I’m not talking about any actual anime today. In fact, I,m not really talking about much. Just getting some feelings out so I can look at them properly and move on. This might not be for all my readers. I’ll get back to the good stuff tomorrow!
I want to talk a bit about how the anime WordPress community is shifting a little towards other platforms and why it’s not really for me.
For those of you who have been reading this blog for a while, you have probably heard me say that one of the reasons I started it, and one of the biggest benefits of this blog, is that it allows me to interact with other anime fans which is something I like. I don’t really have the chance to do so otherwise. I find it stimulating and just plain enjoyable. So thank you to all of you who allow me to do that. I really mean it.
WordPress has always had its ups and downs when it comes to community. Some periods will get more bustling with new bloggers coming in and shaking things up. People talking to each other, starting projects. Then other periods sort of calm down. Bloggers disappear, the community gets quieter. I would say that overall, there has been a slight decline in activity over the years but it’s generally an up and down.
But I have noticed something like a push towards other platforms. A few years ago it became commons for some bloggers to announce that they would no longer be visiting or commenting on other people’s blogs either due to lack of time or because they wanted to really focus on their output. It’s not everyone but it did happen with a few long-standing bloggers. Others didn’t quite announce it but effectively just did it, either only sticking to their own blogs or visiting the ones of close friends once in a while.
And this is fairly common now. At least it seems more common than it used to be. I remember when bloggers that didn’t at least occasionally comment on other people’s blogs and read and liked other posts were a super rare exception. Now I feel like they might be 50% if not more. The way bloggers view WordPress has become much more of a showcase for their work rather than a community.
I’m not saying this is a bad thing. It really does allow bloggers to concentrate on their content and put out great posts regularly. As someone who likes great posts, that’s a plus. But it does make the overall WordPress community a less…communal experience. And I could be wrong but I think it might also be tougher for new bloggers to stay motivated.
What I have seen instead of those earlier interactions is a push by a lot of longstanding bloggers to increasingly communicate and interact through Twitter, Discord or both. Bloggers will still use their blogs for long-form posts because that’s really the best venue for it. However, stray thoughts or stream of mind musings as well as actual conversations are going on on Twitter or Discord and probably other places I don’t know about. It’s getting pretty common for me to have people respond to my posts on Twitter instead of liking or commenting on my blog.
The move makes sense. Both Twitter and Discord allow for more real-time conversation and feedback. It creates the feeling and dynamic of an actual conversation in a way blog comments just don’t. It’s more personal and reactionary. It’s also easier in a way. I’ve noticed that through some unspoken rule a lot of people are less formal and less detailed when sharing thoughts over Twitter or Discord. They can just throw out a few words where they feel like they have to craft a proper and well thought-out paragraph on the comments.
Both Twitter and Discord are just far more practical platforms for real-time interactions. And they really should be as that’s what they are primarily designed for. It’s what all their features and mechanics are there to do. Prompt discussions.
And I am really not suited for either.
One of the things I have mentioned a few times is that I am an introvert. A lot of people identify as introverts but only about 25% of people actually are. And I am rather extreme at that. I find a lot of social interaction pleasant but sort of exhausting. And yes, that absolutely includes online interaction. I do enjoy it and I genuinely get very happy when I’m invited to participate in anything, but I can’t always keep up with it. And I do feel bad when I take a step back. Sometimes, I just got to do it.
To be clear it’s not that I’m shy or dislike social interactions, it’s just that for me, it’s a bit like Pizza. I really like Pizza and I’m always up for a slice, but if I eat a whole pizza in one sitting I’ll get sick and my stomach will hurt for a while. And then it’s going to be some time before I’m ready for more pizza. Does that make sense? It made sense in my head.
I also tend to like debate and discussing issues in a bit of detail. Not everything needs to be an essay but I’m not big on small talk. When I see someone mention that some show is the best anime of the season, I really want to know why they think that, maybe see some screencaps find out which character is their favourite and what other shows it reminds them of.
For all those reasons, trying to shout down trolls on Twitter or kidnaping conversations on Discord to suit my own needs, just isn’t very comfortable for me. It doesn’t really provide the sort of social interaction that suits me best. I realize that this is entirely a ME problem. Most people don’t have any of those issues. That’s why they like the Twitter and Discord conversations better in the first place.
But it does leave me in this spot where I have to figure out how to adapt and I’m not sure I can. I’m being a bit of a diva. I want a social experience but not too social… Talk about some serious non-problems. Ok, I actually made myself feel better. I think I might miss OWLS or just some sort of blogging group. A place where bloggers interact with each other’s blogs and share their thoughts. I don’t think there’s anything like that going on in the aniblogging community at the moment but I bet book bloggers have a few groups. Now that I’m writing more manga posts maybe I can sneak in!
