Are you a follower or leader?
I've noticed recently that a few blogs have added a widget that shows the number of "followers" the blog has.
When did blogging become a popularity contest?
Is a blog with a lot of followers better or more important than a blog with none?
To find an answer to this question I turned to that well known sage of social media Mr Bob Dylan.
His classic recording Subterranean Homesick Blues gave me the answer:
"Don't follow leaders, watch the parking meters."
posted by Stan Lee at 12:21 am
3 Comments:
You know this is a HUGE issue for me. It happened without me noticing...like a drug addiction I suppose. All of a sudden ALL I CARED about was getting MORE and MORE readers. I jonesed for comments...I checked my Sitemeter over and over and over in an hour. I all but begged my readers to subscribe-just so i could see that number increase.
And now? I am recovering. I am trying to take it one post at a time and focus on what really matters. GOOD WRITING. Even if only 2 people read. It will still be GOOD WRITING.
I may need blogger re-hab.
Good question!
I suppose it is common to our humanity to look for someone to follow.
Isn't the same true of blogging?
Of course the liability is that leaders don't always know where they are going.
Your post reminded me of one of my favorite cartoons; two antelope standing on the edge of a cliff with a herd behind them. One says to the other, "I don't want to be leader any more."
Keep creating,
Mike
Followers or stalkers?
You know we love to make things into competitions. It's why promotions work so well ;)
But we also love the aura that comes with standing in the long tailed shadow of the Great.
Seriously though, I think that is just a new plug-in for Blogger. Many people simply activate "new stuff" without consideration for what it means (either for their blog, their readers or their "personal brand").
And speaking of "followers" we should talk "twitter" one of these days.
Post a Comment
<< Home