I started blogging in 2002.
Since that time the question I’m most frequently asked by strangers at parties who hear what I do has changed 3 times.
- what’s a blog? (2002-2004)
- how do you make money blogging? (2005-2008)
- you still blog – doesn’t everyone Tweet these days? (2009-2010)
I wonder what’ll be next?
Haha! I love the one about Twitter! All my friends have started using Twitter and still have no idea what a blog is.
Hehe, when we set up our web design business in 1998 I started cold calling companies who’d benefit from a website and hadn’t got one. People like real estate agents, financial advisers and tourism related businesses.
So many of them asked:
What’s a website?
Then when I told them said:
No, we don’t need one of those!
Or
Oh, yes, my gardener’s going to make one for me.
Whoops, not the best marketing strategy and funnily enough I think real estate agents are still scared of the Internet and have failed to embrace it as the powerful marketing too it is.
One question I would ask is if Blogging still a lucrative business and if big blogger still making $30,000 and $132,000 per month…?
i’ve been thinking a lot about that for many years. i’m going to go with personalised semantically generated webpages. personalised bots that scour the net for information based upon your user behaviour. that’s my bet. but what do i know… maybe the next thing will be http://www.ephman.com (shameless plug).
ephman
haha,
i was curious about how you can make more than $1000 just by blogging :-D
I think the next question would be:
Have you met anyone famous through blogging?
,,,,,if they didn’t know you were like the most famous one of all…LOL :)
With the popularity of Twitter, Facebook, etc, it will most likely come full circle to “What’s a blog?”
You’re a blogger and you get invited to parties? :-)
LOL – only occasionally!
Once when I was doing my masters and wanted to internship, someone asked me, if I would like to work in web development. At that time, I said no. I didn’t know, how big the web business is. :)
I wish that time comes back now, and I ll make the right choice.
I think the question should be, what is mini-micro blogging?
I have gotten bitten by the blogging bug, actually it was more of a wild blogging animal. I believe it is called a blogopotumus, and now I can’t stop writing my rediculous drivel each and every day.
Do I make any money? No. I haven’t monitized.
Do I go to parties? No, I am busy blogging.
Do I have some followers? Yes, and eventually I will build take a page from ‘Pinky’s’ play book and try to take over the world.
Extremely Average
http://extremelyaverageone.blogspot.com/
“What’s the next big thing once we get bored with Twitter?”
Andrew
Surprisingly enough a lot of people are still asking me the first question, that being said I do have an Uncle who thinks there’s no point in email…
Ha, I always here the same thing, “What’s a blog”?
Wahaha…that is quite a tiring tasks of answering questions over and over again wahhaha!
I have just started blogging and I have to say it is good fun but not making any money from it…yet!
The next question will probably be ‘Cool! How do i do that?!’
Wow, some parties. I just get asked ‘would you like another drink’ and ‘will you have sex with me?’
Twitter or other microblogs are usually just a gateway or notifier to get people to the real content. I believe Twitter is educating users to become very impatient. Microblogs are like Twenty20 Cricket and blogs are test Cricket(soul of the game).
Blogs may not stay the same but I believe they will continue to always be an important tool, i think video will play a part in the future of blogging. I agree that blogging needs to take on a new form, and I think that there is a need for some smart convergence.
Let’s not act like if we finally found the best thing since sliced bread – and that would be Twitter…
Haha, you just tell them that as soon as you can make as much money tweeting as you do blogging that is when you will make the switch. :)
That’s interesting – when I bring up blogging, there’s always someone who’s like “hey, I always wondered how one goes about getting an audience, how does that work?”
Do you get “how” questions besides the “make money ones” at all? I always thought people could intuitively identify with blogging if they had the slightest ambition to get a myspace or facebook profile seen by just a few more people. I’m probably wrong about that thought, but I do run into a few who seem to have had something like it.
Funny how fast technology world is changing. It’s no more predictable. When I just started in IT industry, when I use to tell people I am software professional, people used to expect that I can fix their hardware problems ;)
Next question would be “Is any topic left for blogging?”
Some of the questions I get:
“Are you still doing that Internet thing?”
“How do you make money from the computer?”
“Can you teach me what you do? I’ve got a couple minutes.”
“Is eBay and blogging the same thing?”
“Don’t you get bored blogging after awhile?”
