For as popular as they now are, weblogs are a fairly new cultural phenomenon. In the earliest days of consumer-accessible internet, websites were either static blocks of text and images or discussion forums. Weblogs surfaced as the need for individual expression and community arose on the web.
I don’t know what the first transgender / crossdresser website was, but I do know this — many trans blogs end before their time, either by going offline or being left for dead. What I mean by dead is a blog that is no longer updated, effectively transforming it from a blog to an ordinary website.
Why Do So Many T Blogs Go Away?
In my experience, a disproportionate number of trans blogs and websites die by either of the methods mentioned above. Heck, I even killed off my original blog and didn’t look back for many years. Why does this happen?
There are many reasons including guilt, shame, embarrassment, writer’s block, lack of time and many others. The sad part for us in the community is that we get spoiled by these cornerstones of knowledge and resources. Blogs are better than websites because they are updated frequently with useful information.
Some blogs go dark for a while and then come back in different incarnations.
Infinite Blogging?
In reality, most blogs will die eventually, as authors finish up their thoughts or move on to bigger and better things. When I look at my own blogging career, I don’t know when I would ever want to stop because I get so much out of expressing my thoughts, feelings and creativity.
For some, there comes a point sooner rather than later when they feel they need to wrap things up and focus on another aspect of life. While most blogs simply go away with no explanation, some authors do leave short notes explaining that they will either put things on hold or go away completely.
A Proper Way to End?
In the case of Lori (author of a T revival) and Yvonne (of Yvonne’s Place), they reached the end of a chapter in life. In Lori’s case, a certain part of her journey had ended and she had embarked on the next one while Yvonne felt that her blog subject matter (crossdressing) had run its course.
Both of these were sites that I visited frequently and thoroughly enjoyed, and while I was sad to see them end, I appreciate the notice that the sites will no longer be updated. It gives a closure that is needed so that we as readers can move on in the same way that the author has.
No End in Sight Here
While I can’t promise that I will always be able to dedicate myself to this blog, I can assure you that if I do choose to end it, I will give advance notice. However, you can be confident that for the foreseeable future, Jessica Who? will be frequently updated and always open to reader suggestions/comments.
As always, thank you for your continued support.
JessicaWhoHD
Facebook
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
I really appreciate the time and thought that you put into your blog. Keep up the good work, love and hugs Angie
I have to agree with what you wrote today, and I feel a bit guilty myself for having let my own blog go dark for so long. I know why it’s happened to me, and I also know how I feel when other people let their blogs go dark…
Admittedly, there have been a few times when I went for a few days without posting anything on my blog. I just couldn’t come up with anything funny or interesting. Then I realized I could just write about something mundane or ordinary in my everyday life and write it in a snarky fashion.
Why just right now, I’m looking at the bottle of Purell hand sanitizer on my desk and thinking of that lady that nearly sneezed in my face in the breakfast line this morning. (wow, that’s a run-on sentence, huh?) Nasty woman. I bet I could spin that into something.
Jess, if what you’ve written and shared with your readers so far is any indication, I think you’ll be here for a looooong time. Trans is not my thing, but I do support people who are, and I find your articles thought provoking and your video outrageous funny.
Keep on bloggin’ on, girlfriend!
Jessica, I follow just a few T-girl blogs regularly. Yours, Petra’s and a couple of others. Yvonne was a girl fairly local to me, she had a good handle on things and its a shame it ran its course. One I really miss is now a private blog and I really like some of the things she had to say. I lost my link to it but I know you know who I am referring to. I would like to have been a part of following it still. She is missed from my point of view. (could you remind me of her name?)
I think her reason for going underground is similar to the issues a lot of us face- spousal disapproval. Even I must tread lightly most of the time.
Hugs, Ellen
I feel a little self-centered saying this, but I think my blog, Out of My Mind, is the one being referenced. Indeed, my wife doesn’t think the whole world needs to know my story. I disagree, but I gotta live with her. I welcome all comers, but you have to send me an email. Just follow the link.
I don’t think trans blogs die *disproportionately*. The vast majority of blogs die within the first few posts; very few make it past the one year mark with anything resembling regular updates. The recipe for success is finicky.
I started my blog to document my flying en femme experience. That’s over now, and except for a couple of more posts, I don’t expect it to continue.
I’m not sure that this is so much of a CD/TV/TS thing as it is to blogging in general. I’ve seen a lot of good blogs end for the same reasons you stated, as well as for authors just getting bored with their subject matter. I find myself struggling to keep my blog going these days. Sometimes I feel that I don’t have much new to offer, or there’s nothing new in my lift to talk about, or I just get carried away reading other folks’ blogs to make the time to post on mine. Maybe if I started putting those comments on my blog and referencing the source…
Hi Jess,
Your heading had me worried! I am glad there is no end in sight for your blog. Good luck with the stand up, I am sure you will knock them dead!
hugs
sissy karen
It takes so much time and effort to keep a blog going on a daily basis. Even if you could write one each I would appreciate your humor and expertise. You have such a vast array of subjects and always interesting. The only draw back I can see is that I have developed a crush on fowl mouthed Vicki~~!
It is good to know that you have as much dedication to your blog as you do. This is one of my favorite blogs on the web because you have many unique faces to the crossdressing community. You can be funny, opinionated, serious, and informational, as well as many other things.
I think most of us are pretty amazed by your ability to multi-task. You have to be one of the hardest working people on the net.
Blogs are fickle creatures and often go down when you least expect them to. The good news, though, is that there is always another ready to pop up and take it’s place.
When the day comes for you to end this blog we will probably be a little sad but know that our lives are better off for it having read it.
Keep it going, sweetie, for as long as you have something to share!
Time and having something to say I suppose are the two main elements of maintaining a blog.
Glad you’re sticking around.
I do think that sometimes these things run there course… I used to have a blog that I would post details of my transition but I realized it was not what I wanted to contribute so I started my new one that was focused on what I did want to say.
{ 1 trackback }