I don’t know if anyone out there has these types of thoughts from time to time. And if you found something that works for you?
I know this is an older post but I just wanted to say that I really relate to not being able to fit in with twitter or discord. I’ve tried may times to be social just like “normal” people, but it definitely isn’t for me. I’m 100% an introvert. I’m very new here but so far it’s been easier for me to interact with people here than on those platforms. It also helps that long posts give me a lot more to go off of compared to short tweets. And chiming into discord conversations is definitely hell. I’m still in the process of dipping my toes into this community, but I hope to stick around for a while.
Also, one thing that’s worked out for me is having penpals. It’s far less exhausting than the constant social interaction on social media platforms, and you actually get to know people not just the surface level stuff and occasional rants you see on twitter. Actually sending letters is expensive though so I use an app called Slowly which is basically a messaging app that mimics sending letters by adding a delay between sending and the other person receiving. I’ve been using it for almost a year now so it’s definitely working out for me.
I didn’t know there was such an app but it sounds like a great idea. That’s kind of charming, really!
So, I always test as introvert, but the only introverted thing about me is that I get worn out interacting with others, and I need hours of alone time in the beginning of the day, as well as after being with others. But honestly, I think that most people are that way.
Anyone irl would describe me as an extrovert- I am loud, outgoing, I blast music everywhere I go, I talk to myself, I am usually called out wherever I go, and I actively seek those on the outskirts to include them in conversation at parties or gatherings.
But I get tired really easily- I prefer to always arrive late (unless if it involves work) and leaving early. My goal is to make others as comfortable as possible, bridging people, and to help out the host, so it can get exhausting. However, 99% of the time I find something amazing or learn something new, so I am always surprised in a great way.
I do have a Facebook- one dedicated just to work, and the other to receive school assignments and keep in contact with friends and family.
Otherwise, I stay off of it- not because I have anything against it, it is just that my time is so limited 😛
I use Messenger often though- I love the text option!
I do not like Twitter AT ALL. The format makes me feel like I am in a mall for some reason- I feel claustrophobic and nauseous. I deleted it minutes after activating it. Also, too much chatter.
I would rather have a decent, meaningful message from someone rather than getting random Tweets throughout the day. I get the same anxiety I feel when my phone is constantly going off- like my life is at the mercy of someone else’s sporadic thoughts.
I think my favourite platforms are Quora (not sure if you know it, but kind of like Facebook meets Yahoo! answers. Or even Chegg minus the homework. Maybe it is like Reddit, but I never got into Reddit either…? Hmmmm), YouTube and Instagram.
I like Quora because I am always discovering something interesting and new. From Japanese grammar, Korean folktales, to tips on how to land a helicopter safely in an emergency- it is amazing! Best of all, I can subscribe to different communities according to language.
I am subscribed to multiple language feeds. Reading these sharpens my language skills and I learn something interesting each time.
YouTube is one of my favourite sites. To learn something, I usually do a search on one page, and YouTube it in another. Most of all though is the access to music- especially unknown musicians and covers (which are often wayyy better than the originals) and dance studios.
I started Instagram only a few years ago, but made a deliberate choice that I would only follow things that ignited me into action- things that remind me of what I want to do. So everything in there is dedicated to dance, boxing, ninja warriour or Japanese language. When I scroll through, it is not to engage with others… but kind of a live version of a Pinterest board. I often respond with the same sort of language used on such platforms- a whole row of hearts or flames, nothing all that thought-provoking. Also, if we had more internet here, I would definitely use TikTok! I’m not interested in anything else except the dances. Even if they are only a few seconds long, I love these things.
I hate speaking on the phone. I have friends and extended family that often request Zoom or Facetime rather than text. It is strange, but I often have time for texting. I can formulate my own thoughts, and I can read someone else’s when I am ready to fully focus on it, and think of what they have to say before I respond. But I am always dreading a phone call- the uncertainty of when the call may end is like an endless black hole.
I am terrible irl. When someone is really upset or angry, my first impulse is to laugh. It is not that I find pain in anyway funny, but the bigger the reaction (and the pressure I feel to respond in kind), the more ridiculous the whole situation seems to me and I laugh. I often feel like the count from Lemony Snicket… oops. Can you run that line for me one more time (so I can react the way I am supposed to)?
