I need your advice. Now that my blog is a month old (happy anniversary, precious obsession!), I’m thinking it might be time to update the “About” page. WAY easier said than done.
My About page gets a lot of visits, which makes sense, cause that’s how I scope out other blogs. I want to know: Will this blogger say anything that’s of interest to me? Do they take themselves too seriously? Have they recently discovered the F word and think it’s the coolest thing EVER? Now that I know this page is a popular destination, I realize it deserves more thought than I gave it a month back.
The blogs I’ve perused on WordPress display ridiculous diversity when it comes to these intro or summary pages, so they don’t provide much guidance.
- Some of them are kind of boring – “I like to garden and read” (although I love both);
- Many are basically bio’s: here’s where I worked, here’s how many kids I have, here’s a picture of my cat;
- Some have statements of general blog philosophy “I only report the bright side” (can you say denial?);
- A few contain admonitions not to say anything mean or controversial or political or whatever in their comments (I’m not clicking follow);
- A surprising number of people don’t have any tabs that provide context or background or personal info.
Most, it seems, are less personal than mine. I’d spill my guts to a Basset Hound walking up the sidewalk if he gave me a welcoming glance. I’m annoyed by the ones that aim for a mysterious persona, revealing little, and the ones that seem downright paranoid, like if we know what state they live in, we might come stealing their tomatoes or using their wireless. And God forbid we should know even a first name. Now that annoys me. Who are you?
But then, I guess we all get to make our own choices; that’s what this blogosphere world is about, isn’t it? I shouldn’t judge. Sometimes it’s amusing to guess what a blogger’s name might be. Like, you can tell a Margaret from a Zoe, right? Then again, I suppose there are some Margarets out there who are hoping to become Zoes, so that could throw off my name game. I know for a while I wanted to be a Wendy — that was before the burger joint and was probably brought on by Peter Pan.
Anyway, if I don’t watch out, I’ll have to create a new page for “ramblings and digressions” and post this one there. (That, really, is what my “occasional essays” page amounts to.)
So, my point here is, what about you? If you’re a blogger, do you have such a page? What do you include, and why? What did you consider adding but leave out, and why? If you don’t blog, what would you put on your intro page if you started one? And whether or not you blog, what do like/expect to see, or what drives you nuts? And just out of curiosity, if you don’t use your name, how come?
Thanks for your thoughts. And don’t worry, I’m just looking for some input. My blog obsession won’t lead to a grand announcement of my updated About page. The neighbor’s Basset Hound, however, is going to hear all about it in excruciating detail.
Writing with Spirit 
Sep 27, 2012 @ 19:47:36
I have a kitchen-sink philosophy with my About page: I threw everything at it. 🙂 But mostly it’s about why I started the blog and the kind of things I plan on putting in it; I figure that’s what visitors are most interested in.
Sep 28, 2012 @ 21:51:24
That sounds about right, but of course what I planned on putting in it has been rapidly and organically evolving. “Eclectic,” one friend kindly dubbed it, which sounds better than unfocused. : -)
Sep 27, 2012 @ 02:16:42
I find, in retirement, I have way too much time on my hands. I discovered blogging only about a month ago with my first post being Aug 29, 2012. I know very little about setting up, customizing or enhancing a blog. I’ve been a computer geek since IBM released it’s first IBM PC in 1978.
I’d been complaining about the flack and heartburn photographic forums generate and was looking for a better way to strut my stuff while hooking up with like minded people. My best friend suggested a blog. Then, a kindred soul with a number of blogs repeated that I should be blogging. The rest, as they say, is history.
I’m learning on the fly about blogging but have spent 42 years learning photography. I’ll not bore you with my knowledge of blogging then but will invite you to take a look at some pretty pictures of the Pacific Northwest that I’ve posted on my month old site.
You have an easy to read style going on at your place so I’ve bookmarked it and will be returning as a regular follower. Keep up the good work. – Bob
Sep 28, 2012 @ 21:49:20
Thanks, Bob! So our blogs were birthed about the same time. You are certainly ahead of me, because I have been afraid of computers since they first came on the scene. In the month I’ve been doing my blog, I’ve taken more initiative with this creature that’s supposed to be a tool than I ever have before! I, too, had friends urging me to blog, and I’m loving it. It’s a lot more work than I imagined, though. I’ll pop on over to your site – thanks for the invite, and the kind words. Melanie
Sep 28, 2012 @ 22:06:21
I got into personal computers on the ground floor. My employer, McDonnell Douglas, in St. Louis, put together a task team to teach their 45,000 employees how to utilize the first IBM desktops presented for home/business use. I’ve been a computer guru ever since. It works for me.
