I mentioned last week in Simple Living This Week No. 79 that I have decided to fully return to old-fashioned blogging. While I’ve toyed with this idea in the past, I’ve never gone all-in on completely pivoting in another direction. Sometimes change is a slow process with multiple steps and then clarity comes all at once. At least it does for me.
This is what I wrote:
I’ve been contemplating moving back to pure blogging here. Between Pinterest, Google, and the rest, it seems like it may be the best option for me. I’ve gotten to the point where I’m not sure I want to continue trying to fight the Big Tech Beast any longer. I know this is something I’ve said more than once over the years, but it really does feel different this time. There was something about quitting Teachers Pay Teachers that was freeing and allowed me to think differently about my time online and in my home. I’ve tried to play the Big Tech game for so long and I have simply come to the conclusion that I’d rather abandon those efforts and see what God does.
I’m an idea person. I’m a thinker and a writer. I’m also fiercely independent in the good sense of the word. I do what fits my faith and value system. If it doesn’t, I’m out of there. This was the case with quitting Teachers Pay Teachers a few months ago. I did not want to participate in their anti-racism push and so I closed my store.
Prior to that, I had changed my website hosting to a free speech service so I would not run the risk of losing my online home. I want to speak freely about what I think and believe.
It was the Pinterest pivot that sealed the deal for me. I mentioned in the post I linked to above that Pinterest has gone in a completely new direction now that they are a public company. I think they are making a terrible mistake. However, they are completely free to do so and I support their right to run their company however they choose. I decided, however, that I was not pivoting with them again. I’ve invested literally weeks of my life pivoting for them over the years as they’ve changed how they do things. This time I’m not.
I’m not changing what I do here one more time for Big Tech or another outside entity. Not for Teachers Pay Teachers, not for Pinterest, not for Google, not for anyone. I still have a couple of areas of vulnerability related to online platforms, but I’m working to eliminate those behind the scenes.
So I am now back to blogging as I was in 2005. How is that different? I have a list of the ways that will happen which I will get to in a minute. However, this description of my work here is still true.
I encourage women to create a simple life of peace, understanding, joy, beauty, and faith. I am unapologetically conservative both theologically and politically. I value liberty and freedom to live quiet and simple lives.
Nothing in that has changed or will change. That’s still the core of who I am and how I approach life. What will change? Here are a few things.
- The Simple Living This Week post from last week was the last one of that series. Rather than compile a variety of topics into one weekly post, I’m going to write shorter and longer posts whenever I choose to do so. I suspect it will mean more posts that are shorter, but we’ll see how things develop.
- There will be more personal posts with no point beyond I simply have something I want to say. I have avoided those in recent years unless there was a clear reader takeaway because that was the “right” thing to do. I’m not holding myself to that any longer. This is my online home where I share my thoughts and ideas. People are welcome to read along and comment. But sometimes I’m writing it for me, not someone else. Maybe that sounds selfish, but that’s where I am.
- I still plan on writing helpful content and making helpful products. That’s also part of who I am. But that will be in the context of a personal blog.
- No topic is off limits. I’m going to comment on whatever I find interesting or important. I will continue to point people to Jesus and the truth as often as I can.
- I’m still sorting out how I want to do my newsletter.
In the end, I’m focusing on creating something I will be proud of in the years ahead. Something my daughter and perhaps her children can look at and learn from and enjoy. It’s not that I’m ashamed of what I’ve done to this point. I’m not. There is so much excellent content on this site. Sometimes it makes me honestly rather sad that it isn’t seen by more people because I do believe God has led me to write some content that can truly be life-changing. But I continue to trust that He is working in the way that He chooses.
But am I really proud of it as a whole? Do I feel like it accurately represents who I am? Yes and no. I think that answer will become clearer in the months ahead as things unfold. You’ll see the shift and probably understand these comments better when there is more context. I know what I think and see in my mind, but it can only be shown.
So I’ve jumped my last hoops. Big tech and all can carry on without me.
I sincerely hope people like the change. As with most changes in life, some of you will like it better, some will like it less, and some of you are the type to just go with the flow.
You can see that I’m remodeling things around here to make the site reflect the change in focus. It’s not all done, but I’m getting there. Rearranging the furniture is helpful in real life and I think it’s helpful online as well. ♥
I think you’re on the right track, Sallie. I’m so tired of big tech and socialist media. I look forward to reading in the days ahead.
Hi Cheryl,
Thank you for the encouraging words. I already feel happier about everything after making this choice. ♥
Sallie
I believe you are doing the right thing! I have been torn in different directions but each time I have prayed about what to do with the blog, I feel God is telling me to just keep doing what He asked me to do from the beginning. At least for the weekend posts.
