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To Holiday Blog or Not, That is the Question

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 05:55:13 AM EST
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The Wall St. Journal (free link) today examines whether bloggers should blog or not during holiday weekends like Labor Day.

In the height of summer-holiday season, bloggers face the inevitable question: to blog on break or put the blog on a break? Stepping away or bringing in a guest author often means accepting a decline in readership.

....Yet for the sliver of people whose livelihood depends on the blog -- whether they are conservative, liberal or don't care -- stepping away from the keyboard can be difficult. Unlike other jobs, where co-workers can fill in for an absent employee, blogs are usually a one-person show. A blogger's personality carries the site. When the host isn't there, readers tend to stray. August is a slow time for all blogs, but having an absent host makes the problem worse. Lose enough readers, and advertisers are sure to join the exodus.

John Amato of the incredibly popular Crooks and Liars tells the Journal:

Mr. Amato rarely steps away from his site for any significant amount of time, although he finds updating the page multiple times a day exhausting.

"You become your blog," says Mr. Amato, whose site gets an average of 150,000 hits a day. "It's John Amato. They're used to John Amato."

I have it a little easier because TChris blogs at TalkLeft on a regular basis, and Last Nignt in Little Rock posts occasionally. Still, without me, ihere's a definite decline in readers.

I made my choice a few months ago. I'm going to Aspen for the labor Day jazzfest, headlined this year by Kanye West and Don Henley. Henley's been my favorite musical artist since the '80's. I never miss a chance to see him perform. In addition, Aspen Sherriff Bob Braudis is facing a challenger this election, and I want to hook up with him to figure out how TalkLeft readers can help raise money for his campaign. He's against the drug war, against undercover operations and doesn't play along when the DEA says they want to come in and do buy-busts in the town.

The weather is goregeous, and right after Labor Day, the locals clear out until snow season, which is another great time to visit.

As for the blog, given the comment problems and the site reformulation which will coming shortly after Labor Day, I don't think my not blogging for three days will make a huge difference to anyone.

Are any of you bloggers planning to blog this Labor Day weekend? Put it in the comments so people will know .

Those of us who blog 6+ hours a day need a little r & r time and this year I'm going to do it. I'll have my laptop in case something big hits, but otherwise, I'm planning on just having offlline fun.

What are you folks doing for Labor Day? Anything special?

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    • To Holiday Blog or Not, That is the Question | 11 comments (11 topical)
    Re: To Holiday Blog or Not, That is the Question (none / 0) (#2)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 05:24:47 AM EST
    It is the curse of success. Enjoy the holiday.

    Re: To Holiday Blog or Not, That is the Question (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 05:56:31 AM EST
    I'll be blogging, as I've got things to do that preclude my going away this weekend. I frequently take vacations, though, where blogging is either light or nonexistent. Since I'm an early riser and my wife likes to sleep in, I tend to get at least a little blogging done in the early morning hours even on weekends and vacations, unless I'm somewhere without decent 'net access.

    Re: To Holiday Blog or Not, That is the Question (none / 0) (#4)
    by Che's Lounge on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 06:43:22 AM EST
    Off to Baha to visit me hermano, who just got back from Europe, with a fried laptop due to the airline carry on ban. Fortunately it's under warranty. Slightly OT, who at the FAA is going to be held responsible for understaffing with a fatigued controller. SCREW THE OVERTIME! Will the mucky mucks again get a pass? Gee, tough question.

    Re: To Holiday Blog or Not, That is the Question (none / 0) (#7)
    by Sailor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 07:13:14 AM EST
    I'll be blogging, but then I have WiFi in my marina and I'd be on the boat anyway.

    Re: To Holiday Blog or Not, That is the Question (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 09:49:13 AM EST
    TL Have a good R&R. When you get back, will you do an extended on John Mark Karr? Specifically, why did Prof Tracey have so much influence? And why do you believe that the Ramsey's are innocent?

    Re: To Holiday Blog or Not, That is the Question (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 09:49:13 AM EST
    First off take a break TL, I love to blog but I'll be in Ann Arbor watching my beloved Commodores get schlacked by the Wolverines. As for the controller it sucks he's tired as a pilot but it wouldn't have mattered either way. The pilot should have known he was on the wrong runway.

    Re: To Holiday Blog or Not, That is the Question (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 09:49:13 AM EST
    Going to visit a friend from the neighborhood doing 3-5 upstate, then to Turning Stone Casino, then to do some hiking in the Adirondacks. Gotta unplug once in awhile...all the problems on planet earth will still be here Tuesday.

    Re: To Holiday Blog or Not, That is the Question (none / 0) (#8)
    by Kevin Hayden on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 11:03:26 AM EST
    I figure I'll blog till me or the computer dies, then blog in the afterlife to leak who's gonna miss the Rapture, and why.

    Re: To Holiday Blog or Not, That is the Question (none / 0) (#9)
    by John Mann on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 11:53:34 AM EST
    I'm going to catch a couple great big northeast Pacific salmon and pull up a crab trap with a few great big Dungeness crabs in it, take 'em home, have some friends over to drink beer and pig out on salmon and crab. You're all invited.

    Re: To Holiday Blog or Not, That is the Question (none / 0) (#10)
    by Che's Lounge on Thu Aug 31, 2006 at 03:33:57 PM EST
    What time?

    Re: To Holiday Blog or Not, That is the Question (none / 0) (#11)
    by John Mann on Fri Sep 01, 2006 at 10:54:53 AM EST
    Che, whenever it's ready, sometime Sunday evening.

    To Holiday Blog or Not, That is the Question | 11 comments (11 topical)