Thank-you to Will My Dog Hate Me and Go Pet Friendly for hosting this year’s blogger’s challenge. I hope I pay the questions justice!
1. When did you begin your blog?
My blog began in December 2010.
2. What was your original purpose for starting a blog?
I started my blog because I wanted to share dog research. Additionally, I wanted a venue in where I could voice my opinion on political aspects of dog ownership, give a home to some of my legislative ideas. I’ve said it before, but I really feel my thoughts were going to waste in my head prior to this blog. At the very least, it’s a venue to vent.
3. Is your current purpose the same?
I have spent my blogging time chiefly focusing on dog research and attempting to elicit legislative change for dogs – particularly in regard to breed specific legislation. However, there are now some ‘trickles’ of my personal dog involvement coming through in my posts – posting videos of dog training, and posting very-opinion-based (and not-so-much research-based) pieces. I do not feel that these take away from the more serious posts on my blog. Overall, I’ve met my blogging goals (of sharing research and legislative ideas), but also become a bit broader.
4. Do you blog on a schedule or as the spirit moves you?
I normally have a schedule of-sorts, but it does change over time. I have, mostly, been blogging two or three times a week of late, but I am quite happy if I only get one post up a week. Unfortunately, life got very busy in the middle of the year and, consequently, Some Thoughts About Dogs had to take a temporary back seat. Sometimes I worry that I am not producing enough content to maintain traffic and reader-interest, but I have decided that I rather produce good quality content occasionally than a lot of content with poor quality standards. I am envious of those blogs that produce excellent content on a near-daily basis. This is certainly not a schedule I could conform to, despite all my best desires.
5. Are you generating income from your blog?
I am not generating income from my blog, nor do I explictly plan to invite sponsored ads or affilate relationships in the future. However, anything is possible.
6. What do you like most about blogging in general and your blog in particular (bragging is good!)?
What I like most about blogging is sharing information with people, and hoping that it’s absorbed and acknowledged. Being teacher trained, I know that ‘the written word’ is only a small part of how people learn, but I still hope that those that happen to chance across this blog do learn by ‘absorption’.
I really enjoy the blog community, and follow a range of different blogs – from ‘pet’ blogs with cute pictures, to obedience blogs that document training sessions, to no-kill and shelter blogs, to vet blogs. I have a genuine interest in all aspects dog, and I am grateful that the dog-blog community is diverse enough to cater to all my interests.
I like that my blog is mostly to the point. Though I do enjoy a number of blogs, I find myself particularly following those blogs that teach me something. To a point, I enjoy stories and pictures about dogs, but mostly, I enjoy learning about dogs. I like my blog because it is information, and research, based (for the most part).
7. What do you like least?
The thing I like least is my lack of traffic! Sometimes I feel like I’m talking to myself. I hope that if I continue plodding along, I’ll get enough of a following that will help me develop my ideas, particularly by challenging them. I really enjoy a robust discussion and it makes me a little sad that most of my comments are supportive. A heated discussion is quite alright!
8. How do you see your blog changing or growing in 2011?
Thanks so much for joining the challenge. It’s a great way to meet other pet bloggers and get your blog out to more people. I love that you’re anxious to debate topics that are sometimes difficult – I’m sure you’ll find some takers in the audience today.
Thanks for your comment, Amy, and thanks for hosting the hop.
Looking forward to meeting all these other pet bloggers.
hi there, i’m a silly fun dogblogger with almost no serious content in my posts so it’s interesting to meet you
i think it’s great that you’re so clear about what you want from your blog. it sure beats my woffling.
followers are tricky things, aren’t they? i’ve just about given up on those. but it IS still possible to have a good time without them, as you’ve dicovered. i suspect a lot of people DO read, they just don’t comment [or like to have a conversation]. so you’re probably NOT writing into the nether!
happy blogging!
Thanks for stopping be, Georgia. I am afraid that, if I started woffling, I may never stop… I am quite good at talking, but I think university (at the very least) has made me succinct.
It’s a nice idea to think people are reading, but not commenting… I’ll hold on to that thought.
I really enjoyed visiting your site and reading your answers. I’m such a new blogger, so I totally understand what you write about traffic!
Keep on wagging,
Tootsie
Thanks for stopping by, Tootsie. Traffic is also quite hard to judge… Statistics can only tell you so much about your visitors… And can never tell you what they’re thinking!
Hi Tegan,
I only recently found your blog after you commented on Kenzo’s neuter post, and glad to see you again in the challenge.
