I have been posting on Fresh Approach for three years, and I am wrestling with whether or not to keep going. I just feel like it's getting stale, and while I really do love doing it, I cannot for the life of me think of a way to change it up and make it more interesting.
SO, my question is, if I stop posting, does my blog eventually disappear? Can I prevent that from happening in case I want to resume? (That is, if I do stop in the first place) And is it best to put up a "gone fishin’" post or just leave it where it lies…open to interpretation.
I’ll say this though, no matter what, I love being part of the food blog community, and wouldn’t ever want that to end.
I’m curious what you all think!
-Rachael
This Post was written by RACHAEL from FRESH APPROACH
10 comments:
As far as I know, Blogger keeps blogspot hosted blogs indefinitely. I have one that I started and abandoned in 2002 that is still sitting there with one post.
You might want to archive off your blog, just for safe keeping (this can be as easy as going to each monthly archive page and saving the full HTML onto your computer and maybe saving it to a CD).
As for quitting entirely, you might want to take a break. You've been going so long, you might want to just pick a dozen or so of your favorite posts and have them up for a while as "reruns" until you get your enthusiasm back. It will help those who are new to your blog continue to get fresh content and you get some time to revitalize yourself.
I agree it's a good idea to take a break rather than just quitting, and I personally hope you won't quit just because I love reading those little tidbits you put at the end of your posts.
This brings up something I was already thinking about. As a blogger, I link to blogs which sometimes stop being updated. My attitude is to keep the links active in my sidebar as long as the linked blog still exists. If the old posts are still there, it's still worth linking there. Or is it?
In any case, take a break before deciding you've had it for good. A break can do wonders in terms of helping you realize what your priorities are.
Thanks for the advice so far.
And Winslow - I usually give it about 6 months of no posting before I take the link down.
If you want to make a complete local copy of a website, a program (free) called HTtrack will slurp up the whole site and store it locally - then you have a backup. But blogger sites do last forever as far as I can tell...
Don't give up Rachael, I would miss you too much! Take a break and relax instead!
I understand your feelings. I've only had my food blog going for nine months, and I constantly question how it will remain fresh over the coming years.
I vote for taking a break and posting a little note to your readers. Depending on how you feel about it, you can be as specific or generic about your reasons for taking a break as you feel appropriate. And you don't have to set a timeline for yourself. You'll know when and if the time is right to come back.
I think that many bloggers stay very busy with everything we do, and it's good to take a step back to look at the big picture and assess what changes are needed, even with something that we really enjoy doing.
My best to you as you look back at what you've accomplished and and look inward for guidance on where you want to go.
Rachel - you're crazy!
Don't stop food blogging. If you love food, and love to cook, why not write it? There's never a shortage of interest in food. Unlike other interests, food cannot go out of fashion.
Everybody in the world has an interest in food; they must, to live.
Feed them!
Please don't stop? I enjoy reading your entries.
Take a break and post as and when you can. Please don't give up completely.
I think the key is: remember why you're blogging. If it's for the money, quit now. It has to be as a hobby and a passion for the rewards to follow.
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