So, it has been a while (nearly 2 years) since I last tapped away on my keyboard and added some content to this site.
I don’t really expect anyone to read this post given it is just my ramblings, but I need to post something or else I may never get started again.
I purchased this domain name back in 2005 and it is fair to say this site has had many highs and lows when it comes to traffic. Just a couple of years back I was seeing numbers like 40,000 unique visitors a month. Today, well, let’s just say you can drop a zero off the end of that number.
What happened to my traffic, you may ask? Given the content I had historically posted, solutions to error messages and how-to IT content. The rise of AI had a significant impact. That, plus some changes by the algorithm gods and my lack of posting, all added up to where this site is now.
So why haven’t I posted for nearly two years? For a long period I have been struggling to see a future for this type of website. The world has changed significantly; people less and less hop onto Google and Bing. Instead, you just ask an AI of your choice your question and there is your answer. While I do the same and can’t argue that it is generally quicker to get to the answer or get the job done quicker, case in point with this posts feature image. I do feel something is lost. Where are the personal touches you find in a blog post, where is the humanity?
Being on the other side as content creator, when you know your content has been used to train a model that is now draining your traffic, it can be very demoralising to keep posting. I found myself asking questions like, is blogging now dead?
I had considered selling the domain. I am barely covering my site’s running costs with the ads! But I have been running this site in one way or another for over twenty years now. There is a lot of history here and a very personal connection.
I came back to asking myself the question: why did I create this website? The answer has always been to learn and create content that helps fellow IT professionals (or geeks). I honest think this site still has a place in the new world and I can still help.
So what’s next for this site? I will be keeping the site running.
Beyond that, there need to be some changes. The world has changed and this site needs to evolve with it. What that means at the minute, I have no idea 🤣. I am going on a journey; if you would like to join me, please consider signing up to my shiny new newsletter (form below)
The plan I have at the moment revolves around building my traffic back up, becoming less reliant on the algorithm gods, and while the goal of running this site has never been to get rich, the monetisation model needs to change. I hate ads as much as anyone. If I can cover my costs from elsewhere, that would be cool.
What happens next? Expect new content! I’m going to start working on my vision for what I would want this site to be as it moves into the next chapter of its existence.
If you would like to join me on this journey, please consider subscribing to my mailing list where I intend to provide updates on what worked, what didn’t, and I will be as transparent as I can on my stats and numbers.
I would love to hear your views, are you a blogger/creator in the same position? What would you like to see from this site going forward? If I were to start selling products or services and removing the Ads, would you be in to that?