But OBVIOUSLY I ramble alot when I write. I just type whatever comes to mind, and often go back and delete a ton of it. I never have problems getting enough content, but I always have major issues editing everything down. 😛
So moving on to WordPress:
There are very few blogs I actively follow. I actually depend on my email to keep me updated. But when I run behind in my studies and in work, I often end up merely scanning the first few lines and then deleting the email. 😛
The only two sites that I actively check up on is your one here Irina, and Art of Manliness.
This site and Art of Manliness are obviously extremely different, but both have a sense of camaradarie while providing me with some new and interesting information. I don’t really ever post in AoM (although I usually read everyone of their posts all the way through when I get a notification), but I end up posting almost everytime I read one of your blogposts.
I think it’s because you provide a very open and cozy atmosphere. Plus, it is so nice to just talk about anime for awhile- but it is more than that. I feel like I learn so much from your posts as well as from the comments of the community you have here. Although I often find tidbits about the creation process, and treasures about the human psyche, and avoid loosing a ton of time trying to sort through anime, I often come away with learning something more about people in general and even learn something about myself.
I am not sure how well the blog community is thriving in other circles, but I always love coming to your blog to immerse myself in the community here.
Alot of it must be that anime bloggers are just irresistibly interesting company, but more than that- you are an incredible host. People feel safe and comfortable to express their opinions and to actually chat with one another.
It’s such a rare and beautiful sight.
Alright, it is early in the morning and I should goooo to bed rather than taking up all this blogspace.
I just really enjoyed reading this post, and I missed meeting with you. 🙂
Thanks Irina!
For sme reason, describing Twitter as being in a mall made me really laugh. I’m not sure why but I absolutely love that description.
I don’t really use Quora but otherwise, I think I have similar experiences with social media as you do. Nowadays, whenever I want to do something and i don’t know how, the first thing I do is go on YouTube and look for a tutoral. I’m not even sure how I got stuff done before that…
I freakin love the Art of Manliness! That’s an amazing compliment!
Ah! I am so glad you love that site too! <3 <3 <3
I have discovered that I am recently spending far more time commenting on other blogs than writing my own. An interesting change.
Do you enjoy it?
Yes. There is less pressure. Plus it is always easier to react to something than to create it from scratch.
Very useful!. new follower here.
How you doing Irina, I hope you are doing rather swell. Yeah I mean it’s an interesting debacle for sure but you never know, I was (maybe am) one of the most quiet/introverted personalities around but sometimes people open up and it’s an incredible sight to see.
Thanks for reminding me to leave a comment every once in a while it just would be if I didn’t. I am Komment at the Movies (the K stands for Komment) after all. When you read this comment have a splendid day you deserve it!
Thanks K. I think shy and introverted are two different things.
I mean sure. Shyness is preemptive condition caused by outside social factors and introvertedness is a natural state of being linked to personality defining factors and mentality. I still think you can be either and still thrive when intunes with one’s self and understanding balancing self-preservation and expanding limits to find comfort in social settings even if that is diminishing doubts or comprehending your limitations.
If you’re implying that I ain’t an introvert… We cool Irina but you don’t know me haha. Yes have a great day, please don’t let your manga addiction end with you under an avalanche of your biggest order yet.
I’m not. I’m in no way qualified to juge anyone else’s mindframe at all.
I was simply saying that I enjoy social interactions and my current state very much. I simply find that platforms not suited for me personality regardless of how quiet or loud I am if that makes sense.
I think the thing that will always attract me to bloggers( and to vloggers), is there is always room for nuance compared to places like Twitter and even Reddit sometimes. Seriously, I think getting into Twitter these past 3 years have been the biggest regret of my life.
I’m sure I’m beating a dead horse with this “hot take”, but because of the short word limit and we are pressured to have an opinion right away, the platforms have devolved a bit to a very all or nothing, us vs them thinking even for something as harmless as anime. And like I said, I’m someone who values more nuanced and diverse discussions.
I think that’s the benefit of blogging. Whether you are a reader or writer. There have been so many subjects I want to write about that has encourage me to actually do research, critically think and come out at the other end having a new outlook on a topic.
That’s very true. It also allows me to have no opinion at all. I can discuss topics that I’m still trying to figure out my stance or shows that I think are just fine in post form. Those would be impossible or just super boring in Twitter or even reddit format
As a fellow introvert I completely understand. While I enjoy interacting with others I can only do so for short periods of time before I exhaust myself. I’ve also thought about trying to use other platforms as well because it seems like every book commentary is on YouTube but I can’t do it. I’ve realized I love WP not only because I love writing but also because I love the anonymity of it. WP allows me to be close to other without overwhelming me.
