Is all publicity really good publicity? I wrote this post a while ago. The only comment I got on it was to be happy about the hits and quit complaining. But why do I still feel like complaining?
Somebody please tell me why it is such a good thing to have traffic – any traffic – to your site! It’s not like I get paid for every hit. In fact it’s quite the opposite: I pay for my bandwith. This site is not free. I have a limit on my bandwith per month. Not that I’m anywhere near hitting the limit with the current traffic – I’ve gone over just once, and that was due to a meerkat stampede, so it had nothing to do with the blog. Beware of meerkats!
I have no problem when people come to the site trying to find some information that is relevant to what actually is here. I’m always glad to see infertility related searches and I always hope that I could provide the answers. I do not mind hits from other blogs that link here. This is a blog. I want people to come here and read what I have to say, whether they agree with me or not.
That’s why I have a problem with these hits. They are not coming here to read what I’m saying. They are looking for a (nonexistent) picture of female anatomy that’s main function is to feed babies. They are not interested in my blog entries. I can see from my stats that most of them go away after they find out the pic is nowhere to be found. Some are more stubborn and try to dig it out. Well no luck, even the link is gone now. Nobody of them has ever gone to explore the blog and possibly even read the things I have written.
I do not want these hits. Why should I want them? Why? Why is it a good thing? And the answer can not be that because get hits. Then why should I want hits? What is the purpose of hits if they come here for the wrong reasons? It’s only eating away my bandwith for the month and none of them are likely to ever come back.
Oh, and while we are on the subject: What is it with all these blog reviews. Why do people submit their blog to be shredded to pieces by some wannabe critic? Well, I suppose it gives them a spike in hits. Why would you want people to come to your site just to see if it is just as horrible as the reviewer said it was? Of course it could happen that you get a good review, but those seem to be few and far between.
And that was just on the ones where you have to submit your blog before it get reviewed. Don’t get me started on those who trash blogs just for fun. I’ve seen too many times that the infertility blogs get awful reviews because they are honest. Infertility is not pretty. It is also not something you choose for yourself. It is really, really hard to understand to those who have never experienced it. But these dimwits think it is fun to laugh at someone going through the pain of IF. But hey, at least you get the hits!
Trying to Stay Sane 
I can see your point of view there. Some publicity is just useless publicity.
Bea
Perhaps you should look through the Google help section, to see if you can unlist your site for those keywords. I don’t know if it’s possible.
I don’t know what blog critique sites you’re referring too. I guess it’s often easier to criticize the efforts of others, than to be creative yourself.
Then again, criticism can be useful, for instance to help others to make decisions – what movie to watch, what resources to trust, …
The blog trashers are cyberbullies, pure and simple. I’d almost wish they would have to walk a mile or two in one of our shoes. Almost.
Lut, I did not want to say any names out loud. With my luck the link would pop up in places where it shouldn’t. But if you Google “I talk too much” you should be able to find a site. You have to submit your site to be reviewed.
The place I hated with passion seems to be out of bussiness. The one with trains and wrecks. They attacked IF bloggers for no good reason whatsoever. I’m glad they are not here anymore. But I’m quite sure someone else will take their place. As there seems to be so many people who actually enjoy this shit.
And I have to check Google if I can get rid of that association.
Hello. I understand what you mean about not wanting hits just for the sake of wanting hits … and just so I wouldn’t be yet one more anonymous hit, I thought I’d come out of lurking mode and comment. 🙂 I ended up here because you’re in a blog explosion battle and, by the way, I voted for you. I’ve found many cool and interesting blogs that way and while I don’t always have time to read everything, and I don’t always comment, that doesn’t mean I’m not interested in what the people (including you) have to say. And I also agree with you about people who submit their blogs for review only to be ripped apart. I’ve been tempted on occasion, but then I’ve seen what happens to other people whose blogs are well written and entertaining, but some “reviewers” apparently thought it would be fun to hurl insults at them. I’ll never understand that.
So … anyway, keep blogging! You likely have fans you don’t even know about. But mostly, blog for you.
PJ, thanks for your comment! And yes, BlogExplosion is something I have chosen to participate. I’m well aware that most of the people ending up on this site are just here for the credits, but at least they know they are coming to a blog! I know I’m going to blogs to get me some credits, but I usually try to read each blog a little during the mandatory wait period. Unless it’s a blog I’ve been to before and found that I do not like the place.
It’s always nice to know someone reads what I have written! I know most people just read and rarely comment. And that it’s impossible to tell how long somebody stayed on your page if they only land on one page. Hey, even right now there are several posts on just the front page. Even if someone came and just read all that it would take some time. But in my stats it looks that they stayed one second. No way to tell.
And I’m blogging for me. This was the case especially in the beginning, when I felt the need to write out my feelings about IF and treatments.
But thanks again for your comment! It really means a lot.
Great blog! That looks like a small town! You can write about your LOVE! I am having a contest for Valentine’s Day. Check it out on my blog:)
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