Today marks ten years since I opened this blog. There have been many changes over the years, including going from the traditional HTML coding to using a free host with built in editors, a name change, format changes, different series that have come and went, and of course, a difference in the community involved here. I’ve also had my fair share of stagnant moments, some years where I only posted a handful of times, and others when I was truly active and talking about my adventures. Some of those adventures were of personal nature, and some were more gaming oriented. It wasn’t until 2013 that I really buckled down and said I’m going to keep posting regularly, and maintain less of a personal presence, and keep things about my hobbies. I do talk about personal stuff here and there still, but I really wanted this to just be a gaming blog and nothing else. If you go back far enough in the archives, you’ll see that this wasn’t always the case, and I probably should go back and edit out names or delete posts where I’ve made an ass out of myself, but I figure it’s better to leave it. You get to see how I’ve grown and changed throughout the years as a result, though I seriously doubt people are going back and reading ten year old posts. I know I don’t dive down that rabbit hole very often either.

Either way, I like to think that my personality shines through even when I’m talking about games, movies, music, or some other hot-button topic. I try to maintain a balance between presenting the facts, and peppering in my own sarcastic wit. It’s part of my charm. That, or you hate it. Either way you’re still reading, because my readership has steadily increased over the years.

Looking through stats and analytics, I find that the most popular topics I’ve talked about were MMOs I used to play, League of Legends, and other posts that just so happened to have some pertinent keywords. There’s a post with the title of “Syrup Shoes” that gets regular traffic, despite the fact that people are searching for a brand of shoes, not for a story about one sibling pouring syrup in her sibling’s shoes. It’s interesting to see the things that you write that bring in the most traffic. I wrote a post about “What race is best for X class,” for Everquest II, which used to have racial abilities that would be best suited for particular classes. I then addressed the topic again when changes came through in the game and eliminated most of what I had talked about. Those posts still get traffic, and the information is basically meaningless at this point. My “Norrathian Newbie” series that was short lived but had some decent information contained within still gets traffic as well, but with Everquest II being a game that’s on life support, these posts are starting to die as well.

Many other posts surprise me, because they get so much traffic or cause a stir in the community. My most commented on posts revolve around Sexism and my love for PvP, which I suppose are worthy hot-button topics, but sometimes the posts I’m the most proud of having written don’t get many views, likes or comments. Blogging is a funny thing because you are writing what you want to write (write for yourself) but you want people to participate or give you that pat on the back when you write something awesome. For anyone who gets discouraged when looking at their site stats, just remember to give it time. You will find your audience and they will continue to come back. For the days that they aren’t around, remember that you started down this road to write for yourself.

I really don’t have much more to say, it’s been a fantastic ten years when it comes to gaming and blogging, and I look forward to being able to make a post like this again when I hit 20 years. Thanks for being a part of this community and supporting my efforts!

#blogging #community #anniversary #10years