Probably:
“Who are you (Darren Rowse) anyway?”
Just my 2 cents. :)
Now try to explain that to my parents..lol
“Are you still using the Internet to make cash? My robot does it for me” 2015-2016
The next question that you will get is “Why don’t you get a real job?” lol
Crazy Blogger – I think a few of my friends still wonder when I’m going to get over my little blogging hobby and do a real job :-)
Since I began working online (about 10 years ago), my reactions and questions have evolved from:
1. Cool! Is it difficult?
2. Cool! Do you make money with your blogs?
3. Cool! How much money do you make?
4. Cool! Can you show me how?
Right now, I think I’m asked “How can I create my own blog?” or “Where do I start?” more than anything else. I guess my excitement for what I do comes pouring out and most people want to drink from the same fountain… or in my case, coffee pot.
Oddly enough, the most frustrating thing about working from home now is the same that it was then – people tend to think web publishers (bloggers, affiliate marketers…) play all day.
Truthfully, I think a lot of these comments come more from a little jealousy than anything else.
I think that the next questions will continue to center around, “Can you show me how to do it?” as more people want either a second income or a greater one.
Famous blogger is an oxymoron in 99% of cases :) Though it is fun working towards it.
As Lawrence of Arabia said: Nothing is written. He may have been referring to our control over destiny, but bloggers can take it as a progression: if nothing is written, failure IS written.
To much information nowadays, Maybe some over targeted, over personalized blogging should do it. Maybe the answer was mentioned in one of your posts…which one?!
Good question Darren…
Haha! That’s funny! Explaining the same stuff over and over and over again. Must drive you crazy! The kids will be reciting it one day, after having heard it so much – and you won’t even have to open your mouth! ;)
I’m surprised I didn’t see: Do people actually make money selling ebooks?
along with..
How in the world can you make money from YouTube?
I started Blogging about a year ago, while having a day job, and now I’m devoted to my Blogs. Every two or three weeks, I get one of my family members (that Older members) with that same question: What is a Blog? They’ve seen it, they’ve read it and they’ve even comment on it – go figure, different times, different eras.
On the other side I guess the question of the future is “How to evolve you blogging”. Technology changes and Internet changes real fast, so it’s just a matter of time for the next Facebook or Twitter or Web 3.0 change to come. Will it change the way we Blog? Not to be pessimistic, but will Blogs continue to be the real thing? What do you think Darren?
Best wishes from Bogotá, Colombia!
2015-2025 top question
Darren, where’s the best place to park your flying car?
Haha, I guess in my country people are lagging behind Australia. They still ask me the 2005-2008 question.
Cool! How much money do you make? – this is the question a usually be asked by my friends. -)
When I am asked why I blog I just reply ‘it relieves stress’. Not sure if thats true but I’m new to it so time will tell.
When I am asked why I blog I just reply ‘it relieves stress’. Not sure if thats true but I’m new to it so time will tell.
Wow… I wished I had people asking me those questions. When people starts asking me questions like that, I’ll then know that I have made it as a blogger.
I’m asked what “SEO” means and then a series of other questions follows that as many don’t know about it among non-savvy guys. So, it gives me such an opportunity to introduce them to what I do and how important it is for every site to follow the SEO guidelines.
I don’t know if it is a blessing or a curse, but something beyond Twitter and Facebook will arrive soon :)
What will happen to full time bloggers then? Darren? (just joking!)
I still get “What is a blog?” followed by “Why would you do that?”
Interesting how people’s opinions change with the times. I can’t believe you don’t get, “how do you make money doing it”, or, ” can you show me how.”
I really really hope Twitter is just a jitter in the online timeline of progression…. I’ve tried so hard to engage with it yet still can’t understand why people are happy saying so little, so often, and then get their tweets lost and swallowed up in the nonstop timeline that just marches on and one…. I’m 32, tech savy (to a point) but still don’t get it…. HELP!
After some time,
Oh! Now Individuals not allowed to earn anything as an affiliate . Only companies can do that. What you are going to do? Are you planned to collect your college certificates and attend interviews?
Good post i like how you outlined alot of question we always want to ask you and im sure you get alot.
That said im glad you made this post to outline what it is we need to do after your responds to our thoughts.
Another very nice post problogger.
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Hard to make $100,000 a year from twitter.
Very interesting. That’s a new way to think about it. Thanks.
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