Sep 28, 2012 @ 22:17:56
Right place, right time! Sounds great. I will learn this stuff eventually. Thanks!
Sep 26, 2012 @ 20:37:51
Funny you bring up the anonymity issue – I just had a friend express grave concern for me after seeing how much personal information I have on my blog! I explained that most of my favorite blogs go into lots of detail, and are upfront about their identity, but she did make me second-guess myself enough to lose my last name and any indication of where I live. But in general, I tend to be rather trusting, and am willing to take the small risk of sharing myself online for the big payoff of fellowship with a community. I too would spill my guts to a stray basset hound.
Sep 28, 2012 @ 21:55:28
I totally get that. Just so you know, though, your last name is showing up on your email address when you comment. Does my email post on your blog? I think when you’ve got kids, it’s much more complicated. You do have to be careful, I’m w/ your friend. Because I hope that this blog will one day be a platform for my stuff, and a help to the dozens of agents and publishers I will have searching for me, I kind of have to use my name. That might take a few months, tho. ” -)
Sep 26, 2012 @ 10:33:32
Interesting question. I never thought much about the About page (Profile on Blogspot), but you raise interesting questions. In the world of blogs, we’re used to jumping into reading in medias res, the equivalent of opening a book at random and expecting to be able to understand what’s going on. The About page is like the dust jacket. It’s the author’s chance to give us a little information about him/herself, and a brief résumé of what we might expect to find within the e-pages. Maybe I’ll have to put a little more thought into mine. My blog is pseudonymous, but that doesn’t mean it has to be anonymous.
Sep 28, 2012 @ 21:58:38
Oh! Nice analogy. Love the dust jacket. And I don’t have to worry about giving away too much of the plot, since I have no clue what’s going to happen! Thanks for the feedback
Sep 26, 2012 @ 10:07:41
I don’t use my name so that I can write and not worry as much about an employer finding it and using it against me, so my kids can be safe from being teased or ridiculed about what I write, so my spouse’s employer can’t use what I wrote against my spouse. It is more of an attempt at a little protection. My about page is bland for pretty much the same reason and because I’m still trying to find my “voice” blogging. I think judging whether to follow or read a blogger based on the contents of the about page is short changing one self. I don’t decide to read a book based on the contents of the authors bio on the jacket. Just my two cents
Sep 28, 2012 @ 22:04:14
Good thoughts, Mr. Front Range. And true that voice is way more important than the About page. I could tell you that I’m part of the academic elite, and you would only need to read a few sentences of any post to see that isn’t true. I won’t bother to say, “just be yourself” – a tad obvious. I just imagine myself telling a story to my friends at a pub or something. Thanks for commenting!
Sep 26, 2012 @ 09:30:36
I have a little wrote on my “About” which is kind of my philosophy on life. I don’t use my name because I like the anonymity. I understand what you are saying (and you’re a very good writer by the way), but for this answer I have to go back to the basics that we are all different. We’re using WordPress for various reasons and our blogs reflect that fact. I think it’s just that simple.
Sep 26, 2012 @ 09:34:50
thanks, other mother (I could use another, mine’s gone on & left me here to deal)! Philosophy is good -I’ll check yours out.
Sep 26, 2012 @ 09:48:31
I just lost my mother this year. Your reply just gave me the thought that maybe that’s why I’m blogging. Filling part of the void.
Sep 28, 2012 @ 22:06:29
Oh – so very sorry to hear that. Mine passed four years ago, and that’s the reason I ended up going back to school for a masters in writing. I think telling stories and connecting is hugely important. I, for one, felt as if I were becoming someone new after Mom died – would never be the same. I need to write to figure out who that new person is!
Sep 29, 2012 @ 10:18:12
Thank you. It’s interesting that you write that you felt you were becoming someone new after your Mom died, because that’s exactly how I feel. And oddly enough, or maybe not, I feel as if I’m becoming a better person.
Sep 29, 2012 @ 16:31:11
I agree. I feel as if Mom took up a certain amount of space in me, and now that she isn’t here, the space is filling with something new. And it’s a wiser me who is filling that space. Life is more precious now, and I’m full of gratitude. I wish you well on your healing journey, and I’m glad you’re writing.
Sep 29, 2012 @ 20:25:27
Thank you gentle, kind Melanie. The best to you.
Sep 26, 2012 @ 08:40:26
Don’t obsess about it, Melanie. The About should give people a feel for the author. I think what you have now does give a sense of you.
Sep 26, 2012 @ 08:51:27
thanks, Bill. Obsessing is where I get my writing energy, for better or worse! Once I start writing about something, I’m off and running – this year, it was Willa Cather, Marco Island and Eleanor Roosevelt. Now it’s my About page. : -) Thanks for following!