Tumbleweed Blog

~ beetleypete

It seems that one feature of the start of 2021 is a distinct lack of blogging activity from the 100+ bloggers that I follow.

Some of you appear to have posted nothing at all, others just entries in ‘challenges’, and those usually prolific bloggers seem to have cut down their output drastically too.

With bad weather outside, and an early dog-walk under my belt, I have had plenty of time today to peruse both the world of WordPress, and even spend more time on Twitter than I usually allocate.

But there is not much happening, and I can feel the proverbial tumbleweed drifting across blank screens and unused keyboards. I even got to the end of my Twitter feed, for only the second time in eight years!

I have made a fair contribution, as this will be my third post today. And I have written up part one of my new serial, if only to give myself something to read. That will appear tomorrow morning, for anyone interested.

If this carries on, I will be having a ‘Blogs Followed’ clearout, and following some new people this year.

In fact, let’s all do that, shall we? Follow someone new, in 2021.

76 thoughts on “Tumbleweed Blog”

  1. Since we went into lockdown last year I am struggling to get into a blogging rhythm. Some of that is a more demanding job, some of it is combining my entire life into one setting and some of it is lack of content because I used to do most of my TV watching while I was commuting. Hoping to do better this year than I did in 2020.

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    1. You still manage to post interesting stuff, Abbi. This was mainly aimed at those who haven’t blogged for almost a year, and nothing at all since Christmas.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  2. I’m following you. Maybe i would learn how to blog properly, from you. But to be honest, I just scribble about what makes me happy. If there will be followers, fine. Thanks to them. 🙂 I welcome new people to enrich my life. If none follows…well, at least I am happy with what I’m doing, just scribbling away. No room for depression. Thanks for giving me an idea…

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  3. I am a bit careful about adding new blogs now, Pete, because I already follow a lot of blogs. I am interested in a lot of things so I follow all sorts of different blogs. I like to interact with bloggers, so if a person never responds to my comments, then I may unfollow depending on how interesting their content is. I like chatty, conversation posts the best as I enjoy learning about other people and their lives.

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  4. I consistently add new bloggers and have plucked some off my list. I, myself, am still reeling from the events of last week finding it hard to think about much else. I will climb out of my slump. It is a bit more work than usual.

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    1. I only remove anyone from my follow list when they have not been posting for a year. It just seemed very quiet since New Year, but I appreciate there is a lot going on all over the world.
      Thanks, Maggie.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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      1. Yes, the few I have unfollowed just quit posting and there was not a strong bond there. I have one blogger I follow that has not posted for years, but I hope against all hope that she will return. Her blog was so beautiful.

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  5. As a newbie question, how often would you expect people to be posting? I’ve just started out, and only post weekly as it takes a week to polish the article up. It feels like there would be a trade off against quality if it was more often.

    Thanks,

    Will

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    1. Some people post weekly, others up to six times a day. Much depends on your subject matter, and the length of the post in words. People tend not to read posts above 1,500 words. Quality is always good, but many of the most popular bloggers only post photos, or ‘snippets’. It is hard to know what will capture readers, if that is your desire. It took me over four years before I could feel part of a real blogging community, and it is something you have to dedicate time to.
      Good luck, and best wishes. Pete.

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  6. I fear I shall be one of your clear outs and that’s as it should be – I would mention, however, on many blogs, there are side widgets that show categories to read, or a click to archives, etc., Long ago, I, too, would sometimes post 2-3 blogs a day – or at least once a day – or a fair number every month – – I quit doing that when some that I followed started sharing/doing challenges, etc., to where pretty soon, my feed scroll/read of 4-8 hours ended up only really helping me to ‘catch up with other’s and their works/doings/state of the world, in the amount of 3-4 folks when I followed 150 – thus, when I have time to read, comment and/or post – often I log in to work my way through the past 1-3 days of posts in the feed – and THEN I go check in through my ‘following’ tab, on my long time faves – – If nothing earth shattering reported, but they have been quiet for awhile? I work back through their archives….. 🙂
    Tumbleweeds show up in my backyard, here where I live, some years, but there is ALWAYS something to read online – 🙂

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    1. Thanks, TamrahJo. I only actually got rid of three blogs that hadn’t posted for over a year. Then I followed two others, so it dropped to one less. It has been a quiet time on the blogs since Christmas, but I can understand why that might be.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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      1. I’ve ‘written’ a crap load all this year – – haven’t published many of them – didn’t want to foment rebellion or be in delusional optimism, or be a Cassandra when folks need hope – – that said, maybe, maybe, I’ll get it all out of my system and find awy forward to right something that others might want to waste time reading, once more – – we shall see – – nowadays? I spend way more time emailing, texting and DM/commenting in order to reach out to others – to touch base, check in, and I do a lot more phone calls, too – – between that, reading, researching and work – well – housework and blogging have fallen behind – – – 😀

