Blogging went mainstream in the mid 2000s. When I started, in 2006, there were a good number of RV travelers that already had blogs. It was something new, something fresh, and the bubble of people getting into the RVing life in those years were quick to respond. In our first years on the road, (2007 – 2008-ish) the vibe was that every RVer needed a blog. In fact, there were seminars at rallies that expressed that very sentiment. Blogging rapidly became a fad, something expected, something assumed. But, like all fads and meteors, expect it to brighten and fade.
Since many bloggers were/are in it for the social networking aspect, it seems a natural evolution for blogs to migrate to tools designed for this purpose. I'm referring to today's more convenient and less time consuming options for keeping in touch with your “peeps”... Facebook, Twitter, etc., which now seem to be the locus of the “look at what I did today” bunch.
It's also possible that I'm looking at a generational phenomenon here. We've all seen a pickup in the number of younger working-age folks who have become RVers and are able to earn a living while they travel. Groups like RVillage and Xscapers are the new generation of travelers with their own methods of keeping in touch, while my circle of reference is a collection of old fuddy-duddy blogs.
In any case, it's not a surprise that the blogs of RVers are fading away. Sure, there will always be a hardcore few, but the bubble will deflate, and the world will continue to turn.
5 comments:
Mine is running on the down side after 8 years now. I am finding less to write about that is not a repeat of a previous event. Missing a day or a few is now becoming a regular event for me and the blog. After all how many "beautiful red rocks" can you write and interesting blog entry about. The third time I went to the Grand Canyon was definitely less interesting than the first and I am finding lots of things like that. It is interesting watching the RV Blogging evolve.
What about RVers using routine 'what I did today' and postcard blogs as a way to get started, and then, after a year or two, evolve in the direction of personal essays? After a long lifetime on planet Earth, have they not learned something that is worth sharing? At any rate, they must be able to offer opinions more worthwhile than CNN or FOX.
I'm interested. Any come to mind?
It is very frustrating to find anything. Just try searching 'personal essay' or 'periodical essay' on the internet. It feels as futile as picking through the flea market at Quartzsite. It takes so much forbearance to sift through a big pile of crap, strike out 500 times in a row, and finally get a little lucky.
Lots of current active blogs still at www.hitchitch.com
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