@Chett: Nice to see that your blog is taking off! So, good luck to you too!

@Tess: I know, I have had the same thing with my Google Reader feeds (and still do, for many of the remaining ones). Even though I don’t read a big part of them, it’s still hard to cut them out, either. I think that it’s probably harder for bloggers like you and me, because we know how precious the RSS figures are to other bloggers (and us, no matter how we rationalize about them).

Thanks for the bug report too, I’ll try to fix it today :)

@Nick: You’re right, reading and writing is not the only means of connecting online. Video can actually be a perfect next step, just because you can’t skim through video. The medium kind of forces you to concentrate.

It’s funny that that used to be one of the reasons why I almost totally ignored the idea of video blogging, and now I see it as one of the biggest pros for the format. I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with — and maybe I’ll post some video some day too :)

@Danny: Thanks for making my point even clearer! Yes, I’m sure our market is smaller than the mass market looking for quick fixes. But it’s probably big enough because posting less gives us time to focus on both the quality of the content we put out and the quality of communication (Although I haven’t done a good job in that lately). Like Seth Godin says, 1,000 real fans is enough. And if you do something remarkable, you will in the end be able to find those 1,000 people.

@Jess: I’m here! Sorry for disappearing. I promise to try not to do it again :)

I started out as a daily blogger. I loved the content I was producing in the beginning. But the blog became a burden and the quality of my posts just couldn’t compare to the ones I produced in the first few weeks. As time went on, my posts became fewer and further between until I nearly gave up on my blog.

Recently, my post frequency seems to be leveling at about 1 every 2 weeks. This gives me time to for inspiration (which, incidentally, is what my blog is about. Try writing about inspiration when you’re not inspired.) And, I can also keep a few drafts on the canvas, instead of pushing them out before I fall in love with them.

I think there will always be readers who want mass quantities of fruitless information, and there are millions of blogs to appease them. But, for the rest of us, you have a different vision. It’s a minority vision, but I believe there’s a strong market.

And, as an ‘insanely interested’ person myself, I think your niche is pretty clear. Not everyone is insanely interested in everything, and those people probably won’t understand your niche. Those who do understand this overwhelming yet gratifying condition will read every word.

I think that the trend towards reading online is a process that’s already occurring naturally, backed by the increase in mobile Web use and spurred on by the decrease in newspaper and magazine subscription as more readers crossgrade to the screen.

Reading online won’t be without its contenders. There’s a lot to be said for video content as a means to explore, educate, and have fun, and I think much of it’s untapped right now. While video is not always convenient for all and though it’s far more time-consuming and expensive to produce, the barriers to entry in the semi-professional video world are lowering all the time. I think that — for all the talk of interactivity — the Web is still a largely passive, one-way experience, and publishers owe it to us all to find new ways to consume and enjoy news and information whilst maintaining accessibility and without sacrificing value.

There are also typographical challenges, design considerations, and technological improvements that still need to be addressed to encourage more to read and watch online. Much of it’s already happening behind the scenes and trickling into upcoming products and services, which can only be great news for content publishers and readers alike.

Whatever the shift in reading trends and mediums, one thing’s for sure: it’s an exciting time to be connected. Congrats on the new blog and I look forward to reading about what’s in store!

I want you to know that as I read through your post, I started sitting up straighter and straighter, paying more attention, and in the end I was almost cheering. This is the kind of blogger I want to be – quality not quantity.

I think there’s an extent to which I feel some loyalty to people on my Googlereader feeds, but I have to accept that I will never read them all, so I’m going to go and cut down right away. And maybe prune my blogroll, or simply not publish one.

Thanks for this articulation of something I’ve been feeling for some time.

On the look of the site – I think it’s great, but on IE version 6, which we have to use at work (I am on lunch break, I should add!!) you have to scroll to reach the right side of the screen, which I presume isn’t the intent? I’ll check it on Firefox when I get home tonight.

I has been a little while since I have commented on your blog. I just wanted to give you an update and thank you for the advice you gave me on starting a blog. I finally got one up and running. Good luck with the new site.

middleclassdream@wordpress.com

That’s definitely something I need to work on as I try to market my writing beyond the existing reader base from my other blog. It’s something I had forgotten, so thanks for the reminder!