Blogging Suicide or Honesty?

Just in case you don’t know me. Let me introduce myself. I am Bridget, the scribbler of The Happy Quitter, and for sure the only blogger out there who asks people to unfollow my blog. Yep! I did that already a few times throughout the years, and this week I did it again.

In case you are new to blogging, please stop reading right now!

To ask someone to unfollow reading my blog, isn’t that blogging suicide?

Isn’t the goal of blogging to have as many readers and followers -we do sound like a cult- as possible? To be polite at all times, never argue with fellow bloggers, always agree because they can’t hear you swearing.

Why the heck am I so complicated? Bridget, play the game! Don’t shoot yourself in the foot?

Why do I ask them to unfollow reading my blog?

Well, mostly because I unfollow reading their blog, and sometimes, on days when I am not just a normal stinker, but an extraordinary stinker like this week, then I let them know about it.

I unfollow you, please unfollow me?

And why not? Isn’t it the same game we play when we collect followers and readers? I scratch your back, you scratch mine!

Sometimes I stop scratching!

My priorities haven’t shifted, just because someone invented the internet. I am also am a dinosaur when it comes to social media. The attempt to please everybody and never disagree and LIKE everything. Where is this coming from? It’s not real (life).

Why do I unfollow bloggers?

1. If they became boring. Constant repetion, the same pictures over and over. The same stories.
2. If they post too often -numerous times every day. For a while I click “like” then I leave.
3. If they are too negative, whine a lot and there is no progress.
4. If they are fanatics, mostly religious fanatics or political fanatics. Fanatism in every form!
5. If there is no real substance, or lack of interest on my end.
6. If they content changed drastically and doesn’t interest me anymore.
7. If they play “My way or the highway.” Which mostly means they are judgemental and not open-minded.
8. If I sense dishonesty.
9. If I ‘see’ a decline in the quality of what is being published.
10. If bloggers don’t reply to comments.
11. If they’re very self-promoting or ask for money for their content or their blogging.

As you can see. A rather small list. 🙂

I suppose people unfollow my blog for the same reasons.

I have 3,673 followers but only between 50 and 100 likes on blog posts. Guess what? Around 3,600 bloggers have decided I am not worth reading anymore. Sigh!

It sounds brutal, doesn’t it?

Perhaps they have moved on -blogging-wise, and subject-wise. Real life is more important and takes over once in a while. Possibly I have outgrown some? Surely, I was no longer of interest for many more.

We grow! We change!

I can’t help it. Perhaps I am a stinker or maybe I am too honest, too naive, too complicated. Who knows.

The posts of my favorite bloggers are informative, thought-provoking, and heartwarming. Content is king I suppose. Great photography, witty posts, great stories, new topics, great poetry, awesome writing, and interesting music. They keep me engaged and I am hoping for more.

Some people I really like and I love to get to know them better, a few I can’t stand and that should be alright as well.

As for the statistics, and the numbers of followers and readers?

Honestly, for me, it has never been about numbers -I am a flag collector. Once in a while, I go to my statistic and I look at the flags of all the different countries that stopped by my blog. Africa, Australia, Europe, North and South America, Asia. One unknown reader in Tibet always makes me smile, just like the ones in Africa.

I love so many of my readers, treasure the interaction, and follow so many interesting blogs. I have cried and laughed, I have learned a lot. But sometimes I shake my head!

The truth is I can’t like them all -and I don’t want to.

When I ask someone to unfollow me, then I probably really don’t like you and that’s okay.