Is it a blog? Is it a software/programming site? Is it collection of random junk?
I’ve actually spent the last month wrestling with the idea of what I want this site to be. When I initially restarted this site I thought “ah ha! I’ll be a software site that releases kick ass tools!” But that’s not really what I want, and that’s not what I’ve been doing. Creating nice tools is part of what I want, but I like messing around and making other stuff too. So this site is really more of a creative programming outlet for me.
Looking back at the past few month’s posts, it was probably a mistake for me to write about certain things and to jump around so much (this mostly refers to July). I’m still trying to get a feel for what I should and should not post in this blog. There have been a couple of times where I mentally wrote a post in my head or even wrote a post in MSWord, and then later discarded it. This site’s theme is a little fuzzy, but after giving it some thought, it would destroy this site’s pseudo-focus if I started making posts on new CDs I bought, bad dates I’ve had, or even amusing stories about former co-workers. Topics like that really belong in a personal blog, something I don’t want this to be. Personal stories should spice certain entries up, but I don’t want this to be like livejournal. I’m sure none of you care about my trip to the renaissance festival.
I could make this a simple news blog for the site, but that would be a little boring. News about the site should play the most important role though. So in the end, I want to do a blog that focuses on news for the software I write but also deviates into topics I find interesting in the computer world with an occasional amusing personal anecdote. Probably not the best hook for obtaining a large audience, but I’d still blog here even if no one read it (it’d be kind of sad, but I’d still probably do it).
Another thing that’s been weighing on my mind is how unrelated all the software I’m producing is. Each new release feels like it becomes its own island within the site, with its own visitors who will probably only look at the blog every once in a while and then wonder why I don’t stay more on topic.
The same people who like my API spy don’t seem to be the same people who like TAAG or my color fader. I know because my visitor count temporarily went down after I released those two programs. The pattern is always that I have a dip in visits after a program is released, and then, if the program doesn’t fall into the abyss of the internet (never to be seen or downloaded again), it rebounds and finds its own audience. TAAG did this (as did the color fader – though to a lesser extent) and it’s now twice as popular as this blog. But do TAAG visitors read the blog? Who are these people? Will they understand me if I write a post on a new algorithm I thought up? Or if I explain the Javascript behind a certain feature?
Probably not, but I can’t please everyone. I think I’ll write this blog with programmers in mind as the main audience. But I’ll try not to use so much jargon that it’s unreadable to those outside of that realm (sort of like how all of the September entries have been).
Anyway, this post is probably more for me than for anyone who will read it. Sometimes thinking out loud helps ideas come into focus. Though hopefully by reading this you got some insight into what I want this site to be.
Oh! – and lastly, I want to stress that this is a content-oriented site, not just a commentary-oriented site. I blog, but I make stuff too. Hopefully stuff that is somewhat interesting.
“Though hopefully by reading this you got some insight into what I want this site to be.”
I’m still confused…
AOL Progz?
😉
It’s obviously a porn site. Duh!
lol guys
Making any website is serious business, Pat. I think it’s difficult for anyone to really hone in on what they believe to be relevant content, content that builds and audience, and content that pleases oneself. When I created my own website (and even before I officially created my own “personal” website) I knew I wanted it to be based around programming, hacking, films, Electronic music, and everything else I enjoy.
Over time it begins to become difficult to add brand new original content to a website, which is generally what causes most people to become side-tracted and start placing what they would feel is “random” items. My site is a perfect example because I went from getting around 700 to 1,000 unique views a day after a few steady months of building material to 3,000 views a day (actually one day I had over 15,000 unique views and a million requests prior to the server overloading) for content on my site that I started as something fun, and grew to dislike. I’ve removed much of the content that caused my audience to grow outside of what I would have liked it to have been simply because I was not happy with the items, I was tired of the content, I no longer wished to receive messages about that content, and I wanted to get my site back on track for what I envisioned, which is what I am slowly working on.
What I’ve probably failed to say due to excessive wording and poor grammar (I’ve had a bit to drink tonight, I’m using an unsecure wireless network I found driving around, and its late) is don’t worry too much about the audience as much as you would making yourself happy. There are plenty of us who enjoy the content you post, and the content you’ve posted in the past (I’ve actually been visiting since at least 2000 when I needed to use Visual Basic 3 because I couldn’t get a copy of Visual Studio 6). Don’t worry too much about staying relevant to whatever you’ve been posting, because as I said there’s plenty of us who enjoy the things you do create, and over time you’ll find increased visitors. Just keep up the good work, Pat.
