A few weeks ago, a user posted a message that was, apparently, his or her last on Soulcast. In it, the user described how he or she was fed up with all of the false appreciation and endless suscribing some users had to do to become popular.
I, for one, have to agree with this user. In my opinion, Soulcast has become somewhat of a clique-style blog site; that is, an inner circle exists that enjoys immense popularity because all of the inner-circle users comment and respond to the other popular members. Newcomers, as well as users who don't suscribe to many other people, are often left in the cold.
Folks, I've written six pages of blog entries, just as much as "Heartwalker," a popular user on blogfeast. (The following is not a personal attack on Heartwalker; I am simply trying to prove a point.) In my opinion, both of our blogs have good material. However, whereas 21 users suscribe to my blog, 73 subscribe to Heartwalker. The difference? I, myself suscribe to 28 users, while Heartwalker subscribes to 186.
I've talked about this before. Most users, in their comments, have told me that this is simply how things go on Soulcast. On soulcast, perhaps, the standard is that users have to subscribe to other users, even if they never read the blogs of those users. However, on sites like Blogfeast.net, there is no clique atmosphere; everyone is friends with everyone, and because there's no "featured posts" page, everyone has equal say.
I appreciate being subscribed to, but I don't appreciate it to the point where I feel that I need to subscribe to many users, some of which I don't really consider being good enough posters to merit my subscription. (Once again, this is not an attack on Heartwalker. I'm not singling anyone out here.) Yet, I feel that I can only have a successful blog if I subscribe to everyone I see, in hopes that their subscriptions to my blog, as a thank you, will boost my rankings. At the moment, most of my posts only have 3 or 5 views, though, lately, I've had some luck with 30 and 40-view entries.
All I ask is this. Read some of my work. If you like it, subscribe. If you don't like it, don't subscribe, as what good is a subscription if it is only meant to make someone feel better, and not to express that a person truly enjoys the writing of another?
Thank you for your time. Heartwalker, by the way, the reason I subscribe to you is because your posts are excellently written.
Broncostar posted on Oct 14, 2006
| views: 553
Comments
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secretlife said on Oct 14, 2006....
Here's the thing-
No matter how many you subscribe to, or how many subscribe to you, it means NOTHING unless people read you-
I don't buy into all that talk about subscribing blah blah....popularity contests - blah blah...
Just blog- do it about what you want to talk about. Ultimately, whether you continue or not is about whether you get something out of this or not for YOU.
Read what interests you- you'll find folks here you will want to read over and over.....and those you subscribe to- or not. you get to decide.
I read and subscribe to people who are not subscribed to me.
BIG DEAL.
LOL....it's about what i get enjoyment from...the rest is just petty bullshit. Who has time for that?
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secretlife said on Oct 14, 2006....
Here's the thing-
No matter how many you subscribe to, or how many subscribe to you, it means NOTHING unless people read you-
I don't buy into all that talk about subscribing blah blah....popularity contests - blah blah...
Just blog- do it about what you want to talk about. Ultimately, whether you continue or not is about whether you get something out of this or not for YOU.
Read what interests you- you'll find folks here you will want to read over and over.....and those you subscribe to- or not. you get to decide.
I read and subscribe to people who are not subscribed to me.
BIG DEAL.
LOL....it's about what i get enjoyment from...the rest is just petty bullshit. Who has time for that?
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CreativeWoman said on Oct 14, 2006....
I agree with Secret. I subscribe to blogs that I find interesting. A big factor into the the number of blogs I subscribe to is directly related to the amount of time I have to read them.
Friendships have developed here at Soul Cast. I run no campaign to have a popular blog. I write from the heart about some deeply personal things. Fortunately, I seem to have developed a following.
I won't apologize for that.
CW
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ALIENated said on Oct 14, 2006....
I subscribe to everyone in my quest to take over your
world ... I mean ... ah ... SoulCast.
Seriously, it is just a numbers game. Have fun with it.
