Hi Barbara. I wish I’d started earlier. I do find it all a bit daunting because there is so much information out there and my challenge is to know what to focus on and what to leave for later.

I feel like I’m always playing catch up. For example, not far back I uploaded the Wordpress software and new Theme to my upcoming blog. Within 2 weeks BOTH of these already had updates.

As for what I see as the future for blogging I’d have to say that right now I can’t see the forest for the trees, but I’m interested to see the comments on this question.

Davina´s last blog post..Video — Preparation Inspires Self-Confidence

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Hi Barbara - I wish we had started sooner, but we started when it was right for us.

I think the future for blogging lies in the dissemination of news and ideas, within in specific niches, or in a more general context. There’s a reason every newspaper and television news personality has a blog. We are learning and exchanging in the various communities that we have. Back in the day, we might have subscribed to Time, Life and Look magazines. Now we have other subscriptions.

We are all fascinated by a lit window and want to look inside. The blog allows us to do that. I would be interested to see what others think, too.

Betsy´s last blog post..REAL

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Starting earlier would definitely have helped. But as they say, there is a time for everything … the time when I started must have been the best for me, so no regrets.

Reg. all the catching up to do, I don’t think it would have mattered when we start since technology keeps on updating so fast.

Avani-Mehta´s last blog post..Top 8 Motivation Hacks - #3

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I am soooooo glad I started when I did as no tellin what would of happened if I had started now! My brain cells would of been a poppin with the strain of learning. I am still learning but not at the pace I was earlier. Blogging is constantly changing and IF you do not keep yourself a little informed, you will be lost!

Linda´s last blog post..SeaPower Promises Emission-Free Power and Water

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I’m just getting into my third month. I so much enjoy what I do that in some ways I wish I’d been doing it sooner, but I know I started when I did because that’s is when I was supposed to start.

I think it is an exciting time and that the tools for the trade are growing in leaps and bounds. That is a little daunting but it’s like standing on a hill, looking at all the beautiful city lights in awe, thinking about the possibilities.

Cheers!

George

Tumblemoose´s last blog post..Cheap Shots

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I wish I were the first person to start a blog! LOL

Blogging is the type of thing where when you’re new to it, it’s cool, but when you’ve been doing it for a year or two, your eyes are opened to the fact that many of what you read out there has already been said and said and said and said again.

Then, like Darren said, you move onto expanding your blog and messing it with other things like a forum, twitter, or some other website which you use to sell products.

I’m not sure where blogs will end up. I suspect maybe they will be around for awhile, however, they will become less and less what they originally were designed for (online journal) and considered more and more as simple websites used to promote products.

Part of this reason is the fact that web designers love blogging platforms because they allow them to create websites on the fly due to the millions of templates out there ready to go.

John Hoff - eVentureBiz´s last blog post..Open Discussion: What Would Make For A Great WordPress Hosting Company?

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Hi Barbara - I know I couldn’t have started sooner. But I still feel blogs have a long way to go and I’m glad I’ve got my foot in the door too. I would hate to be starting over from scratch. As you know, it really does take a lot of persistance.

I really think blogs are becoming the new website. And as Darren says, bloggers are adding many other features, such as forums. I think the important thing is that we don’t try to do it all at once.

Cath Lawson´s last blog post..Do You Have Business Questions?

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I was a dummy to have stayed so long with my old blog server that never had the option of Comments. (I would be the one to make them see the light, right? Ah, not quite.)

But that’s all water under the cyber bridge now - here I am today with nothing but a bright future stretching out like a month of Thursdays before me. And I see the future as nothing but fun and a chance to connect even deeper with other bloggers I’ve already come to consider friends these past couple months.

And who knows how things will evolve?

One thing is sure, I’ll read every one of your posts, Barbara, to keep abreast of the latest blogging tricks and trends - which reminds me, I still have to get that Stumble Upon thing up and running.

Thanks.

Jannie´s last blog post..And “The Real Jannie” is…?

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October, 2004, is the first evidence I have of a blog post of mine, but I was tinkering with blogging before that.

Knowing what I know now, I would have gotten more involved in commenting a lot earlier.

Blogging will be around for a long time and, for each person, will be whatever the bloggers and the readers make of it for themselves.

Mike Goad´s last blog post..Eyes of the Great Depression 006

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I should have started earlier. But that said, I’m still glad I did start when I did, and for everything that has happened because of blogging. It’s been an amazing few months, and it just seems like each day brings something new! Very exciting stuff, and very exciting times to be in!

Lance´s last blog post..Sunday Thought For The Day

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Hi Davina - I hear you about the updates. Blogging appears to be ever changing with new and better ways to “do it” at each turn. Doing what I can with the amount of time I have is how I handle the changes.

Hi Miguel - You’ve raised great ideas. Can you imagine? A family business centered around a blog? How great would that be? And, I wonder, is someone already doing that?

Hi Betsy - Just like you, I’m seeing more and more newscasters telling the audience to “blog with me”; everyone from Larry King, to Anderson Cooper and Greta (on Fox). And yes, subscriptions and how we received them, are changing. Will magazines as we know them eventually become extinct?

Hi Robin - Definitely! Lots more people will be blogging. Oh, how exciting it will be to watch.

Hi Avani - Yes, “there is a time for everything”. With technology forever changing, those of us who blog will be forever challenged. And I think that’s a good thing.

Hi Tammy - You’re welcome. How exciting that you son’s assignment if to start a blog. Can you imagine the possibilities those children could have if they continue on with it after the assignment is over?