Thanks Andrew.
“simply because I was not happy with the items, I was tired of the content, I no longer wished to receive messages about that content”
That’s basically what happened to my old site. I had obtained a large audience by creating an API Spy program and then I basically felt like I had to cater to that audience by releasing AOL-themed code examples or Windows API related examples. Then I started not enjoying the process of updating my site, and then it finally went dormant. Making a site around your own interests, popular or not, is the only way to keep it alive and fresh.
Exactly. Over the past month I’ve seldom updated my website other than removing some content, because I didn’t like the direction it was going, or the audience it was creating. The content I had been adding went from being fun and odd to being boring (for me anyhow) and blatantly sexual, and that’s just not what I wanted for it. I’ll probably write some hacking/I.T. related articles later this week for it, and then I’m steer the site back on course for that type of material.
Any hint of sexual material seems to attract visitors. Back when I did back to back posts on “Online Girls” I started getting odd referrals from google (my stat page tells me what search terms people use to find the site). I had a few search terms like “things to make a girl do in front of a webcam” and “girls expose themselves in chat rooms”. Not really the kind of visitors I’m pining for. Plus, they must have really been combing the internet to find this site via those phrases (I hope so at least).
I know what your talking about. I could never decide what to make a site about. I made a site for my aunt and wife (blogs) they came out great…. I never stuck with one thing long enough to attract visitors.
I’ve seen a lot of smart people start up blogs that go nowhere and it usually seems to be a focus issue. Having a focus is important. Most people don’t like to come to a website and read about programming one day and then read about TV shows the next day. You end up feeling like you were duped. At least that’s my assumption. I know I’ve been annoyed with certain sites when they strayed from their main focus to talk about something random.
Though it’s sometimes hard to resist writing about what’s on your mind, even if it’s totally off topic. I’m starting to think it’s best to have two blogs – one for your work / focus, and one for personal stuff or random junk. Once you have that division, I think it becomes easier to have a site that’s about something, even if that something is just a creative programming outlet. We shall see though.
In Andrews post above…
(I’ve had a bit to drink tonight, I’m using an unsecure wireless network I found driving around, and its late)
haha, Watch out for thr law.
I personally enjoy taking a break at work and looking up a few different sites to see whats going on, this being one of them. Even though you can consider it a “programming site”, I like the posts that stray from programming and give you input on the “programmers” life. However corny that may sound.
haha, I like that sound of that actually. It sounds like it could be it’s own blog, like with multiple programmers posting to it. But yeah, I agree if I removed all personal stories out of here it’d be too boring, I think I’ve just got to find the right balance and keep things mostly focused.
I’m doing a fundraiser for my children’s school. I found your Mosaicer software and have been struggling to get something out of it. Does it work in XP or Vista? Those are the two I tried it on and it does not appear to work for me. Any help would be great.
The app should work on XP and Vista. Did you download the program from this site? Also, what error is happening? The most common error is that nothing will happen when you hit the generate button. This means that you’re missing a dll or ocx file.
You can email me at my username @gmail.com.
Found you while looking for typing tests because I’m applying to be an emergency operator for the ambulance service in Australia. Yours is the best and most constructive by far with the keyboard analysis (curses to my slow right pinky!). Would love to see you add some sample texts which include numbers…
I’m probably not your usual audience but appreciate what your doing and can scroll that text time waster like a demon. Thank you again.
hey Kath,
I actually lived in Australia for a few months when I was a teenager, it’s an amazing place (I lived in South Australia, right outside of Adelaide).
Glad you liked the typing speed app. I can look up some text with numbers tonight, though if you have any specific requests I can add those in too.
– Pat
Hi,
I am happy to see your blog. It is good source of information. I really enjoyed the ‘Text Ascii Art Generator’. Keep it up. Thanks.
Thank you give good information.
Just like my teacher. I very like it.
I hope give my son have intresting.
Keep it. I will always visit your blog.
I remember the api spy too >=)