why ‘bots are put on a bloggers trail. But I have my theories. Because social media, Facebook in particular, are a data gathering system, I am sure that ‘bots are some part of that, designed to regulate activity… That being said, I also think people are obsessed with trivial things — maybe because the nature of the internet leads to wanting human connection, and trivia somehow provides that. (In a really dumb way!) I personally do not follow trivia blogs.
Cheers Christine. I think I might be turning into a bot!
Trivia is pointless isn’t it?
Well — yes. However, it seems to me that people are endlessly interested in the trivial life of ‘characters’. You know — famous for fifteen minutes. That has never been truer than now. One can be an internet celebrity and then everyone wants to know what they had for breakfast. (Kinda scary!)
I find this celebrity culture so shallow and boring. It’s like reality TV. I can’t be bothered.