Blogs are strange things. As a veteran blogger of two whole years, I've seen lots of new bloggers enter the blogosphere, while others lose their interest in, reason for, or time for blogging and, sadly, disappear.
Quite often I have said, "That's it - I'm leaving it there." Like 'Fawlty Towers' and 'The Office' I plan to leave on a high point and before everyone tires of my mutterings and musings. And then, something happens - one of the children will do or say something, or we find ourselves in a bizarre situation, or I read something which pushes my buttons and I turn to my blog to share my thoughts with anyone who's listening.
So, I've come to the conclusion that, just like everything else in life, blogs have a life cycle. And this is it:
Blogspawn - a new blog is born. It is full of energy and multiplying cells and cannot do anything but grow and develop. It feels a little restricted though, swishing about under the surface and not quite knowing how to get out there into the pond. It is easily intimidated by the fully grown Blogs and can't ever imagine being that big.
Blogpole - finally free from its initial Blogspawn confines, the Blogpole starts to move around; expanding its world by having a look around the pond and seeing what else is out there. Blogpoles are a little braver than Blogspawn and start making friends with other Blogpoles. They go off and search the pond together and feel much braver. They also have loads of energy and enthusiasm and are delighted with their new found freedom.
Bloglet - Now the Bloglet has legs and can really get out and about to see what's going on out there in the pond. With their new limbs, Bloglets go rushing around; they never seem to stop - dropping in here, there and everywhere. Bloglets are full of great ideas and join in with all the activities in the pond. Blogs, Blogpoles and Blogspawn are a bit in awe of them and their unfaltering enthusiasm.
Blog - Finally, the fully formed, Blog emerges. It is big, bold and confident and can hop around the pond at will - or may even leave the pond entirely for periods of time. Blogs enjoy being part of the pond, but also enjoy lazing around on lily pads, thinking of something original and interesting to say. They feel exhausted just looking at the Blogpoles and Bloglets zipping about. Blogs sometimes like to find a nice bit of mud to go and hide in for a long time - they might tell you they are going, or they might just go. Some Blogs even say that they are going away for good. But they usually come hopping back to the pond at some point; back to where they started out as that small bit of Blogspawn many moons ago.
Big, fat Blog, or Blogspawn - what stage of the Blogging Life Cycle are you at?
No idea - probably in the lazing around stage - but great post!
ReplyDeleteHaha - superb post. I'm not sure where I'm at, I'm guessing somewhere between blogpole and bloglet. You tell me...
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking blogpole. Except that I would prefer to be something Fancier. Like maybe a stage IV Lobster. That would be technically still larval and moving up and down the water column looking for a place to settle. Or did I actually molt into a stage V? I don't know. I just know I like lobster. :-) xx
ReplyDeleteOh this is genius! Not sure if I'm a Blogpole or a Bloglet but I'm looking forward to lazing around on the lily pads one day. So clever!
ReplyDeleteI love that idea, I think I have reached the 'blog' stage now, I go through stages of blogging everyday and then nothing for a week or so. I also sometimes wonder if I can keep it going despite the saturation of other blogs - who will want to read mine? And then I remember that I write my blog for me.
ReplyDeleteThats brilliant! I'm blogspawn :-( trying very hard to be a blogpole
ReplyDeleteI am the fat old toad at the end of the line....
ReplyDeletexx
I am frogs legs. I keep biting off my own legs. And kissing other frogs.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
I'm lazing on my back gently kicking whilst reading everyone elses blogs and then realising I'm not doing much with my own!
ReplyDeleteAfter 8 years I'm ready to be stuffed
ReplyDeleteThis is terrific :). I'm a blog with my own custom built mud mansion to retreat to in times of high (out of pond) stress :) hehe
ReplyDeleteGod, I've no idea....I'm probably the squashed frog in the middle of the road that you drive over feeling slightly guilty when you are late for work. Brilliant post.
ReplyDeleteLove this! I think I go through all these cycles myself and they change daily!
ReplyDeletex
Stop on over. Your review is up! x
ReplyDeleteClever post. Not sure where I am in this, but I regularly think I'm going to stop and then keep posting.
ReplyDeleteGreat post and very well timed for me as I am pondering my blog, it's direction and whether I need to bin it all and start again.
ReplyDeleteLove the analogy! I think mine is slowly emerging from the blogspawn stage at the moment, but is not a blogpole quite yet. It's getting there though and will be sinking or swimming in the scary big pond for years to come yet.
ReplyDeleteThat was fantastic. And I must say I'm also impressed with the picture.
ReplyDeleteLove it.
That's a great way of putting it - am in the blog territory, been doing this for 2 years and have been there and worked through the whole 'I have to be the best thing' through the 'I'm not the best thing' and have now reached a zen blog place
ReplyDeleteGreat analogy: I'd say I'm the awkward Blogteen who is shy one moment and then flamboyant the next.
ReplyDeleteI'm the blogger on the lily pad reading other blogs when I should be writing, ironing, shopping or doing the school run, so I occasionally go snd hide in the mud until the ripples of life hsve calmed
ReplyDeleteBlogpole me....big head, quite wiggly
ReplyDeleteGood analysis. yes am having loads of thoughts about spending all this time blogging and where does it all lead and why why why. I guess Im sunning myself with thought bubbles popping up all the time, instead of plunging into the pool of life. Instead of watching the kids surfing right now - or even better surfing myself...Oops very tortured metaphor there, my journalism teacher would be rolling in my grave (avoid cliches like the plague, he always said...)
ReplyDeleteI feel merely a twinkle in daddy blog's froggie eye!
ReplyDeleteI think I am squashed blog - the blog that failed to get out of the way of the large feet coming its way. That's how I feel today. A little break over Easter will do me the world of good. I will come back as Blog in A Blender.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
Hmmm....I must be in the bloglet phase but I'm getting worn out. Perhaps I need to go back down the evolution train.
ReplyDeleteLove this! I am a blogpole, still wondering WTF is going on and hoping to be bigger one day, with legs and everything.
ReplyDeleteFabulous, I think I am still a bloglet, although how long I have been going I should have moved into blog by now! lol
ReplyDeleteMich x
Brilliant post. I've been around a bit too so I think I'm a rather ancient blog!
ReplyDeleteexcellent post. REally good analogies! I sort of went from blogspawn to frog lazing without too much darting about in between. Not sure which lily pad to jump to next or whether to take the plunge and reproduce some blogspawn of my own....
ReplyDeleteThis is a great picture of the life cycle of a blog. I started blogging in May 2007, so I guess I'm one of the mature frogs who laze around on the edge of the pond, not doing very much, but enjoying the scenery.
ReplyDeleteI remember when I first joined the scene there were just a handful of blogs to look up too.. Yours being one of them! Now I feel a little lost in this forever growing blogland! Fab post! :)
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