Thursday 5 April 2012

E is for Expectations and Evolution

E

Funny thing, expectations.  There are certain areas of my life where expectations are, (and forgive the clunky phrasing) expected.  Directing a show or running a class depend on expectations being  understood by both parties.

The cast or students have an expectation that they will learn something.  I have the expectation that they will allow themselves to learn.  Regardless of how that actually works out, there is a contract of sorts in those expectations.

Then there are things like this blog.  Since that is pure self-indulgence, I didn't really have any expectations.  I'm often far more lucid on paper (or screen) than I am in the flesh, so it seemed like a decent idea to write stuff down as I thought of it.  It started as a kind of tracking exercise for myself to follow the cycle of putting together shows - and as a useful reminder of the highs and lows of the process.

My expectations did include finding an audience of some kind.  Few of us blog in a deliberate vacuum after all.  We all want to share our special snowflake status.  With that, comes evolution

I love this chart.  All those branching lines and strange developments.  I can look at it for hours.
Where my expectations fell down was the non-predictability of that evolution.  How many A-Zers out there have found their conversation with readers changing as they develop their bloggy voice?

I'm sure this is an ongoing and familiar process to a lot of you, but it's new to me.  It was brought home by a two things in the last few days.

Jeremy at Geeky Tendencies handed me an award for Versatile Blogging - which I'm chuffed to bits about - and I hit 10,000 page views.  Amazing.  That is by far the largest audience I've ever had or would ever expect to have.  Expectations have changed due to evolution. 

See, there was a point to this post :)

For my next trick, evolve gills.

23 comments:

  1. Wouldn't an extra pair of arms be more useful and make multi-tasking an easier process? Amanda, clearly you're not taking this seriously enough and thinking clearly. Please go sit in the corner.

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    1. PS: doesn't the 'hit counter' also add on the number of times the blog owner looks at their blog also?

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    2. For the first - gills over double arms. I'm female. Multi-tasking is wired in :)

      For the second - it doesn't if you turn it off.

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  2. My blog writing is so totally different today than what it was a year ago when I first began. I think our readers have so much to do with our evolution in the blog world.

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    1. Interesting to learn this happens to you too.

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  3. This has been the first time in years that I've managed to stick to a blogging plan. Thanks for dropping by - appreciated!

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  4. And you too :) Thank you for dropping by.

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  5. Hi, I don't believe in the "theory of evolution", but I do believe that people can improve on their skills and can learn certain behaviors. I enjoyed reading your post. Trying to visit all 1300 or so. Have visited over 200 this week. Maybe I can make it. Learning lots of interesting stuff, too. Best regards to you, Ruby

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    1. Thank you so much for visiting - it is much appreciated. Like you, I'm trying to get around all the blogs. It's been a lot of fun visiting so many new people.

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  6. I've never really thought about expectations from my blog. Originally it started as a way to keep in touch w/ my friends who were all fans of Vincent D'Onofrio (hence my avatar pic) but they did posts about him better than I so I just started to blog about life in general. This was before Facebook and instantaneous communication. But I do enjoy doing it b/c a lot of friends/family aren't FB members.

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    1. The whole notion of expectations is very new, so I'm working my way through it. A learning curve, like much else.

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  7. When I began writing my blog I am not sure I knew what my expectations were. A year on, and I have been delighted to find that it focuses my mind (and genealogical research) in a way I had not known before. Gone is the scattergun approach that I was warning others about, yet not seeing that I was doing it myself!

    Good to see you in the A-Z Challenge

    http://genwestuk.blogspot.co.uk/

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    1. You're right about the focus. It hasn't happened yet, but I'm getting there.

      Also good to see you on A-Z and found your blog fascinating.

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  8. Great post. Congrats. And so glad to find your blog!

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    1. Thank you! Just paid a reciprocal visit and enjoy your theme very much.

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  9. My blog and I have evolved more than I expected, too. I'm trying to visit all the A-Z Challenge Blogs this month.

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    1. So glad it's not just me. I'm also trying to work my way through all the blogs. It's taking a long time - I keep wanting to read all of them.

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  10. Love the evolution diagram!

    I've definitely felt like I've evolved since I started my blog. it was a lonely initial couple of months and it felt like I was talking in a vacuum. Now I'm happy to have a great bunch of people who take part in the conversation with me :)


    Jamie Gibbs
    Fellow A-Z buddy
    Mithril Wisdom

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    1. Good, isn't it :)

      Glad you like the diagram. There are a lot out there, but this was my favourite.

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  11. Great post. I find my blog(s) in almost constant evolution.

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