After some 460 days and 227 posts I have decided to throw in the towel with this blog. I’m just no longer enjoying trying to maintain a blog.  Initially I thought my continuing disenchantment was to do with what I term the ‘blogging game’, the you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. I’ve really began to dislike those comment boxes filled up with meaningless ‘passing through’ stamps, as bloggers do the rounds. I’m fed up with bloggers who are so busy bemoaning their escalating Google Reader count that they don’t even have the time to answer a question that has been posed in their comment box. I’m no longer surprised that the names of the authors who operate ‘popular’ blogs are the same names that are so often seen lingering below other peoples posts.

But I’ve realised that the ‘blogging game’ is in fact just a mild irritant for me. What blogging has always been about for me is striving to interact with other people. I’ve wanted to put thoughts and stories out there for people to consider and challenge. Back in the days when my blog was more newsy and political I managed to get that to happen occasionally. But as things have moved on and some of my favourite bloggers have bowed out, I feel I have just been peddling along waiting for, hoping for, something to spark.  It is time to concede defeat.

But I’m not leaving blogging land for good, as I’ve decided I’m going to be one of those most rare of creatures. I’m intent to become a full time blog reader. I’m going to go and live in other peoples comment boxes and try and gain what writing my own blog so often failed to deliver.  So don’t be afraid to throw a few crums downwards if you see me loitering about in yours.

As I’m always one for a long term plan… I shall keep this site up in a basic form, so people who click through can view a small ‘about me’ (when I write one), contact details and I may if I feel really strongly about something post the odd bit of writing too.  Which sounds like a comeback already I know, it really isn’t, I’m just saying the odd piece might appear every month or two, but just as likely that won’t happen too.

James

P.S. As I’ve gone through and turned all my archives to private it has been very interesting to see how my blog has developed over time.  I honestly think my blog was so much more interesting at the beginning, full of varying and interesting content even if it was a little on the fly.  Reading some of the earlier posts just reminded me how much pleasure writing blog posts used to bring, and confirmed how much it hasn’t done recently.

(Image:drl)