What makes a good blog? Is number of followers or comments received a good indicator of how good a particular blog is? I have been looking back at my blogposts over the last nine months and wondering what is it all for? My posts seemed to be slightly longer back then, but I am unsure as to if the quality of posts has suffered as the blog ages. I started off with lots to say, but I get the feeling I ran out of things to say or ran out of steam. Although even now, I take some pride out of this blog.
I set up this blog just because I could. I enjoyed reading medical and non-medical blogs and decided to give it a go. Then people started to read it and hopefully like it. I hope you all got something out of it.
So what is the point of this blog now? Are people expecting a funny story everynow and again, is its just one more blog to check on the list? Perhaps I should start telling stories of heroism that I have performed, rescuing twenty patients from a burning hospital? And what is the point of the wider medical blogosphere? Is it to make people laugh or think? Or is it to preach to the converted about how shit governments are and illustrate the inepitudes of managers in the NHS?
Have we made a difference? Is it our job to try and change stuff? Or is it just another hobby?
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Write what you like, in medicine or otherwise ... and there will always be someone out there who will want to hear and will identify with what you say. I like your blog :-)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Anonymouse.
ReplyDeleteYour blog is what you want it to be, and an arena for airing your views. Hopefully, blogs do make people think, gain knowledge and an insight into the writers world.
Even if a blog makes a small difference - that is enough.
Followers and comments are nice(!) - but at the same time, you have to realise that not every one will comment on every post - only the ones that interest them.
I like your blog too!
Anna :o]
For me, its becasue I'm very isooated professionally as a single handed GP. This was the only career choice open to me being as I had certain medical problems of my own outside my control it wasn't something I chose to do.
ReplyDeleteThus its nice just to hear the banter from the medical world, be it meanigful crystalised nuggets, bon mots, gossip or just general crap - its a nice way to stay in touch as I sup my lunchtime soup in front of the PC.
Keep it up!
I've just read a years worth of your posts as I only recently discovered your blog (through reading others such as dr zorro and jobbing dr). All med blogs are interesting to people like me hoping to enter medical school in a years time. Keep it up! And more interview tips please...
ReplyDeleteIf you lose the passion to write blogs then nobody would blame you. It comes with a huge risk writing blogs and the drive to get information out to inform your readers is rewarding but it comes at a price of being found out. Thats why I don't blog as regularly as I'd like, although I hardly think I have anything to offer at the end of the day well all run the risk of ending up like Dr Crippen getting the attention of the media and being uncovered. Why? Because although there are dozens and dozens of NHS-Based bloggers out there we are still a minority telling tales on the internet that every trust up and down the land would sack us over if we ever were to be uncovered. As well as our respective Universities. Nobody wants that, perhaps in the end John Crippen didn't either, and perhaps thats why he shut his blog down.
ReplyDeleteYes although most of your older blogs were longer it doesn't mean your posts are any less genuine or "good" because they are shorter now... Burning of passions and hobbies come from overdoing them... keep what you're doing and we'll still come, we'll still read and we'll still comment and learn even if we're a faithful few :) You're awesome Fuddled Medic!
Thank you for the comments, much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteNHS Nursing Student - is there anything on this blog I could get into trouble for? I have not identified patients and everything is incredibly generic (email me if you prefer)
No you're definetly one of the more discreet blogs... but even then, it runs a slight risk, doesn't it? and our desire to state facts and talk about real patients and real cases has it's risks which makes it even more difficult to blog and write as openly as we'd like to.
ReplyDeletekeep up the great work. my email is on my blog if you ever need anything.
Mary X