If you are my long term reader, you might notice a pattern here – I blog ON and OFF. I am not a consistent blogger, and let me tell you why.
1) Blogging about personal life does not benefit readers
I have loyal readers. I easily identify them because they are the people who stab me in the ass if I don’t update my blog. “Hoi! update blog leh! my main source of entertainment woh”.
The truth fact is, I am only providing a pure source of entertainment to the readers. And by entertaining my readers, I have to sacrifice my own effort and time,which brings up the next point.
2) Requires significant effort and time
Updating entry takes serious effort and time.
I’ve been blogging since the day I came to Australia for oversea study. I’d say probably four years of blogging experience (took blogging more seriously the last two years). Since I’ve graduated, and planned to move back Malaysia. My blog topic would not be as exciting as during my stay here in Australia.
On top of that, blogging became a habit during university life. It gives me temporary “escape” from daunting university tasks.
In hindsight, I am not benefiting myself in terms of income or reputation. That amount of reputation and income do not justify the effort and time I invested.
3) Limited space for improvement
Sufficient to say, blogging had benefited me. I’ve learn a lot from blogging. English became my mother tongue, and I am half ang mo already. The only thing is, I am not able to speak fluently. I blame myself for not practicing enough during my stay at Australia because all friends from Malaysia 
The biggest benefit I gain from blogging – able to write proficiently in English. Albeit I am not a world class writer, I am able to express what I meant. I am grateful to acquire this skill, which enables me to explore my to way around the internet freely.
And around internet, I found exciting events where I see opportunities to expand my growth and put my knowledge to test. Mainly the internet lifestyle, what I always wanted.
One of my best female friend, Cassie, knows I am choosing this path, says, “It’s so you, suits you 100%”
4) Communication with readers
The past four blogging years, I am grateful to meet some awesome blogging friends. I definitely won’t have the chance meet up with them without blogging medium.
I still remember four years ago, my main purpose of setting up a blog is to keep my girlfriend updated (friends and family starts reading my blog). Subsequently, Friendster appeared, followed by Facebook. Needless to say, I do not need a blog to update my friends and family anymore.
Besides that, I have many lurker readers. Lurkers are people who read blog and rarely leave comments. When you meet up with the readers, they remember every posts I have written. In most cases I forgot what I wrote, hahahaha. I am flattered. Seriously. This brings to next point..
5) A good blogger connects with the readers
A good blog involves a lot of interaction between author and readers, but only if the author is able to write well and convert readers to take proactive action, example, “please leave comment and tell me what you think”. If readers swamp your comments, that is a good chances you are a excellent blogger.
My point is, I am not able… to… pull… out.. this.. ^^; I tried asking questions in past few posts. And result is?
I only get 1% of reaction from my readers. 100 readers visited, 1 reader leave comment. Seeing a low reaction from readers, I wonder, do I really connect with my readers?
Conclusion
I might stop updating ahbing.com. Its not a statement yet, but I won’t deny the possibility of shutting down this blog in near future.
The worst case scenario would be updates with less effort – no photo edit, no proof read, and only photo with captions.
My main efforts will divide into projects and websites that bring solutions to readers, and possibly revenue for myself.
Three more months until 2010, I want to achieve something significant in 2009. Maybe my first million? HEHEHEHEHE.
Question: If you own a personal blog – what has the blog benefited you?
If you do no own a blog, how does a personal blog benefits the author?
Leave comments.
Update: Some readers claimed errors in leaving comments. Please use cBox on the right while I investigate the error.
Update#2: Comment errors fixed!
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{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
Ahhhhh…. You want close your blog meh?? Dont lah, I like to read your blog leh, Ah Bing Teach you How to Cook…. Is very interesting, somemore your wording is very funny, you bring me a lot of fun when reading your blog..
Aiks! seriously closing up ur site?? O.o
Answer: Eh…don’t know ler. I just enjoyed drawing and I’m happy when I make people happy with my stuffs
i tell u y i always dun leave komen. ur comment box always manyak problem. sometimes need register, sometimes just error, until i give up long time ago
(although now ur komen box very efficient la ehehhe)
actually i got many more points i want to raise, but i lazy type. we on msn OK. =D
blogging about personal life is not a waste of time lah, it’s like a diary, u record down ur pieces of life, then u get older and u review back ur life, it feels so good when the memories flash back to u. it’s a good way to keep ur heart young. sometimes pictures can’t capture everything, but words can, a blog can!
so don’t close down ur blog lah, don’t think it as an entertainment to ur readers, should consider it as ur future entertainment hahaha.
PS: i don’t have much readers and comments pun i tak mau stop!
Dont ba~!~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (it says my comment too short leaving only 2 words, terpaksa use exclamation marks)
Do not stop blogging! Instead, you should keep it up! No Bing No Fun!
blogging is nvr a waste of time..is like a diary of your everyday life..i tend to forget stuff nowadays..sometime i couldn’t even remember what i did the night before..> < (ehhhh..me like ah sum like tat lehh..talk so much…hahahaa)
Ceh! U r trying to create attention and traffic here! LoLz
Seriously, I did met alot new frens around and increase my social networks.
Hi! ahbing =) hehe… y wan stop blogging lerh? aiyo… I’m ur new reader worr & I like to read every single posts u write, very entertaining xD. Don’t stop lah!
Blogging is not a waste of time ah, it will help me release my stress by expressing it out especially when a person like me who’s too shy to express feeling in front of my frens lolss -.-
Haha~ like sharon said, it’s pieces of your life so that you’ll remember them when u grow old whether it’s sweet or bitter memories (^_^v)
I’ve kept a personal blog for over 6 years now and the one thing that I’ve learnt is that it is a testament to your own individual growth.