You cannot fight it. You have to play the game by
the rules no matter what the game is, or you will
lose. This game is not about good writing. There are
probably better places to post most kinds of writing.
I am not sure what the formula is for drawing attention
here. It is certainly not good writing. Good meaning
serious novel-type writing. This is a place where people
just talk about themselves, their lives, their politics,
their religion, and their sex issues. And they rant and
rave about SoulCast and its failings, but they stick around
anyway. I think it is a more adult-oriented site where
people would rather converse than read or write long
stories. If there is a success formula here, it is probably
posting subjects that spark conversation. My biggest
flops have been posts that required no comments and,
consequently, had no views. However, I figure your
post here is just meant to spark conversation. So I
guess my sermon if for naught. Write on.
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missb said on Oct 15, 2006....
I have to agree with all of the above. I don't subscribe to everyone who subscribes to me either. I don't care about popularity, although I do want some comments and feedback from others.
What ALIEN said about the formula is also true. You write something that will spark conversation and debate. I kinda have a hard time reading very long posts or novel-like posts as well. Anyway....
Cheers ;)
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CreativeWoman said on Oct 15, 2006....
I think the conversation aspect that ALIEN described explains Soul Cast perfectly. If what you post sparks conversation, then you will have subscribers.
Lord knows, I am no Hemingway and I don't claim to be.
CW
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RollingC said on Oct 15, 2006....
writing for self-satisfaction is the only reason I write....
some things I just wanted to get off my chest I guess... if I tried to write for popularity...well...I think I'm better off not quitting my day job...
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cricketsoda said on Oct 15, 2006....
I agree with you on some points, but I like the fact that the more you put into it the more you get out.
People who post a lot of comments on other people's blogs deserve to have more people reading and posting on theirs.
I'm making this comment because I want to state my opinion, but I also hope that you will earn enough respect for me to come read my blog also, and perhaps even leave me a comment!
This post was on the featured page! Good writing, and good luck!
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MikoFabulous said on Oct 15, 2006....
I completely understand your frustration. I sometimes pour my soul into posts that I stay up all night writing. I do it because I love to write but I also want to share that with other people and bouce it off them. Then when they barely get read and I see other people make posts about the fact that thery're coming or going or just that they've made it to page one (yee-hah!) I find it really discouraging. That maybe my trying to reach out here on SoulCast isn't effective. So I really do hear you.
But I also do like subscribing to others. I adore discovering new bloggers so that their work will get more attention. I like to encourage people that I believe produce quality content to keep writing. I also am very flattered when someone subscribes to me, I do notice when the number goes up and I check to see exactly who it is. I take it as a compliment that they like my writing or what I talk about, or simply as a gesture of friendship. I really enjoy some of the regular commenters to my posts. That's what keeps me writing, knowing that even when strangers wont be reading my writing these people who do pay attention to my work will be keeping an eye out for me.
Hope this helps.
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Tinkerman said on Oct 15, 2006....
What you said about the community is sad but true.... But what you feel about it is even sadder!
Hey, blog for yourself, not for the sake of having the most number of subscribers!
So what if you have thousands of subscribers tag to your blog but none actually read your blog entries religiously?
This is a platform for us to air our personal views about anything under the sun. This is NOT a popularity contest! Get REAL!
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Absatou said on Oct 15, 2006....
Are you satisfied? 11 comments!!!! lol
I don't care whether people are reading my posts or not. My main concern is to express myself.
Just express yourself & forget about the rest. :)
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sweetsoul said on Oct 15, 2006....
Lots of good comments.
ok I subscribe to 12 maybe 13 people. I haven't bought into Adsense. I don't have time, nor the interest to read 100s of people's blogs.
Do people blog to be popular or blog because they've got something to say? If you're blogging, treating it like a diary then what does it matter if any one reads/comments? If you want to have comments, be popular than that should affect what you write..
Personally I enjoy reading and commenting on blogs that interest me and of those I know or have come to know. It's never going to be a poularity contest for me.