Lack of traffic must be on each blogger’s shortlist. I found Karen’s post on the subject after last yours challenge extremely helpful, maybe you will find something as well http://www.doggiestylish.com/store/blog/2011/01/the-pet-blogger-challenge-my-secret-to-getting-blog-traffic/
Thanks for stopping by, and nice to know you visited after commenting. I do try to send quite a bit of comment love out there, so it’s good to know that sometimes it works…
Thank-you for the link. It seems it has a lot of great ideas and I’ll take it away and study it. Ta!
You should have told me you wanted a debate. I would have been more than happy to oblige! Though my skills are rather misshapen these days.
I am feeling rather guilty now as I used to read your blog all the time. Then when you dropped off, it happens, I assumed you weren’t writing any more and I never checked back. It was only when I received a pingback last week (thanks for that, by the way) that I realized you were still writing. Since I read most blogs via email these days I have now subscribed to your blog. Hopefully that will prevent the prevent the above from recurring!
Hi Kristine. Thank-you for letting me know how my lack of blogging affected your visits. I use Google Reader, which means my blog-viewing experience is very easy. But, it also means, I don’t truly understand the experiences of alternative methods of blog viewing.
I was actually very excited when I discovered that I was in your blogroll one day… Maybe I’m just easy to please?
I must say, it’s flattering to know that you were visiting (and will continue to do so). Rescued Insanity would’ve been 6th if my top 5 blogs was actually my top 10 blogs.
Let me know how subscribing by email works out… I don’t actually know how that works, or, indeed, if it does… So let me know if it does!
Thanks for taking part in this challenge! I really like your educational approach and your recognition that this is what engages you — as opposed to trying to be more general for the sake of reaching a larger audience (which you’ll get anyway as you find people with common interests).
Thanks for stopping by, Edie. I hope you’re right.
Nice to meet you, Leema! From your description, your blog is right up my alley and I’ve popped you into my Google Reader. It doesn’t hurt that Kristine is a fan too. I’ve always valued her opinion since the day she and I met online. I look forward to getting to know you!
Nice to meet you and your blog, too, Kim. I have not seen your blog before this challenge(!) so I look forward to following in the coming weeks. Glad it sounds like my blog is of interest to you.
Nice to meet you – glad to have discovered you through the challenge! I’ll be adding you to my reading list, and can’t wait to learn more about you in 2012.
Thanks for stopping by, and glad you like what you see! Look forward to hearing from you throughout the year.
Nice to *virtually* meet you! Don’t worry – I feel like I’m talking to myself sometimes, too.
Glad I found your blog, I’m always game for getting involved in some civil discussion!
Nice to meet you, too, Eryka, and thanks for commenting. Would love to discuss my blog topics with you throughout the year. I haven’t visited your blog before, so I’m off to have a peek now.
Great interview! My blog was up almost 8 months before I started getting much traffic. The best way to get it is to comment as much as you canon other blogs
Dachshund Nola
Thanks for the words of advice… I have also been told that ’50′ is the magical number of posts to start generating traffic, and we’ve only recently reached that number. So we’ll see!
I do do a lot of commenting – I do a lot of blog hopping/visiting anyway. And I always try to comment back, too.
Nice to meet you and I feel the same way about the low number of followers I have but I also feel that if the information is important to me then at some time it will be importanted to someone else even if it is months after the post. I have also found that many of my twitter followers read my blog but don’t follow it.
I also feel that posts that sound like you are talking to yourself have a greater impact on others who think the same way but are afraid of voiceing their opinions and they find a kindred spirit with you.
Have a Chittering Good Day,
Jo
Thanks for your comment and visit, Jo. I use Twitter – not sure how many people visit from Twitter, but I am seeing a few of my things getting retweeted, which is always nice. I’ll just keep plodding along and hope I get some attention sooner or later.
Thanks for stopping by.
Funny thing about blogging. Sometimes something mysterious happens and your stats start to tick up.
I’m thrilled that I’m getting more traffic. But I was even more thrilled to make real connections with just a few special people. I hope you won’t stress over traffic and stay true to yourself.
Hi Pamela. Nope, wouldn’t say I’m stressed! Maybe just a little frustrated that what I’m writing may be ‘going to waste’… But I promise I’ll keep travelling on, and I’ll stay true to myself.
i completely and totally agree with this: Sometimes I worry that I am not producing enough content to maintain traffic and reader-interest, but I have decided that I rather produce good quality content occasionally than a lot of content with poor quality standards. I am envious of those blogs that produce excellent content on a near-daily basis. This is certainly not a schedule I could conform to, despite all my best desires.
i also feel that if i had more time to devote to research, i’d be writing more informative posts, too. damn this day job!
Some of my favourite posts are ones that I have sweated for hours, days, on research. This is often when my posting is more like once a week – the rest of the week is research for that one post! But it’s worthwhile and satisfying at the end. (Thanks for stopping by.)