Kindred spirits. I know exactly what you mean!
So I really want to start something like OWLS. Like a prompt based community where people respond to each other, or at least respond to a prompt. How would you suggest starting something like that back up?
What I really miss are response posts. It seems like so few people actually respond to other people’s posts any more. I do it on occasion when someone prompts a thought I’ve bene having to crystallize. But it just doesn’t seem to be a thing anymore.
As far as comments go, I’m trying to leave more of them because I want to encourage people to do that. I also want to encourage people to read other people’s blogs. But that is just me.
I’m not sure, I was thinking the prompts could be shared on Twitter. OWLS had a lot of hierarchy and rules that I’M not sure really benefitted them n the end. It could be open to anyone who wants to participate with a pubic sign up sheet
That sounds good. There is a computer game blogger that does something similar to that. He has people post links back to a central blog post and then he shares them at the end of the month.
I think that could work.
I get you girl. This year I’ve fallen off the grid of social media, still frequently I use twitter but discord and insta hardly ever. Somewhere along the way I let go of using those often without even realising it. Same as I dont speak about manga much on here. I’ve gone through that period of instagram manga scene, reading challenges got totally absorbed and that phase faded quickly. I didn’t feel the community there and same as youtube hence why I left that scene. The blog has always been there in the background and in the past year has taken more precedents. This year is the most of lacked reading or commenting, its been a crazy personal time for me main reason and inside is screaming how I want to write a post but you know shit gets in the way. I make the best time I can to be here and dedicate time for my blog atm. As for interacting with others I don’t feel I’ve lost connection with hardly anyone because people are still here and thats enough. I write my feelings and people will respond.
Falling off the grid is relaxing though!
It’s probably just as well everyone ignores me on social media as they do my blog as I never get into arguments about anime on there, only on the comments section of your site! 😛
I didn’t know I was your main source of animeconfrontation. That’s a lot of pressure. I’ll try to make sure I can provide.
Ta! 😉
I wish I had the time to comment on others’ blog posts. Sometimes it’s hard enough to find the time to read posts in order to put together my weekly list highlighting blog posts. I’m hoping that will start changing sometime this fall, though.
For me, social media is kind of hit and miss. My personal Facebook is probably my most active. I have a Facebook page for my blog, but it’s basically become a place to promote blog posts, with maybe the occasional sharing of other Facebook posts. The same with the Twitter account for my blog.
I know what you mean. I take a few hours a day to read posts and usually it takes me about the same time to leave a single comment as to read an entire post. It’s a balancing act
“I also tend to like debate and discussing issues in a bit of detail.”
Thank you for articulating that so clearly.
Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram aren’t strong when it comes to nuanced, thoughtful conversations. That’s why I blog. That’s why I read your blog, and Karandi’s, and Dewbond’s, and Scott’s, etc.
That’s why I try to promote other folks’ blogs.
I don’t comment often because I don’t trust my comments. I’m never sure who I just hurt or made angry. Occasionally, I drink one too many beers and try to leave a supportive post. But that rarely goes well.
What’s going on now between blogs and social media reminds me a lot of what happened because USENET and early web forums. I remember a lot of flame wars in USENET, but I also remember a ton of fascinating, engaging conversations. When Farscape aired, I hung out a lot in its group (alt.tv.farscape?). It was a lot of fun sharing my love of that show; kinda like I experience on sites like yours.
I’m not trying to disrespect social media. But the pain of engaging, given the ratio of insult to thought, isn’t attractive to me.
I think blogging will be around for a while; maybe, as far as the internet goes, for quite a while. But I see the same decline in raw numbers that you do. Sometimes that bothers me. At other times, I read my Twitter TL, or (god forbid) my Facebook feed, and I wonder if maybe it’s not better some of those folks are busy insulting people in places other than our sites.
I have had a few readers now mention that commenting is an intimidatng experience. Maybe we’ve started taking comments too seriously? Don’t get me wrong, it’s awesome that I know a Crow comment is going to be incisive and stimulating because you always pput so much thught in them, but that has to get exhausting!
I do understand though. I read eisode reviews of shows and when I agree it feels silly to just comment, yup, you’re right, I totally got the same thing from the episode and when I disagree I feel it’s needlessly contrarian to commment something like, that’s totally not what I saw…
The irony is that I would love to receive either of these comments on my episode posts…
When I first started out on WordPress, I was not at all involved in Twitter. In fact, WP was my Twitter. I used to comment simple things like “This was an amazing read!” or like “I loved that anime too!”