Hi Linda - I hear you. Blogging is constantly changing. Even when I look back to when I started nearly 20 months ago, a lot has changed. Like you said, staying informed is very important.

Hi George - Well put, “it’s like standing on a hill, looking at all the beautiful city lights in awe, thinking about the possibilities.” We all many great opportunities ahead of us, don’t we?

Hi Panther - Ah, the voice of maturity. I hear you. Isn’t it amazing what we can teach from our own experiences? In some instances, it’s priceless.

Hi John - You’re right. We do read a lot of duplicate information. But you know what? Even when I land on a blog that repeats what I already know, I like reading how the author puts their own spin on it. And…I love to read how young people (and some not so young) are so excited when they “discover” something that makes a difference in their lives.

Haha! Can you imagine if you had been the first blogger? How different your life would be.

Hi Vered - It sounds like your timing was perfect. Now that your girls are older, blogging is giving you a chance to bond with other adults on a time frame that suits your family life.

Hi Catherine - You’ve hit a nail on the head…”we don’t try to do it all at once.”. With blogging, we could easily spend our whole day on one thing or another. Finding the right balance is key.

Hi NaTuRal - That’s right. Blogging is changing, and as both Darren and Lorelle mentioned, microblogging (Twitter) is catching on. Although it’s a great way to communicate, I don’t think 140 characters can tell the stories that blog posts do.

Hi Jannie - You’re welcome. I agree. We can make wonderful friends via a blog. With blogging, our world definitely expands.

I can’t guarantee I’ll keep you abreast of all of the blogging trick and trends, as I’m not too techie, , but I will keep you thinking.

Hi Jodith - You’re right. There is a need for a well run forum in your niche. With your expertise, you could be phenomenal. And yes, posting can be far less time consuming that other blogging activities.

Hi Mike. Hey, I like your new avatar. I know what you mean about learning the importance of commenting. I was late on learning that, too. It’s a powerful tool in blogging, isn’t it?

Hi Tom - Blogs are a great way to connecting with our target audience, aren’t they? I know with your business, you blog has been a huge benefit.

Hi Lance - Blogging is amazing, isn’t it? And like you said, very exciting.

Hi again Miguel - The secret is out.

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Hi Barbara,

I think I have to agree with George. I wish I would have started sooner (on a self hosted site), but the timing is right for me right now.

My niche has a lot of blogs out there, but only a few that are really considered top notch. I keep looking at the personal finance niche and I keep thinking about how I can get the personal development niche to the same place. Yep, I have pretty big dreams.

As for the future, I think a lot more people will start blogging and a lot more people will learn how to use RSS. I can imagine most of the top blogs having 100k plus readers and smaller niche blogs having 10k plus. I think advertising revenue will continue to flow into blogs as it flows away from standard channels such as newpapers and magazines.

I honestly don’t see a critical mass happening until more like 2020. It takes a long time to see people adopting this type of technology and I am excited about the future.

Cheers,
Jeremy

Jeremy Day´s last blog post..The Complete Noobs Guide to the Economy

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Hi Diana - Hopefuly you didn’t think I was ignoring your comment, It ended up in my spam folder and I just I fished it out.

You’re welcome. Yes, there is a lot to learn about blogging. Fortunately we’re all at different levels, so there will always be someone to learn from.

Hi Ajith - You’re right. Blogging has changed the way we publish. Although some have gone too far, I’m guessing there will always be room for those who continue to want to help others.

Hi Jeremy - You’ve raised a good point about blogging may not taking off for many years. Look at email. When it first came out, (some) people were hesitant to sign on. Now, nearly everyone has an email address. I wonder how many years that process took.

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Hi Barbara. It would have been great to start earlier, but I didn’t even know what a blog was. haha. So I’m glad I started when I did.

It can certainly be overwhelming, but like Darren said, just start and add a little at the time. Nothing succeeds overnight. Sticking to it and keeping yourself educated on what’s new and pushing forward is the key. There’s no telling where blogging is headed. Forward is all I know.

Jennifer´s last blog post..A Source of Huge Frustration

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I am always a bit scared to write in here because I feel like such a noob compared to the people that frequent your blog but I am going to brave it.
I love blogging and started it at the right time. I dont contribute any where near as much as I gain from the blogging community. I see blogging becoming as natural in our everyday routine as texting has become.

melanie´s last blog post..Coffee and a chat…

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Oh I forget I really love your tagline, “It’s MY Blog, But It’s All About YOU”

Just too awesome!

Yan

Yan Shall Blog´s last blog post..Ask My Readers #2 - Read At Your Own Risk

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I think the future of blogging is more self-businesses and blending profits with passion.

I think more people will sell what they know and sell their services or productize themselves through information products.

In today’s world, there’s a global market of little nodes on the Web where individuals can change their lives.

J.D. Meier / Sources of Insight´s last blog post..Design a Routine for Exceptional Thinking

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I wish I had started much sooner. I am just now discovering the joys of writing almost everyday. It is an amazingly quick and efficient way to share your knowledge, views etc.
There is however quite a steep learning curve especially in the web 2.0 realm. I just can’t get my head around twitter!

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I am fairly new to blogging (6 months young) sometimes I feel like an old veteran like I’ve been around for so long. The amount of learning that comes with blogging is amazing. Darren also said “learn how to use the basic technologies” I still have trouble figuring out what are the basic necessities and what are luxuries to add later. It can be very overwhelming.

Dee Langdon - BloggerNewbie´s last blog post..The Elusive Comment

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