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silverwhisper said on Oct 15, 2006....
i've been subscribed to you for some time but frankly, i never comment b/c nothing you've written to date engages me. my interests are pretty different from yours, it would seem. i'm fairly certain i've never seen you subscribed to me, let alone comment.
at the end of the day, the real difference b/n you and me however isn't about content: it's about # of posts vs. # of comments. i subscribe to a large number of people and yeah, i do read most of what they have to say. and if i'm interested, i'll comment on it. lately i've had comparatively little to say in my own blog.
my subscribing to someone isn't about popularity. neither does it mean that for hunter, jade or any of the others to whom you're subscribed. if you would ask them these questions, you would have known that already.
subscribing is just a way to try to keep track of what someone says, by using the my users tab.
i find it very funny that you're bemoaning cliquiness when you've continued to use the bunnies tag despite having several months ago claiming you would stop doing that.
ed
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Astrapsee said on Oct 15, 2006....
Of course we blog for self-expression; at the same time obviously we like to be viewed & commented, otherwise we'll be writing private diaries eather than a blog.
In that context, I think if Soulcast becomes too cliquish, it'll be to its own detriment. There are other sites & if a large number of people feel they are not getting attention they'll move to other sites. Ultimately, that would mean a small group of people ending up constantly reading each others posts, & after a while, that'll become repititive, more a chat room than a blog site. So I am sympathetic to Bronco's observations.
I liked Soulcast for its anonymity & vitality; myspace is exactly what I don't want Soulcast to be, opnely for friends to keep in touch & not a total community, Xanga is too teeny & Yahoo 360 is a monumental failure in my opinion. As many others have noted however, the vitality seems to be waning. And one way to rejuvenate the site is to attract newcomers, not ignore them.
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the_infernal_optimist said on Oct 15, 2006....
I think it's rather juvenile to be bothered by the popularity aspect of SC. I blog because I have something to say, not because I care who or how many might read it. I do hope people find my work interesting, and I love reading other people's thoughts, but I'm not going to cry if I never make it to the first page of popular members, you know?
Many popular members are very well-spoken, and therefore attract a larger following.
Also, like others said, it's a community. I try to spend at *least* as much time commenting as blogging, and I find it easy to do, with so many interesting people and posts here. The more you respond to others, the more likely they are to respond to you.
I use subscriptions to come back to people I have enjoyed on multiple occasions more easily. It's not in hopes of getting subscribed to by those people, and I daresay most popular members feel the same as I do on that (not that I'm popular, lol).
Content and friendships are where it's at. :)
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Bronx said on Oct 15, 2006....
Broncostar, you don't have to be a Bronco Billy (remember Clint Eastwood?: subscribing to every blog) to get read. It's a growing process; you get better with time. Sure, it can be annoying to see nobody making comments or even reading your work. So, write more about it, like you have now. See the result?
By the way, have you visited me yet?
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RollingC said on Oct 15, 2006....
good point bronx...how many comments made and places visited ....I wonder?...takes time there's so many people in this place...
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missfickle said on Oct 15, 2006....
I think as much as most people write because they enjoy it, there is an ego inside all off us, and nobody who writes can help wanting other people to read it, it is a very natural process. Read then write, write then read. Its' obviously the essential ingredient of any blog site.
The feature's page, can cause competition, and initialy there is a little buzz when our blogs are displayed, however gradually you meet like minded people and the need to be featured pales into insignificants.
Everyone is 'right' (no pun intended) release your ego, write because you enjoy it, there are so many people on soulcast it would be impossible to read everyone's blogs everyday, by the power of synchronicity the right people will read your blogs oneday.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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rmuxagirl said on Oct 15, 2006....
I write fo rmyself like a lot of people have said. I don't get alot of views or comments, but I am greatful for the ones that I do get. And I don't let that stop me from writing here or on any of my other blogs. I think one of them....gets no views but I dont care.
Write for yourself not anyone else....that just takes away from the point and JOY of writing.
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Broncostar said on Oct 15, 2006....