But I soon realised that everyone else that liked the post probably felt the same way as well, and yet all of the other comments would always be written eloquently with a much deeper analysis of why they liked what they read.
All of a sudden, engagement on WordPress felt heavy. It felt like there was an unspoken expectation that all comments on WP should be embellished and provide something extra to the discussion. Eventually I stopped commenting my most immediate feelings and instead began trying to draft out a proper analysis of my feelings.
Simply put, commenting on WP became a lot of work, especially for someone like me that spends way too long writing anything at all. I’ve spent over an hour on this comment alone! I’m serious!!
Meanwhile, engagement on Twitter makes it easier for me to just say what I truly feel about something, as simple as the tweet may be. I fully believe that this is just a ME problem, but this is just my take on the whole thing!
P.S. Your article was a very thought-provoking read! Great read! 🙂
That’s a bit depressing. I often comment really simple things and I know that I get way more excited about a post comment that was great, than a tweet. I’m not sure why, it doesn’t really make much sense. I guess when someone comments on the actual post I get the feeling that it’s more likely they read it?
I do understand where you’re coming from. I’ve heard that before. I’m not sure how many bloggers get post commets on their Twitter. That’s an interesting thought.
Thanks for taking the time to articulate that, Tiger.
I feel the opposite way, so it is nice to hear why someone would prefer to comment on something like Twitter instead.
I am sure it is not something that just you feel, so thanks for spending over an hour voicing your comment.
It makes a difference, really
…………………Wow. You, uh………I AGREE. I can’t relate to the feelings of “missing the old WordPress” community because I wasn’t “there.” But what I CAN agree with is that Blogging is the better format for me.
I said in a post MONTHS ago that I hate talking- I hate my voice; the way people say I either talk too low or get too loud; the feeling in my throat afterwords; how I forget what I was going to say or how I go off on tangents and lose my train of thoughts. I just can’t stand it. But I love to share my thoughts on a subject- to speculate on a subject using detailed clues from the story. It’s why I started blogging. Well……part of it……..
What you said about Introverts, and how not ALL of the people who say they are are TRUE introverts……..might apply to me. I DO get tired of social interactions after about 20 minutes- like I just want to go home and go to sleep. But……..I also MISSED interacting with my friends in high school and sharing thoughts about stuff like “Dragon Ball” and “The Flash.” And when I graduated; that all stopped. So I started a Facebook page, which lead to my Aunt suggesting that I get a blog. Which lead me to where I am.
I started talking, and at first I was just happy to share my thoughts on new chapters of “One Piece” and “Edens Zero-” to finally have these thoughts out there. But over the course of time; I wished someone who actually UNDERSTOOD what I was talking about to comment. My family would often tell me how they didn’t understand what I was talking about. I was glad SOMEONE was reading- it made me want to keep going.
But again- just SOMEONE. Almost made me think about calling it quits. What would be the point in spending hours to DAYS on a post if no one who knew what I was talking about read?
Then……..Mammoth base Opera Castle and RJ Writing Ink and everyone I know now came, and……I just didn’t want to stop. Especially getting this “High” from making a post- whenever I get REALLY into writing; I get into this “rhythm” that makes my posts REALLY good. It’s so fun that I come up with small ideas just to expand on………kind of like this comment. Does all of this sound introverted?
I feel like intruding on a conversation on Discord would like get your THROAT SLIT- those places can be kind of “cutthroat.” And it may be a little rude(then again; Discord Servers THEMSELVES can be), but people keep telling me “If you have something to say- SAY IT.” I can’t do that. But I admire anyone who does.
I’m content with my blog- I wouldn’t get rid of it for anything. Even during this hiatus I’m on- I’m working on post after post. I love what I do!! And I love interacting with people that have a lot to say- I just don’t want to talk in person for too long!!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Irina. I think posts like this help me learn a little about myself- both as a blogger AND as a person. I hope you continue to do great posts like this as long as you are able to!
No thank YOU for this great comment. It was so evocative and I love hearing about how people start tjeir blogs. I was right along with you for the excitment of osting while it’s still all fresh and new and not knowing what will happen. Comments like this really motivate me to keep up with me own blog.
I know for me, there’s so many blogs and so little time. I mean, I’d love to leave a quick comment on everything I read, but it’s just not feasible. Even organizing my thoughts to write this short comment took a few minutes, and that time adds up quickly.
