By John Esterle
When we first launched our blog* in the fall of 2006 I dipped my toes in the water with a few reflections, but seeing consistently zero comments gave me pause. Writing is usually a struggle for me, so when doubts -- who was reading, whether anything I was saying was of interest, blah blah -- predictably raised their heads, I pulled back. Indeed, it's been over two years since I posted anything.
TWI Fellow, Edd Conboy, however, didn't lose hope that the blog might be a source of connection, conversation, and community and has faithfully contributed occasional posts. I'm grateful for his perseverance. And zero comments is still the norm for what he posts....
Edd recently wrote to me "that current research indicates that fewer than two percent of a blog's readership ever comment. Regardless of the size and popularity of a given blog, this percentage seems to be a constant. The reason most often cited is a pattern of self-consciousness related to having their writing viewed by others."
Well, let's just say that I can relate to the that part about being self-conscious! It's also time for me to get over myself and starting posting again because I believe the blog can be a helpful way for TWI to amplify ideas, highlight the people and work we are connected with, and expand our ability to listen to others. It's also time for me to start contributing elsewhere as I can hardly expect others to comment on our blog if I don't do the same.
Allison Fine recently noted that the basic principles of social media are to be yourself, engage in a two-way conversation, listen, and learn. Those sound like great guidelines to follow as we seek to make our blog consistently fresh and lively.
I'm pleased to say that I'll have help in this endeavor as others, including Edd of course, will also contribute. And those of you reading can help by letting us know what you think. With enough of us jumping in, we just might create a new kind of TWI conversation.
*think4change.org is now an archived page
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