I’m sorry blog excuses

Twan recently apologized to his blog instead of his blog audience for not blogging and I am wondering if this is a common thing to do. A search on “I’m sorry blog” provided the following results:

  1. Google: 3,730
  2. Technorati: 1,889 INACCURATE results (despite defining the EXACT phrase)
  3. Live Search: 915
  4. A9: 912
  5. Blogpulse: 177
  6. Yahoo: 160
  7. Altavista: 160
  8. Ask.com: 153
  9. Lycos: 153
  10. Alltheweb: 122
  11. Bloglines: 40

Here is a selection of the posts as indexed by Bloglines:

I’m sorry blog
I’ve not given you the attention you deserve. Don’t be jealous, but I’ve been setting up/working on a few (6) other blogs at the moment.
Don’t worry, I’ll be back to you soon. With a new theme (better) soon. I just need to get the other blogs launched and running and set free.
I miss you too. (5 and 42)

He left you for six others and never came back.

Dear Blog
I think you should know I’m cheating on you. I’ve been blogging with another, bigger blog. The HarperTeen FanLit Blog.
I’m sorry, blog. But I never promised you a rose blog. (Susan Juby)

She cheated on you, but after a three week break she decided she wants you back. You don’t have the voice to say “no” blog, so you had to take her back.

Sick
I’m sorry, blog. I have been neglecting you for the last few days. I was pretty sick on Sunday and Monday. (sjabbour)

She was sick but two days later she was recovered and gave you frequent attention again.

I’m sorry, blog…I didn’t meant to neglect you…
It’s been SO long since I posted here. Wondering where I’ve been? Well, mostly working. (A Wireless Estonian Adventure)

He is probably still busy working because he has only come over to you twice since he wrote that and it’s been a few months since he posted something.

Belated WonderCon stuff
Today Comics Worth Reading posted about how blogs are like pets in that they require daily care and maintenance. Which makes my blog… pretty much criminally negligent. I’m sorry, blog! :( (erysimum)

Would he treat living animals different than you blog?

back from the dead
It’s really annoying when people that maintain blogs write about nothing but how they never write in their blog. Sadly, I feel like I’ve become one of those people. But I’ve been busy, truly busy, and when you become busy you have to prioritize. I’m sorry blog, but you’re just not that high on the list. And besides, you never call anyway. (thecorch.com)

Would he answer the phone if you called blog? Because he has caller ID and since you’re not that high on the list?

Merry almost Christmas
Vacation is good for the mental health, but bad for the blog. I’m sorry blog that you haven’t got blogged on very much despite the greater abundance of time I have. Please don’t give me coal for Christmas. (the Blarg)

He prefers to spend his holidays with his friends and family instead of you blog. Are you a substitute friend?

Saturday Nights All Right
here’s some very quick sketches i did in painter a few saturdays ago. i don’t know why i saved them but i did and when i opened them up tonight, weeks later, i felt it was time for an update. it’s been way too long, i’m sorry blog, i’ll try to be a better blogger. (mixed vegetables)

He’s been keeping stuff from you blog. Is he now openly sharing everything with you again?

I’m sorry, blog.
I’m sorry for neglecting you lately. I’m sorry for not writing about interesting things that happened because they didn’t feel so interesting or because I didn’t write about them when they happened and afterwards it felt “too late”. ‘m sorry for not being sure how to say what i wanted to say and for taking a lot of bad pictures the last few months. ‘m sorry for blaming it on the camera
I need to get back. To blogging, to doing cretive things, to not just work all the time and think about money. Yesterday Ez asked me what was the more important aspect of a job for me right now – fun or money – and my instinctive answer really freaked me out. There’s more to life then this.
So, to motivate me and lift my spirit, I decided to join NaBloPoMo, the national “blog every day” month. No only that (why do I never make things easy for myself?), but I decided on a few other things too.
By the end of this month, I will have written a post every day.
By the end of this month, the blog will be full of posts which all have a crafty topic. It can be about a project (old or new), a crafty venture, a link to a site, an illustration, or maybe even a tutorial. I’ll do my best. (NaBloPoMo)

She has plenty of excuses hasn’t she blog? Can she only share important things that burst with creativity with you? Can she only share things with you the day they happened?

War is Hell
And another thing, also familiar to those who’ve been reading this blog for the entire year of its existence — oh no! I totally forgot to celebrate the first anniversary of my blog! I’m sorry, blog. I will have a belated birthday party for you this weekend. (Linda Without Borders)

I noticed she didn’t throw you that birthday party but she’s blogging extensively about war, Korea, politics so maybe she was demonstrating somewhere.