There was a time when you blogged for your own self, not for others. In one of my older posts, I wrote once and it still applies now. Blog for yourself, write for your readers. Everything that is about your blog is your own reason of being, more so personal blogs. However, write it in a way that your readers can understand as well. Personal blogging is the epitome of self-expression. You can’t have the same kind of freedom if you’re in a specific niche.
Personal blogging happens when you WANT it to. Unlike niche blogs, that feed on readership, you blog because you want to, not because you’re obligated to. After all, it is your blog and your life to begin with.
Personal blogs have plenty room to expand on because it isn’t tied to any specific topic. For those of us who have personally blogged for years, it becomes a story to tell. Like all stories, you can choose to improve it over time. Beautiful storytelling about one’s life is perhaps the pinnacle of personal blogging achievement. Few have reached that far.
huh???u r shutting down the blog???i juz found & read ur blog only ler…hahaha!!!
so u will b permenantly stay in kk after grad???looking for job in kk???
em. hi there.
Ans:
i keep my blog not for the sake of letting the whole world to swamp in. personally i would like to share it with close friends, to connect with each other by words. n sometimes post my own thoughts when i’m emotional or hyper.
facebook n friendster aren’t good ways to keep true friends update i suppose. it’s only a social machine. like things more personal, i won’t shout-out in fb. i blog instead. i prefer to put on effort to post photos 1 by 1 in blog even though fb provides auto uploader u see.
so blogging meant more like a diary to me. would u say writing diaries is merely a waste of time?
the matter of closing down ur blog depends on how u want ur blog to present to the readers. =) have a second thought!
Blogging is all about 4M – Make passion, make friends, make fun, make money. It totally depends on which M you put at the 1st place.
Cheers dude.
Thanks for the kind words, constructive comments, and effort to stop me from stopping blog
You guys remind me one of the reason I started to blog – keep ahbing.com as an online diary. I still remember laughing at my older posts.. and I love that feeling.
I’ll continue blogging – sparingly
I’ll write long posts when I am free, and a short posts with lines of captions when I am running short on time. Probably squeeze my last effort to blog a entry about recap of weekly activities. (Similar to a post I’ve written, ‘Recap of Week#38 and Week#39′)
See you on newer posts
不应该停止写，至少我是这样子认为的。你可以多写写自己的感觉，让部落格成为自己和自己对话的最好平台。我很常回顾自己写过的东西，总是会有那种为什么我当时会这样子写的感觉，让经过了日子的历练的自己来评断过去的自己是否正确。我大部分的时候都是为自己而写，没有任何形式上的枷锁，我想怎么写就怎么写，有许多说不出的话可以透过文字来抒发，对我来说那是最好的解放，我喜欢你的风格，你有你独到的幽默。比起那些天天只会自拍的博客们，我喜欢的是你这种看了会叫人会心一笑的文章。老实说，我从开始接触部落格以来都是你的读者，你是我最初写部落格的动力和效仿对象。我现在找到了自己的方向，我想你在启蒙方面或多或少影响了我不少。和你比起来我的部落格的游览次数更是少的可怜，你可说是我最常留言的常客了，我不需要太多的留言，只要有人真心阅读我所写下的点滴我就已经很满足了，这些年来谢谢你了。我希望你能继续写，不难看得出，你的周围充满了珍惜你的努力的朋友，他们绝对值得让你为他们继续写下去。
其实有时候我也觉得我应该放弃。
但是我没有。我当作写部落格是我的写作练习。太久没有写字，拿起笔来根本不知道怎样下笔。我很怕，如果没有部落格，以后连汉语发音都不会了。
至少是纪念生活的一部分。以后翻开来看一看自己的“威水事”，难得笑一笑，偷笑以前的自己是多么的幼稚，蛮不错的。
还有就是，至少我拥有部落格后，难免生活会多姿多彩（一点点啦）起来。时不时得到某某戏票免费看电影，写写影评。时不时出去见见网上朋友，交流交流。学到的也不少。
真的。不要停。
或许可能少一点update，但是不要停。
不应该停。
BooNMiNG´s last blog ..FM 988 Radio Interview
@ryanozh – (hope you don’t mind I reply in English) “你是我最初写部落格的动力和效仿对象” – wasehh.. I float after you say like that.. don’t praise me too much. Praise too much I will become lin si lin yong wan.
@BooNMiNG – I agree with you. “我当作写部落格是我的写作练习”. I am using this blog as a medium to improve my writing skills. Now I have a better place to enhance my writing skills, that is why part of my thought is to “abandon” this blog. But then, “以后翻开来看一看自己的威水事”，I totally agree with that
This one reason is enough for me to continue writing.
i fell in love with your blog not long ago, please please please don’t shut your blog :<
i treat my personal blog as my best friend because i don't have one in real life. when i'm sad and happy, i share everything in my blog and feel much better after that. i get excited when there're strangers who read me and kind enough to leave comments. btw, i see some people found their soul mates in the blogsphere. so i want to try my luck also. haha!
I agree with you about the time wasting aspect. My personal blog serves a different purpose. It’s more like a diary to me, instead of entertaining my readers. Probably that is why my personal blog is so much less effort. xD
But no matter what you do, I am sure you will know what is best for you & your future.
Regards & thanks for such a mind boggling post
I am very impressed with your writing skills.
@jen – ok no shut no shut! continue to love my blog ok!! hahaha. btw you seriously treat you blog as best friend? I can be your best friend, let your blog be your close friend only la!
@Jason – I proof read this post many many times, took me 90 minutes to finish this entry. But it’s a good post nonetheless, got many controversies. I even get emails ^^; “NO Bing you’re fucking wrong!” lol. Thanks for the support buddy, you know me well
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