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        1. By the way – while testing another blogger recent launch that is experiencing issues with the follow notifications, etc., I cleared out follows that didn’t even SHOW a post over the last year – – sigh – I went from 103 follows down to 51 – just doing that – someday? I may have to add back in – but seriously? I need to post something more than my 2020 Christmas letter – – I’m just rather stymied now between, what I feel needs to be said and also, trying to keep hope up but not being delusional, or inciting anger and right now? so many stressed out folks in a tinder box overall – it may take months or summertime before I post once more – – we, me shall see – -:)

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          1. Folks who know me and I love to connect with don’t worry about me being alive when I go quiet – unless I’m not liking/commenting on their stuff, either – – then, they get a little concerned – but If I’m liking/commenting on their stuff, they forgive me my ‘um – not publishing just now’ ways – – :). I’m VERY Blessed here in this community!!!

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    1. This wasn’t directed at you, Jennie, far from it.
      Some of those I follow haven’t posted for over a year. I only unfollowed three when it came to it, and followed two others instead. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  10. I have found three new ones to follow, Pete. Over the years many have stop blogging altogether, a shame, there were so many good ones.
    Wow, three posts in one day – we are posting twice a month .. Hmm. Thanks for sticking up with us, Pete. 😉 Give Ollie a big pat from me. x

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  12. Good idea on looking at the responders to this post.

    I stepped in my office the other day. I knocked some tumbleweeds off the desk and thought of how dreary I had become in the last few months. 2020 was a real kicker. Then the hurricane, the move to the new place. Excitement of having a new town to blog about.

    Then the doldrums set in once again. All kinds of tests for the heart. Even though I try to shove it to the back of my mind, it still seems to drain me emotion wise. Three times the wife and I have been so weak and sick, that we got tested for the virus, with negative results. You’d think having a new place to live would perk one up. I’m going to try harder. I sure miss some of those that were around when I first found all of you.

    Stay safe, stay blogging. You never know when you might be a bright spot in someones otherwise dark day.

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  15. I need to have 2 days to write every week that are not constantly interrupted by notifications from social media sites. I’ve found that if I switch off my mobile phone and don’t log into any other sites on my computer other than my WIP, then I can get lots of writing done. It’s hopeless otherwise.

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  17. I reckon that 2020 drained us too much. And apart from Covid it was difficult to think of much to write about. For example, we didn’t travel. Couldn’t go out. Didn’t see family, etc. Maybe they’re taking a breath? 🙂

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  20. Don’t think any of ‘ my people’ (as they are known in Fraggle Towers) have stopped blogging, so all is well in my bloggysphere, and I would really miss them if they did, but I don’t have anywhere near the amount of followers that you have, so maybe that is why.

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  21. Its a very different New Ywar, and we’ve all entered this year with much expectations thats quickly dissipating as reality hits. Wishing all well, and hope all can return to their hobbies soon.

    I’m new to this and trying to post daily, I hope you enjoy reading from some newbies.

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  22. I stop following blogs when it’s apparent they’re through, usually after a few months of no posting. I also follow new bloggers when I discover them and their content interests me.

    I wonder if many are just worn out after passing through a rough year. The pandemic has been hard enough but politics even worse. Regardless, I enjoy blogging so will press on. 🙂

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  23. I’m still here and blogging, Pete. I aim to do two posts a week and sometimes slide in an extra one. I’ll never be a once or twice (or more) a day blogger. I finally managed to follow Kim at By Hook or By Book after many failed attempts 🙂

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  27. Very interesting Pete…I was unable to post every day for the past week – something I did for all of 2020 – without reshaping earlier stories – but now that I’m back, here’s an interesting stat: my blog has soared in views during that time! Also, since you follow my “JRsploitation” site, it is now getting 2-3X as many daily views as my main blog, and so I have ramped up that as well…still, nothing better than finding someone like yourself in my inbox in the morning with interesting stories and observations, and I miss those who have stopped sharing!

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    1. Thanks, John. My own blog is holding up really well, with increases in both followers, and views. But many that I follow seem to have stopped posting anything since before Christmas. I am going to unfollow some stagnant blogs, and catch up with new ones.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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