Google?
Sad news. My flickr page has pipped my blog from the number one Google find for my name. Worse, Google ‘Katie Molloy’ and the link here is via a 2-year-old post which ranks a measly 8 or something.
I’ve neglected my blog and it’s about to die. Sad news indeed. I’m sorry blog. (Blogs for Bunnies)

After this post she turned her back on you and you died. Katie is happy and alive as you can notice from her Flickr pictures.

a conversation with my blog
Look, blog. I’m sorry I haven’t been around lately.
It’s not you. It’s me. I mean, it used to be so easy to write you every day.
Yes, I know you’re still right here … waiting. I know you haven’t changed … but maybe that’s the problem.
…No, I’m not seeing any other blogs.
Well, okay … you’re right, I owe you the truth. I’ve spent too much of my life with you to be disingenuous.
I am writing someone else. But … it’s not a blog.
It’s a book.
Yes.
You didn’t know I swung that way?
Well … now you do. I’m writing a book. I’m sorry, blog. No, you’ll still see me! I’ll be here. Just not in the same way. I know. I know it’s hard, blog.
The book?
It changes its name a lot, but right now it likes to be called “Adverbs are Sexy.”
You think that’s a stupid name? You’re just jealous, blog. No, actually I DO think adverbs are “sexy.” My book is not “fat.” Blog, you are being unreasonable. No, seriously, this is not attractive. Blog– Blog, shut up. Blog!
I’m out of here. I’ll write you again tomorrow. (jenisfamous)

It looks like you have won blog, her book is not out yet, but she is still writing you.

There are a few interesting points to point out from these few examples:

  • The blog is refered to as something human, an intemate partner almost. There are a lot of references to cheating, abandonment and neglect.
  • The reference to “here.” The blog is somewhere waiting (in the browser, in blogspace) for it’s owner to visit, to come by and write something.
  • Blogging is seen as a onesided initiative “you never call.” I personally feel my blog is calling me all the time to enter it’s blogspace and write something.
  • A lack of blogging is not necessarily correlated to a lack of time. Vacations and an abundance of time can cause a lack of writing as well.
  • There is a time and importance measure and pressure. Only create and important things can be blogged and that must be done preferably on the same day or else it is “too late.”
  • Most bloggers did not permanently abandon their blog after this excuse post but some of them did. Their sorry post is the last post they ever wrote and the first one visible when visiting their blog.

Have you ever apologized to your blog (instead of your blog audience)? What was your excuse?

15 thoughts on “I’m sorry blog excuses

  1. My blog and I are in counseling and really working through some things. My blog is quite passive aggressive (always giving me looks), but I’m trying to be more sensitive to his feelings of abandonment and neglect. Even though it looks like I hold all the cards, my blog exerts his own subtle influence. It’s looking like we might stay together but I’m not sure we’ll ever really be happy.

    Thanks for weighing in. The recognition meant a lot, especially to my blog.

  2. I am glad you two sought professional help but I am wondering if you could pin down what it is that gives your blog its own subtle influence?

  3. anne,

    Ok, so I’m not exactly famous but if you don’t mind, I’m going to run with it.

    Blogging and my blog…ah, the heartache and fame. If you need a research subject on blogging, I’m all yours. Though I think my blogging has more to do with my commitment issues. Kidding.

    I think it actually deals with the fact that I read blogs and wonder why I should repost something just to post it myself if I don’t have anything to add. But than again, I know I would have something to add if I would post it. In the end, I think I’m just not cool enough to be a decent blogger. That or the fact that my grammar and spelling is an embarrassment to my English degree.

    Anyway, I’d be happy to discuss my struggles with Social Media/Web 2.0 even though that I actually advise client strategy for Social Media for clients at my ad agency. I know…the irony is nearly tragic.

  4. Anne,

    I’m the author of http://estonianwifi.blogspot.com and I thought it was hilarious that your catalog of I’m sorry bloglines included mine! You are exactly right; I’ve been working TOO MUCH!

    The good news is that like other people who don’t have enough time to blog on their own, I’ve joined up with friends over at http://www.blogadilla.com, so we can keep the content fresh. Come check us out!

    -Heywood

  5. Herb: I share your thoughts on not posting when there is no feeling of added value. I personally don’t post things that have been posted before unless they are of direct value to what I have to say.

    I try not to think about the English grammar and spelling too much. Writing in a different language than your first language is always hard and I think people will understand that framing your thoughts in a second language is more difficult than when you can write them down in your native tongue.

    Maybe blogging in your native language is an idea? Or why did you decide to blog in English in the first place?

    I decided to write my thesis and blog in English because the amount of people who can read my things and discuss them is so much larger than when I would write in Dutch.

  6. Heywood: Thanks for your comment. Why did you decide to retire from estonianwifi? Is it because you no longer live in Estonia and you have moved and living a new life?

    Or was it time for a completely new initiative which included different topic coverage and collaboration with friends? How is collaborative blogging different from indivual blogging? Is it easier to keep content “fresh” because you know there are eight other people who post things?

    I also run a collaborative blog with friends about New Media but I sometimes have the urge to post a post on both the collaborative blog AND my personal blog. I use this personal blog as a kind of research diary which causes cross posting sometimes.

  7. Pingback: Anne Helmond

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