I know what you mean. It’s super time consuming and just energy consuming. People don’t always realize that
Once upon a time I had penpals. I wrote looooooooooooong letters, and I generally got Looooooooong letters back. Some lived in different places in the world and it was so interesting to exchange our lives and dreams and daily stuff. I sent one pal a gift and I swear to God she had more fun with the newspaper it was wrapped in. For years we would exchange a newspaper once a year! LOL! Imagine! But that was perfect interaction for me. I was excited when a letter arrived and read it right away, but it might take actual WEEKS to craft a full reply and mail it off.
The older I get, the more I only want contact with other humans on my terms – and damn little of that. Other humans stress the fuck out of me by existing because of my mental/emotional issues, so I understand where you are coming from. Even enjoyable personal interaction with someone I like a lot wears me out and I don’t want to see them again for a while.
I really only keep a blog here to read and reply to others. Now and then I make a post, but truthfully I’m just not into it anymore. Most other social media I’ve either quit, or barely visit only because this one or that one who is dear to me only uses the one website.
I’ve always loved your blog not just for your unique voice, but often I learn as much from the comments section as from the articles! I’d really hate to see this little WP community dying out. I probably would not follow unless a whole flock went to one place maybe. But it does seem people are drifting away. I rarely participate in real time discussions because I’m never there at the right time 😛 or I don’t have time when I am or I’m not in the mood. I really just want to read a long letter and reply at my leisure…
Oh man, I loved pen pals. It was a very odd dynamic when I think about it. I gave a stranger my home address and told them all about my life and never even thought twice about it. I have learned since….
Astounding, isn’t it? And the little SWAP books that went around where you just handed over all kinds of information with your address, hoping to make some new friends. What an innocent world we lived in where everyone wasn’t trying to steal your identity. I won’t say I’m all that innocent, but I do feel like anyone stealing my identity has got to be really desperate – LOL! Not much to get here…
I don’t know about that. I heard there was a picture somewhere with shirley temple locks…
Yeeeeeah…who on earth would really want that? 😛 (shudders)
Social media… I now only look at one forum on Reddit and most of what I do there is post links to blog posts. (Very good at driving viewership but not useful for interaction.) I use twitter mostly for #TheJCS, to automatically post links to my posts and not much of anything else.
FB is only for keeping up with family and close friends. I have no interest at all in accumulating followers there. There are a couple of friends who have a habit of putting up large volumes of posts on FB and I ignore them. I don’t IG or Pinterest or TikTok or MeWe or Snapchat or etc. If you really get “into” social media it is a rabbit hole that can suck you down and take away time and interest in living your real life. The demands of YouTube channel would be immense.
I spend far more time reading other WP posts and responding to them than I do writing my own posts.
I like the idea that my ideas and activities might be interesting to other people. I love WordPress because I love to write my thoughts and experiences out. It would be impossible to communicate that in short form social media. How could I bring you along on the trip with me? How would I explain a complex train of thought? How could I communicate my sense of wonder at something or how I fell in love with a character or my inner struggles at the time?
Saying “Hey this is great you should try it!” and a link to a show doesn’t cut it nor can I ruminate on the nature of the human condition by daisy chaining a hundred tweets. And some of my posts would get me banned from most social media. I don’t want to have to be nervous and tentative in what I say or show.
Of course, maybe nobody cares about what I think about happiness, my latest hike, or what I think of Misato’s relationship with Shinji, etc. That’s risk you take when you go online. I don’t want to be restricted to an anime bubble or a hiking bubble or a nudist bubble or a science bubble or a philosophy bubble.
I know we are all supposed to be specialists and only talk about a certain topic and that is how you gain acceptance and generate lots of followers. It also makes you a one trick pony and I can’t be that.
We’re suppose to only talk about one subject? Man I’m in trouble….
Reddit has been super hit or miss for me
LOL! I understand that if you want to get lots of followers and become a moneymaker, that’s what you do.
First you find the appropriate social bubble. Then you have to find out what people want you to say and say it over and over, hopefully in a clever fashion. Not to mention be obsessed over SEO and hitting every social media platform out there. Which means you also need to obsess over followers on those.
If I post 3 times in a row, often no two will be even remotely related. I probably alienate a significant percentage of my visitors with some of my content.Too lazy to do SEO and can’t be bothered with a big social media presence. Never even considered monetization. If I get into the “should game” I “should” have ten times as many followers and have a tiny but steady income by now.
I suppose some would say that I am a blogging “failure to launch. I just write because the writing itself is fun.
I have been doing it all wrong. That explains a few things! I like varied blogs though
I hope you like mine. It is quite… uh… varied.
