Blogging

I recently gave up on another blogging network (not Blogger), where I had been writing for a year or so, not because of their format or layout, but more from frustration.  Clearly, the majority of users simply copied and pasted photos, cartoons and editorials from other sources and truly original writing was at a minimum. All that was needed to get hits, likes, and comments was to post pictures showing nudity, guns or motorcycles.  I wasn't there to browse porn, and I had no interest in the latter two subjects.

If I thought I had anything like an interesting or unique perspective on a topic, I'd post a piece, and unless it was either anti-gun or anti-GOP, all you could hear were crickets.  Worse, it appears that basement-dwelling internet trolls have been reproducing by the millions - worse than cockroaches - and if you received an insulting response, guaranteed there would be several more within a day, from their followers.  I first experienced this back when Yahoo debuted 360º, and people would engage in group trolling and reporting.  Things got so out-of-hand that Yahoo couldn't handle the traffic, between trolls and abused users, so they simply dismantled the service.  By the time I got fed-up with the current network, I had blocked no less than 900 users, because I didn't have the time and energy for their pinheaded rants, much less their hatred.

If someone I followed posted something original (interesting, beautiful, thought-provoking) I usually gave them a thumb-up and a response.  It's sort of like being a musician, many of which don't always receive compliments when they perform something nice. If I'm at a bar, I make a point of talking to them at break time and letting them know someone is enjoying their efforts.  Not only do they appreciate the feedback, but they frequently invite me to sit in with them.

So, then I figured why not share some of my original music. I've recorded over 50 songs and I'm currently working on my 5th album.  None of it was written with sales or commercial potential in mind; it was purely a labor of love.

For the most part, I might just as well have posted an article on paragraph structure or insurance, because response was slim to none.  I figured, hey, at least if I was performing in a bar, I could actually SEE whether people were enjoying a song, or not.  Worse, my music database logs hits and downloads, so I knew SOMEONE out there was listening, but comments?  Nada.

I guess I'll just stick to Facebook/Blogger, where I know my contacts actually read postings.

Hey, don't get me wrong. I got nothing against attractive models and political cartoons, but some of us actually know how to operate the keyboard, beyond CTRL+C, CTRL+V, and LOL.

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