First, thanks to everyone who commented. However, at the same time, I find it unfortunate that only controversial posts like this seem to attract users.
In the past, I, myself have subscribed to other users in hopes that they would subscribed to me. As it ended up, that seemed to work, leaving me with mixed reactions. I was happy to get more subscribers, but unhappy that I had to pretend that I was interested in other bloggers. Take that as you will.
I understand that I may sound like a whiner. However, I do not feel that the above post is simply me overreacting to the fact that I have to subscribe to others before they will subscribe to me. To be honest, I'm one of the users who cares very much about how much adsense money they earn. I'll admit that. I also enjoy seeing other people read my blog, as I do not post merely to keep a personal diary, but submit entries that I feel will be interesting to others.
I could care less about how many subscribers I have; however, as people with more subscribers generally have more people viewing their blog entries, I find, in turn, that I must pretend to like other blogs in order to attain views. Thus, it's not a "popularity" problem, but instead the problem of attaining views when I don't often comment on the blogs of others.
Since starting a blog on Soulcast, I have expanded the sites I post on to three others. Out of those three, Blogfeast.net is my favorite, and I now consider that my favorite. Unlike Soulcast, Blogfeast's main page exhibits the most recent posts, not the ones with the most views. That means that EVERYONE has the chance to have their entries read, whether or not they are a well-known name. After all, users with more subscriptions often have more views of their posts; thus, the same users get on the featured page, time after time, and block out lesser known members of the community.
As for Silverwhisper's comments, I looked at every single one of my posts on Soulcast and could not find a post in which I said I would stop using "Bunnies" as a tag. Furthermore, my decision to use "Bunnies" had little to do with popularity. Let me quote something from the post in which I said that I would use Bunnies as a tag.
"Amidst the sex and money-driven posts on Soulcast, those dealing with erotic fiction and your desire for cash, we need somemething that makes this blog site human again. Seeing "Bunnies" up there as one of the most popular tags would mean that Soulcast DOES have a soft heart, instead of just cold-blooded fantasy and lust."
My use of "Bunnies" is humor-based. Silverwhisper, I find that your posts are well-written, but, like you said about my posts, I am not personally engaged by them.
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silverwhisper said on Oct 15, 2006....
broncostar: it was in a rare comment to someone else's blog, IIRC. as i said: it was a while ago. if that blogger stopped commenting a while ago, the blog entries might not show anymore. that said: it's entirely possible i misremember. it certainly wouldn't be the first time, nor would it be the last. :>
IIRC, we're different ages, we have different priorities. if we did find something worthwhile in one another's writing, that would be the truly surprising thing.
ed
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TheNakedProfessor said on Oct 16, 2006....
I subscribe to 21 people. 91 people subscribe to me so
far. I am not trying to be popular. I'm trying out ideas.
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Weird_World said on Oct 18, 2006....
Hey Broncostar,
Is it me you talking about?? That does sound just like me anyways...
Anyways if you talking about me...I decided to stick around, I counted the votes and the majority wanted to preach my sermon on soulcast...which is not a good thing I do know...
On the other hand if it is not me you were talking about, this is the blog I wrote before you it seems...I am giving you the link because if you are seeking popularity then I have given the rules how to get it...Ok I wont give the link, that will be bad manner...But its called..."Blogging at "soulcast" uncovered..."
To tell you the truth, I dont write anything good here...anything good goes to my other blog ID on other sites...I write the crap here now...
Thats the demand of the hour my friend, write crap here...make it interesting...
Look you got the blue-blood of SC society commenting here coming down from their ivory towers...you should be proud of youself...
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TheNakedProfessor said on Oct 19, 2006....
Of course, sometimes it's difficult to judge our own work - and that which we might think is "good" is sometimes boring, and that which is off-the-cuff and spontaneous is sometimes the most engaging. So maybe SOMEBODY is actually putting the "good" stuff here inadverently....?
- taking a break from the tower.
P.S> my tower is ivory and ebony
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