It certainly is and I do
This may not be a good thing in terms of community in general, but last year, I ended up deleting most of my social media sites entirely, including Twitter. At least as far as talking about anime goes, WordPress is now completely it for me.
Oh wow! Interesting move, do you miss them?
I don’t miss Intsagram or Twitter at all, but then, I didn’t have a big following on either and wasn’t one to scroll through my own feed much – as far as social media goes, I never communicated a lot on either platform. I initially missed Facebook a lot more, if only because I had a lot of friends on there from countries I’d lived in before like Japan and Thailand. However, I figured that if people wanted to find a way to stay in touch, they would – it’s not like my friends don’t have my email address or possess cellphones with apps like Line or Signal. Anyhow, the longing to post on Facebook at all eventually faded, and now I don’t think about it much anymore.
Nice
I find it’s best to stick with what you’re comfortable doing. Twitter can feel like yelling into tornado. There’s no rhyme or reason as to what Tweet gets interaction and I always feel like I’m butting in on someone else’s conversation anyhow.
I use Discord for chatting with friends. Maybe you should set up a small Discord server where we can talk shop and discuss blogging ideas… If you’re in control, you can limit it to what feels comfortable, which is one of the reasons I prefer my site to other social media platforms.
That’s a ood suggestion. I doubt I’m social enugh to keep a discord channel going. I would log in like once a month…
I have recently just joined this community so I have no idea what I should be looking out for or what is proper ‘etiquette’ for here. My stuff is uhhhh, lets just say very niche so not sure what the norm is. I don’t have Twitter nor do I ever want it and Discord I really just use for messaging and gaming with other people, not really things you do over wordpress. Also what do you mean you can’t eat a whole pizza? I would gladly eat the whole thing and steal some slices from my friends.
Ok you got me. I’m weak… In my defense I am smaller than the average 12 year old.
A lot of people love Higurashi! They’re gonna love your blog
I don’t mind using social media to connect with others and build an online community on it since it’s where everyone kind of ends up when they use the Internet (outside of streaming and binging shows and shopping) and/or how digital marketing practices push (aspiring) entrepreneurs to make use of social media for their benefit. It’s easy, efficient and is a great tool to communicate in a shorter time frame with other bloggers. I mean, after putting more time and effort onto social media, Twitter and Instagram in particular, it did help my outreach, especially since I don’t post very often on my blog. (Not gonna lie, it’s fun for me to create graphics and mini videos for social media too.)
On another note, I’m guilty of not posting enough comments on others’ pieces and I can attest to how hard it is to keep up with reading everyone’s posts and finding something to comment upon for each piece. It was a pressure I placed on myself and seeing the increasing number of posts versus the rate at which I was interacting with others’ blogs was getting larger and larger or getting being part of online groups on Discord and not actively participating.
I’ve learned recently that I can take my time with things and not push myself too hard. Comment when I can, whether that is on a person’s post or on their social media. Stress and beating myself up over the issue isn’t worth it.
That really sounds like the way to go!
I don’t really comment as much anymore, because it’s really hard to find out what to say to people that usually other people commenting have better opinions on it feels. Or in general, the number of comments has really gone down hill on wordpress recently and it really does take some really inciteful post for comments to appear on here recently.
I am kind of in the same boat with a lot of discord groups. Even if I am welcome in these groups, I can’t help but feel a lot of anxiety in these discord groups to even post in them. I feel like its the same sort of anxiety that I feel in real life around large groups of people. One server in particular makes me feel like I am home at, but others are just kind of there I guess.
Oh wow, I didn’t knoe you had anxiety Scott. I see you chatting in discord and I would never have guessed. I hope it gets better, anxiety sucks
I mean, it does take a lot for me to feel comfortable and say anything. In one server, I can. In others, I’m nervous to start any conversation because I don’t know how people will respond. I usually let conversations start on their own and then I might join. I think it’s because I think way to much and have approximations of what other people will say and do in my head or something.
Well I hope you know you’re always welcome here!
Yeah, I just can’t do Twitter. I tried to use it ‘properly’ but found I just didn’t want to talk about myself much and now I only use it to promote posts 😅 I think Twitter is too instant and personal for me. Even on WordPress my circle is small and I get nervous commenting, although people in the community have been lovely! It’s a bit strange being an introverted blogger with anxiety. I get very happy when people like my posts and I try to respond to every comment because I really appreciate them. That said, putting myself out there just isn’t a natural thing for me to do and, though I’m trying to be more ‘genuine’ in my writing, I also don’t really put myself in it either, if that makes sense.
