How Blogs Die

Let me know if I start to exhibit these warning signs:

There are two general signs that a blog is heading toward extinction. The first is a declining frequency of posting, and the second is a proportional rise in the number of posts about the blog itself. These two don’t always go hand-in-hand; sometimes it’s just one or the other, sometimes you don’t get either warning sign. But when either of the two is spotted it’s reasonable to begin wondering how long that curious internet publication will continue to be updated.

This particular blogger also claims that the average lifespan of a blog is somewhere between 3-6 months. An online publication from 2003 (a bit outdated I know, but it is still one of the definitive studies of blog lifespans) called the Perseus Report (which can no longer be found through any working links for citation) said that 60-80% of blogs are abandoned within one month and that the average lifespan of the remaining sites is just over 4 months.

I felt a little sense of accomplishment (or maybe just a decrease in boredom; sometimes they feel the same) after completing my first month of continuous blogging but as Brain Rage has just now entered month five I find myself in the eye of this supposed quitting storm. I'm sure that I have the stamina for 6 months but completion of a full year is my current goal; I should probably stock up on some more Red Bull.