I know it shouldn't matter but it does. I love blogging and I enjoy reading other people's blogs and commenting. I am even getting a handle on twitter. And one of the most gratifying things for me is to know where I am in the Tots 100. It is a great Ranking service and in general fun. But it all that seems to have gone horribly wrong for me. I am obviously not doing very well and I don't know why.
It seems terribly foolish to care but you see I was once a contender I mean I was in the Top 100 and I felt so good. It was an affirmation that , well and this is pathetic, that I was liked, that my writing was worth something. I wasn't in the Top 50 but I plugged away and although I did drop a bit last year, overall in 2010 I stayed in the Top 100. Now I rank 436, it's a big come down and yet I have more people than ever ( for me) visiting my blog and commenting. I post regularly and well feel pretty good about it. In January I ranked 67, so to drop so much in such a short time when I am doing all I can is well a bit sad.
I know many people reading this will think how sad that I care as if I have nothing better in my life. Well I do have lots of things I enjoy, I just enjoy this too.
I feel that I shouldn't care and that I am being pathettic, but it just bugs me. I won't stop blogging even if I drop off the bottom and virtually disappear but I would love to work out what on earth I am doing wrong . For I feel there must be a reason....
Maybe it's because there are a whole load of brilliant blogs out there and I need to get reading them!
14 comments:
It really doesn't matter! Your blog is brilliant and I think (and this is not going to win me many friends) a lot of the blogs in the Tots 100 are a bit crap...obviously not as crap as mine but crap nevertheless! At least you can take comfort that some blogs (like mine) are so crap and unpopular they don't even feature in the Top Thousand...
Oh Tattie... I SO understand this. But can I say that I come here because a) you write beautifully and from the heart and b) I ALWAYS enjoy/get what you write EVERY TIME. So don't worry about Top this or Top that. You ARE top in our eyes. xxx
Oh no it is not pathetic at all! We all go through that especially if you have been in it and then out. It happened to me and once I got over it, I realised that it was a blessing actually. Not that the index is bad or anything, more that the added pressure is not nice. Keep writing the way you do, write for the people who like you and you will attract the others steadily. Write for the ones you want to attract and you will lose your fans. You got where you are for being genuine and appealling to your readers and there is no reason it changes. :)
The top 100 is becoming a big commercial I think and although there is nothing wrong about it, it gages links and interaction not necessarily quality. Also there are tons of new bloggers who came to the blogging scene and it makes it harder to compete so don't worry stay true to yourself and keep enjoying it, the rest will follow :)
No it's not pathetic at all! I have been blogging for about 5 years now and now have my list of blogging friends - like yourself who I try to keep in touch with - and they seem to do the same with me - they are the ones who matter. I don't like lists - at all.
Dxxxx
Heavens , I didn't even know there were such lists .
I read your blog because I always love it and am delighted I found you !
Who else can write so well about cars , chocolate , children , whippets and Awful Mummies ?
muummmeeee - You are right it doesn't matter and the reason for that is great bloggers like you (yes you! who make me laugh) say so! Thank you.
Ladybrid World Mother - Glad you understand and feel very chuffed that you keep coming back for more!
Perfectly Happy Mum - wise counsel. I will write as I have always done and more importnatly because I enjoy it. It takes a little shake up and the warmth of everyone commenting to make me see that rankings aren't important (though always nice if you do well I'll just have to frame all these comments to reminfd me of that!!!!!!)
mrsnesbitt - you are right I think I would hate it more if my blogging freidns strayed because that is what I so enjoy about it all!
SmitoniusAndSonata - thank you very much and no I don't know who else wtrites about whippets... and talking of which do you know what SHE'S been up to lately? I think there is a post coming on....!!!!
Such a large drop does seem very strange, but no doubt there are lots of new and keen bloggers on the scene now so that it will be more difficult to get into the top 100. So many of the blogs listed there I have never even heard of, and when you do visit them the quality is very mixed - some good, but lots not so good, so I don't think ranking highly is a measure of quality. I deliberately didn't sign up for the Tots100, because I know I would feel just the same as you, and I'm just not competitive by nature.
You're in my top 10 anyway!
I'm dropping like a stone too. Never quite understand what makes me go up or down, so have decided just to keep doing what I like and not pay too much attention!
I love your blog, just keep doing what you are doing or i'll be most upset. x
Whippets and chocolate keep me a follower every time!! Love the blog, ditch the Tots100 it's setup.They've had 100's new members they say and are putting them up top there to keep them interested.They'll see the same pattern as you in time.It's a con, don't fall for it!It's no reflection on your blog or your writing.
Oh Tattie, these lists have nothing to do with quality. They just look at stats, hits etc. The people who follow you do so for a reason, and it is nothing to do with your relative position in a chart. Did you read what I wrote about you in my award blog? This is why we follow you.
Jude - I am thrilled to be in your Top 10 and I think with all these wonderful comments that I need never worry myself over rankings again all I'll have to do is pop back here and get all the affirmation I need! THank You.
Pantswithnames - I promise I'll not upset you! :)
Von - it's teh whippets really isn't it there just aren't enuogh of us writing about sight huonds on the web. Therefore with that in mind I'll keep on and hold my head high blogging becasue I love it!
Legend - I have read it now and thank you so very much for your wonderful words.
Thank you all for lifting a silly blogger from feeling sad about something that really doesn't matter. I am truly blessed!
I hear you. It's a puzzle, isn't it. Most of 2010 I languished out of the Top 100 then for some reason in February I turned up at 51. I have no idea how as my visits/links/whatever have been pretty similar. So I think it must be to do with how they assess each criteria or possibly my Twitter links have now been included.
I think your sudden drop indicates something has gone wrong so I would ask Sally to double-check and she can give you some clue, to put your mind at rest.
But your readers are right, we shouldn't beat ourselves up about positions in tables: that way madness lies! Go for quality of writing every time.
As if we aren't under enough pressure in our daily lives,to wonder why our stats are down is too much.
If you write well, and you do, enjoy that!
Why don't you ask Sally for a breakdown in your stats, so you can understand what has happened. Knowledge is power, and all that.
I think in life it's quality not quantity that counts. These rankings tend to focus on quantity.
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