Remember the days prior to starting your blog(s)? It was pretty exciting.

Did you read how you can make money online? How some bloggers make a six figure income?

Do you recall the stories of how bloggers used their blogs as a stepping stone to becoming published authors, public speakers, and/or well known in other ways for their work?

Today’s Lesson

I remember those days. It was just over 18 months ago.

I read a few blogs, did some online research and had a mental picture of what blogging was all about.

Boy was I wrong.

For one thing, I actually thought traffic would be easy to acquire. Wrong!

I also thought I could makes buckets of money with my blog. Wrong!

And, I thought blogging would be just like other hobbies of mine. Hobbies I dabble in, “when I feel like it” or have a little extra free time. Wrong!

For one thing, traffic building is something that takes time. Whether using SEO (search engine optimization), link building, blog carnivals social networking, or other methods. people don’t come to a blog just because it’s there.

Making money? If I remember right, it was almost 9 months before I got my first check from Google. As for the other affiliate programs I signed up for, I’ve yet to meet some of their minimums. When a minimum is $25.00, and I’ve been at this for 18 months, I know I’m either doing something wrong, or all the hype is just that, hype.

Blogging as a “typical” hobby? Not so. I can’t stay away from it. In fact, I’m addicted to blogging.

The one thing I do not remember reading about was “community”. THAT is what brings me back to my computer every morning and keeps me close by all through the day, and into the night.

It’s the people who frequent my blog. The friendships I’ve built. It’s the comments and emails I receive. It’s the blogs I find and visit. It’s the support I feel in blogosphere; the kindness, consideration and compassion.

Although it was other factors that lead me into blogging, it’s something much greater that keeps me hooked. It’s something that is priceless.

Today’s Assignment

What are the biggest misconceptions you have found with blogging?

Has blogging taken you on a path you hadn’t expected?

Feel free to share you thoughts and let us know how the misconceptions about blogging has changed your viewpoint.

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If your blog is blacklisted, you may not know it, but you’ll “feel” it.

How?

Your blog stops getting traffic and/or comments, or you’ll see a drastic decrease in your statistics.

Why?

1) You may have left a derogatory comment on another blog. All of those who read it, stop visiting you. In a sense, they are boycotting your blog.

2) You may have written a negative article that demeans another blogger.

Your name gets entered on an “invisible” list. Your blog gets deleted from dozens of feed readers. You are quickly forgotten about. Your words stop having credibility.

Today’s Lesson

When a blog author publishes a post, they are sharing their views, experiences, and often their research of a specific subject, for free.

Most of us comment, and in some sort of way are saying “Thank you”, “I hear you”, or “What you wrote really helps me or reminded me to _____ (fill in the blank)”.

Occasionally we may leave a comment where we disagree with the author or someone who left a comment on the post.

Telling an author our experience was different, can add to the content, but telling the author or another commenter “they’re wrong” is setting ourselves up for confrontation.

Confrontation, in itself is not all bad. However, if we’re consistently looking to “stir the pot” we may get tagged as a negative, argumentative, and/or egotistical blogger. Soon, no one will want to visit our blog.

In blogging it’s acceptable to voice our opinions, however, …..

IT’S NOT WHAT WE SAY, IT’S HOW WE SAY IT.

Today’s Assignment

Have you ever blacklisted or boycotted a blogger?

What was the determining factor?

Have you ever left a comment on a blog and then regretted it?