At any rate, I hope you find something that works for you!
I enjoy posting random pics of manga or asking super specific questions with short answers, like what are you watching right now. Otherwise Twitter is just not a useful place to interact for me
I totally get you. I almost never get interactions on any Tweet I make about anime – most of my engagement is on WordPress, but I actually kinda prefer it that way because it usually means nicer, more respectful people will be talking to me.
My main issues are 1) I have a very difficult time dealing with negative feedback/rude comments, and I’m constantly worried my work isn’t even good enough to defend. And 2) I have bad social anxiety disorder. It takes a lot for me to say to myself that I want to comment on someone’s post, and it takes even more for me to write one out and actually hit ‘post’. Plus, it makes me very timid of larger anime communities. I’d love to hang out with more people and have interesting discussions about anime, manga and whatnot, but it also makes me incredibly anxious. I’m a part of a few discords right now, none of them anime-related, and I hardly ever get the guts to actually participate in them because of that. And when I do actively participate, I’ll, like you, find myself getting drained quickly and basically ghost off for a while. Then I feel bad about doing that and feel even more uncertain about jumping back in.
I’m a complete mess, basically lol.
Even responding to the stray comment I get on my blog posts is enough to give me pause, especially since I’m the type to write out A LOT (I build text walls constantly) and go into a lot of detail about stuff. I’m always worried I’ll put people off by it.
It’s a difficult thing to struggle with, and I have yet to find anything that really works for me to suggest to you, but I hope you find some nice middleground where you can enjoy an anime community outside of WordPress. 🙂
I have zero anxiety but I also struggle to respond to comments. I can just imagine how tough it is for oyu
Create an online anime club on WordPress, perhaps? Then maybe bloggers are more likely to stay blogging because they have a place to discuss their ideas. I’m assuming your audience are intelligent folks and the more intelligent the smaller the community naturally. I don’t know…I am an introvert myself and a gamer but not the cool gamer type. When it comes to engaging meaningful conversation on a daily basis, I find it hard so I just write quietly on my blog not expecting much interaction. It works for me.
I need to trick someone more sociable than me into starting an online anime club.
No need, you already have.
I agree with Halsdoll- you already succeeded, Irina!
Awww, you rock!
I can get what you mean about Twitter and Discord being platforms that don’t generate much quality interactions. I have not interacted much in the blogosphere, more of a forum person myself but I feel things relate to my forum experiences when compared to the newer channels. Whilst Twitter/Discord is better delivering real time conversations, blogs or forum well generally offer more detailed and complete answers.
My feeling is most traffic and in particular younger readers are drawn more to these platforms due to its accessibility but do not appreciate the value blogs or forum interaction can provide. Not sure how to change that I am afraid. But don’t be too discouraged is what I say.
Ti be fair, there might be great interactions on Twitter and Discord, the mechanics are simply not geared to my personal preferences and I find that I’m not doing a great job using them for interaction. So I guess they don’t generate good discussions from me.
I get these same sorts of feelings at times. I don’t really have any good solutions; I just keep plugging away and figure that people will find me eventually. I don’t think WordPress offers the best format for interacting in a community format, for sure; it’s part of the reason I still belong to an IRL anime club (though we’re virtual at the moment due to obvious reasons).
Oh maybe there are virtual anime clubs! I’ve never been in one
I understand, teenagers my age are all over social media from discord to twitter to Instagram and because of my introverted nature, I never use any of them. That’s why probably when I started writing a blog I felt so accomplished. And it’s just like you said having a conversation is pretty exhausting but I always try my best to reply to comments on my blog and also try to start conversation from time to time with other bloggers just like this(P.S it took me 10 min to write this). But after being here for more than a year, I understand that I fit here better than anywhere else and I’m happy even though I’m away from my peers and all the social media drama(it is really peaceful here).
I always sense you were a bit different 😃. Good for you.
Oh that great to here and I am so grateful that you took all this time to comment
Hey Irina – interesting post, and one whose sentiments I can strongly relate to. I know I haven’t commented here for a while…but as soon as I am able, I shall be commenting like a pizza delivery dude per excellence! 🙂
No pressure! I appreciate you taking any of your precious time to comment!
This exhausted old introvert thanks you! 🤣
I feel just the way you do about it. The reason I like WordPress is the combination of that community with long-form writing, and that’s not something you get on those other platforms. Twitter and Discord are great for making connections and promoting your work, but the work itself has to be done here or on some other platform that allows for more complete expression, and it’s easier to do both the writing and the communicating here.
Yeah, we are on the same page