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February 09, 2005
Cobbsity
Cobb is a mature blog, and I am very happy with it except for one thing. It's not popular.
Popularity is all relative, of course. I am very pleased to have made it to Large Mammal status, but I think my stats need to be goosed. In order for me to sustain interest in blogging, I'm going to have to get higher in the 'sphere. Here's what I'm going to do.
I'm going to ask you all, especially those of you who already have, to put some nice quotes in the comments section. And like all the bloggers who have heretofore been more shameless than me, I will pick and choose the most popular of you, blogwise, and then stick your quotes somewhere near my banner with links to you. And I'll return the favor, if I like you.
Secondly, I'm going to do more trackbacks and references to blogs that I think are making interesting points. First stop, Blogcritics.
Thirdly, I'm going to buy advertising here and there. Why? Because I think I'm worth it.
Fourthly, I'm going to keep writing in this same original, socratic and yet not-too-jargony style.
I'm going to keep up the cartoons, for sure.
What I'm not going to do is become a shameless self-promoter, although I will participate in other people's comment sections. I'm also not going to advertise on my personal blog. I'm not going to chase around for me too things to say.
I also wanted to say thanks to new readers for your kind comments. You are the ones who have spanked me into this new direction.
Posted by mbowen at February 9, 2005 08:50 PM
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Cobb's website is not one for casual reading. Skimming will not work. It demands to be read, quietly and deliberately, to make sure you grasp what he is trying to impart. It's not my usual type of reading material, and he presents a point of view tha... [Read More]
Tracked on February 10, 2005 03:38 AM
Comments
Keep hacking away, man. Your blog is a valuable natural resource. One thing about writing, though, its a thankless, fickle endeavor, always has been, and now with the advant of blogging it's gotten worse.
There's just no straight-line method to success with writing, at least financial success -- or even popularity. Which is the reason I got out of it.
I believe your comic strips are a better bet. Drop Dead can go all the way to the top.
Ric
Posted by: Ricky at February 10, 2005 06:18 AM
Cobb, I fully support your attempt to move up in the 'sphere. I landed on your blog a few weeks via Josiah over at Irresponsible Journalism and have become a faithful reader. I really appreciate your perspective, even if I don't agree with you 100% of the time. Oh, and the cartoons are brilliant! Keep it up and good luck.
Posted by: justin at February 10, 2005 07:39 AM
By the way, the popularity of black woman bloggers is a sexual/mother thing.
ric
Posted by: Ricky at February 10, 2005 08:42 AM
Mike:
Congratulations on increasing your readership. Your comic strip is outstanding. Are you consistent enough to try marketing it? It would do you well to submit it for consideration for publication. Where did you find your cartoon characters? A supportive Mom
Posted by: Anonymous at February 10, 2005 09:46 AM
Keep going! As far as I'm concerned, yours is exactly the sort of material that blogging was made for: thoughtful, personal, with generous portions of humor and attitude.
To be honest, I don't actively seek out blogs these days, I got tired of the brevity, imbalance, and over-self-indulgence. I only found yours recently, somewhat by accident (from a link on Professor Kim's blog that referenced your comments on the Cosby controversy that I was researching for a documentary project I am working on, but I digress).
I admit that I did notice we share the same last name, but I think I can still be objective about your blogging. While I'm not 100% in agreement with all of your opinions, I definitely enjoy reading them. BTW, have you ever considered a syndicated column? Your opinions would definitely be preferable to a lot of those we get on the op-ed page of the Florida Times Union.
In the meantime, do you mind if I put a link to you on my web page about Cobb sites worth visiting? Probably won't produce a big jump in your hit rate, but it probably won't hurt either.
Stephen
p.s. Yes, the cat-in-the-kitchen was the best SuperBowl commercial. And yes, keep the cartoons coming. I am re-reading them all now I discovered the click-to-enlarge trick.
Posted by: Sephen Cobb at February 10, 2005 07:05 PM
Cobb, you know what Avery and I always say..."Cobb's smarter than all of us." You can quote us on that.
Ricky wrote: "By the way, the popularity of black woman bloggers is a sexual/mother thing."
Ric, You really do exist in the crabpot don't you? That's a disappointing assumption coming from another black person as I assume you are. If you don't think black women can gain popularity on wit, intellect, and talent, then that's a sad worldview you have. Especially when black men in the blogosphere have risen far faster than any black women.
Posted by: Ambra Nykol at February 10, 2005 11:06 PM
I have you on PunditDrome. Hope it brings you some traffic.
I wish there was some way you could syndicate your cartoons the way Day-by-Day does -- paste the code in the page and the cartoon shows up. If you did that, I would put you in a prominent place on my site.
Much Love from the Edge of New York City.
Scott F.
Posted by: Scott Ferguson at February 11, 2005 10:47 AM
From one blogger to another,
"Day to day grinding will keep a player shining" - Mike Jones
Keep doing what you do bruh.
Posted by: D. E. Washington at February 11, 2005 12:30 PM