Blogging Evolution

A week from Tuesday will be the sixth anniversary of this blog.

I have worked on this blog longer than I had been in any one job, longer than I have lived in any place since 5th grade, and about as long as I have owned my current automobile.

It is interesting to look over the posts that I have put together, and to see the ways that this blog changed, the way that the craft of blogging has changed, and how I have changed.

I really began my blog with three main purposes in mind. I wanted to develop my skill as a writer. I also wanted to have a place to store "fleeting thoughts" and quotes before they escaped my mind forever. Finally, I also wanted to have a place to vent. I was in a place where I was professionally isolated and spiritually beat down by mistreatment within the congregation I served. I needed a safe place to write about what I was feeling and thinking.

Writing a blog was very effective for these purposes. I was able to resource myself with thoughts and reflections that I could work into sermons. And for a time, I could sense I was becoming a more skilled writer.

In addition to these goals, I soon discovered that blogging was an early form of social networking. Before Myspace and Facebook had taken hold, those of us in the blogging world would seek out blogs that we thought were intriguing and follow them. Often, these blogs were written by people that we had not met before we started blogging. As the blogs developed readerships, some of the "subscribers" became acquaintences and friends.

Another similar benefit of blogging in those early days of blogging was professional networking. I was able to have formal and informal conversations with ministry leaders. At that time I was able to build some relationships with youth ministry leaders and those in the emergent church conversation.

As the blog developed, I began to share more of my personal life. For many, this was a chance to get to know me better. For some, my honesty was somewhat offensive. I managed at one time or another to offend friends and relatives, Republicans and Democrats, homeschoolers and minor Christian celebrities. Sometimes this ability to offend others complicated things in my life. I missed a work opportunity because of my transparency on this blog for instance. Other times it was helpful, because sometimes people would hear my voice on my blog when they would otherwise dismiss my voice when I spoke verbally and directly.

Eventually, the readership in this blog began to change. Those that used blogging primarily for social networking drifted to Myspace, and eventually Facebook. My blog, which used to have an international and diverse readership saw its readership shrink.

I have increased my readership a little in the last few years. Part of the way I have done this is to link my blog with twitter and facebook. Thing brings in many yet unreached casual visitors, but the blog does not have as many "subscribers" as before, and most of the readers of my blog are friends from other settings.

Unfortunately for me, because of the kind of readership I have now, and the ways that this blog has developed, the blog has become more public and less transparent. I say unfortunately because I grieve the opportunity to have a place where I can be as honest and raw and open as I had before with this blog.

I think part of this is that my personal life is much less open for public consumption because it is my family life.

I wonder if part of this is because I am a less reflective person than I was when this blog started.

These days, most of my blog posts center around ministry related writings, parenting experiences, and book reviews. Which is not all bad.

My blog posts have become less frequent, and less passionate. However, I think I will continue blogging, so that I can continue, at some point, to work on the goals I started with in this blog, and to watch my thoughts and life developed.