Pet Blogger Challenge

I've been doing some thinking about my blog lately & when I read about The Pet Blogger Challenge, it seemed like a good way to try to gather some of the wispy thoughts into some sort of semi coherent narrative - though like I said in the comments at Will My Dog Hate Me, I'm not really a pet blogger per se. But Edie said to join in, so here we go :-)

The challenge consists of taking a bit of an retrospective look at our blogs & considering blogging plans for 2011.

1. When did you begin your blog?

In 2005.

2. What was your original purpose for starting a blog?

It might have been peer pressure; everyone was starting blog. It just seemed like such a cool thing to do. And I did want to talk a bit about homeschooling & to keep a slapdash journal our life.

I think I did imagine I would be like dooce, except I wouldn't over. dramatize. EVERYTHING like a hyperbole afflicted upper caps monkey. Or discuss constipation. These decisions were perhaps a mistake.... Seems to have worked for her.

3. Is your current purpose the same?

Sort of.
I'm not sure exactly what, but I'd like to focus the blog a bit more. It seems scattered and chaotic. Ummm, maybe that's because I'm scattered and chaotic?

If not, what’s different?

If so, how do you feel you’ve met your goals?

Since my goals were vague & undefined, SURE! I have managed to blab online more than 600 blog posts & made some new online & IRL friends. That's pretty neat.

4. Do you blog on a schedule or as the spirit moves you?

definitely erratically

If the former, how often — and what techniques do you use to stick to it?

If the latter, do you worry about… well, whatever you might worry about (e.g. losing traffic, losing momentum)?

Yes. And yes. And whatever else I should worry about.

5. Are you generating income from your blog?

So far, I've made $10 in amazon affiliate income. Whoohooo! Hence the contest. See? I'm just giving it back to you.

I've just recently tried putting google ads on my blog but I'm not sure I'll keep them. I don't like ads on the internet, & in fact I run my browsers with adblockers, so it seems pretty hypocritical to be putting ads on at all.

6. What do you like most about blogging in general and your blog in particular (bragging is good!)?

I like to write, I like to share some good stories and advice about homeschooling and some fun stories about my pets.

It also makes for a neat record of some of our activities.

I think I sometimes make people laugh & I've discovered I really like that.

7. What do you like least?

The feeling that I'm talking to an empty room when I don't get any response to my posts. Booohoooo!!!!!

8. How do you see your blog changing or growing in 2011?

This is the tricky part. I'm not sure what I want but I want it change, grow, & be all around more awesome. I've been told privately that more focus & a more regular posting schedule would be good things to do. And funnily enough, I'm sure more focus and better scheduling IRL would also be good things to do.

(clear eyed folks will see this is a fail in Planning & Implementing Change 101. No clearly defined goal, no clearly identified tasks, no timelines, no accountability.
Hi! Welcome to the way I do things!)