Recently, I was watching a vlog that had been recommended where the young mother is also a blogger. In the vlog, which she said she films twice a week, she talked about the time it takes her each week to do the photography for her blog and get everything right. Her vlog that week was sponsored by a company that sold accessories for blogger’s photography work so it looks professional.
I’m sure there are many people who love her blog, judging by how many followers her vlog has, too. But it reminded me of everything I don’t like about what has happened to blogging. Now, many readers are expecting “professional” bloggers instead of another person who writes to know they are not alone.
Hi Brenda,
I have always admired that you have been steady and consistent in these 15+ years we’ve both been doing this. Thank you for your faithfulness to doing what God has called you to do.
I see beautiful blogs and channels out there. It’s so tempting to want to create beautiful things as well. But right now more than anything I want a beautiful relationship with my daughter and to enjoy these high school years. I cannot do that if I’m worried about producing content with a schedule or expectations. Once that became clear in my mind, it was much easier to make the choice. ♥
Sallie
I like that you’ll be splitting up the Simple Living This Week posts into individual topics/posts! That way I can hop on your blog and pick which topics interest me that I want to read(: When all the different topics were “hidden” in the weekly summaries I didn’t always read them, but now I’ll be able to keep an eye out for stuff I want to read, if that makes sense!
Hi Elsie,
Yes, it makes sense! So many times when I was writing a Simple Living This Week I thought to myself that I was really writing two or three little posts that could have been stand alone posts. There is a lot of really good information buried in some of them that will probably never see the light of day unless I turn them into individual posts. That was part of my reason for making the change.
Glad to hear it will be helpful for you! ♥
Sallie
As I have mentioned in previous comments, I am no longer on Facebook. I am only on Instagram, and I pretty much only follow my daughter’s friends, whose babies I wish to see photos of. I did look at the Gab site you spoke of in a previous post, but I’m not sure I want to get involved in to a medium that may well become addicting to me.
So…blogging continues to be my medium of choice. Sadly, though, blogging isn’t what it once was. I began back in 2006, at a sweet little site called Homestead Blogger. It was a friendly, supportive community, where women visited each other’s blogs and ending up building friendships. When the site closed in about 2012, I switched over to Blogger. It took awhile, but I managed to find a bit of community there too. But in about 2015, that changed. The vast majority of bloggers these days aren’t interested in building community—they are interested in building their blog and their income! Rarely are visits returned. I can’t tell you how many link-ups I have participated in, always visiting many other participants. Rarely did other participants visit me. It became very discouraging, and I abandoned blogging last year.
Early this year, though, I started a new blog, and now, though I would love to have some readers, I write mostly because I want to leave a legacy of faith for my children and grandchildren.
Blessings,
Patti @ Leaving a Legacy
Hi Patti,
Blogging has definitely changed. There are still old-fashioned blogs out there, but you have to look for them. Have you read some of the other posts I’ve written about old-fashioned blogging?
I think there are a couple of reasons why there are fewer comments today. One, people are accustomed to simply hitting a like button and moving on. It takes actual time and thought to compose a reply. We’re a half to a full generation removed from the original rise of blogging. A lot of women today don’t even have a frame of reference for life with blogs and without social media. To them it is normal to hit a like and move on.
The second reason is because reading blogs and writing a response takes actual mental energy. There are plenty of articles regarding how our attention span has been impacted significantly by the constant scrolling and quick hits of dopamine from being online. I’m an avid reader and I find that I struggle to sit down and quiet myself with only a book. If it has impacted me, I can only imagine how it is for those who never read real books and have only known a life of scrolling.
The third reason is simply time. I confess I read many blogs and never take the time to leave a comment. I’ve tried to narrow my reading down so I make more of an effort to leave comments at least occasionally on the blogs I do read. But I still fall way short of what I would like to do.
I’ve thought about putting a list of old-fashioned blogs I read in the sidebar, but there isn’t a WordPress plugin that does it like there is with Blogger. I can enter them as a list, but they won’t update as people update their blogs. It’s ridiculous that WordPress got rid of that feature. If I had the money, I would hire someone to develop a plugin for it.
I hope you find enjoyment in your new blogging! ♥
Sallie
https://sallieborrink.com/tag/old-fashioned-blogging/
i have been wondering where I read the list of cozy websites? or was it blogs? and I hope you can list them somewhere accessible, I am sorry that I didn’t take the time to write them down. Yes. I still use paper and pen. Thanks
Hi Melinda,
The lists I put together are in these two posts.
Enjoy!
https://sallieborrink.com/cozy-blogs-im-reading/
https://sallieborrink.com/more-cozy-blogs-im-reading/
And I’m still almost all paper and pencil/pen as well. LOL!