For those of you who suddenly get the urge to try and tidy up your blog I would quickly advise you to put down the laptop and place it as far away from yourself as you possibly can, especially if you haven’t got very much time.
This week I have been adopting a slightly different strategy in my working methods. After a long period of time of doing the bare minimum of anything connected with my blog, I have finally kicked myself into gear in preparation for exciting things in the New Year than I have been planning for what seems like forever. Consequently, I have been on it – making sure that I start as early as I can first thing in a morning and pushing myself to keep going until I have done above and beyond what was on the basic list and tracker for the day.
In my infinite wisdom, and with a spare hour of time before I needed to leave the house yesterday, I decided to make a few updates on the blog and put a few things in place that I can add to as I’m going along over the coming weeks.
Big mistake. Huge.
What innocently started as a seemingly positive activity quickly became an enormous wormhole as I found myself sucked into a vortex of utter waffle – complete and utter nonsensical ramblings about nothing in particular. There are well over a thousand posts that have been spread out across six-and-a-half-years, and I quickly realised that of these 1000+ entries (of which I have deleted at least 1000 more), about 80% of them were pointless, and most of the 20% that are of value are either completely hidden or need some serious rewriting.
Urgh. Where to even start?
On the positive side, I have been able to revisit certain moments in my life that I value and I’m glad that there is a record of it as it happened. However, most of what I was looking at can quite easily fall into the ‘what the heck was I thinking?’ and ‘why didn’t someone remove the laptop from my grasp and throw it in the bin?‘ categories.
It looks like I have much more work ahead of me than I thought…
Dammit.
What about you guys? Do you visit old posts and then want to burn your blog and start again as a result?
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Suzie Speaks 
Yes!! The early stuff was so scattered! And posts that I did as homework for my blog classes sound so shallow. Why didn’t anyone tell me?
I know what you mean – I love your blog though!
No, never, Suzie, although I have deleted lots of old blog posts but have also rewritten many that needed updating. These posts have been a complete success for me with more comments left on them than when they were first published.
I’m reasonably good when it comes to doing the housekeeping of my blog. This month, especially, I find, is quiet in the blogging world. It’s an excellent time to do blog admin, change blog themes, give the blog a facelift, etc. Use the time wisely, rather than just saying ‘I’ll do it tomorrow.’ I always remember the saying – ‘tomorrow never comes.’
You’re a machine, Hugh! I honestly don’t know how you keep up with it all haha!
Yes! I’ve gone through this process multiple times…
I can imagine TD!
I have left it sitting as is, so far, imperfections and all. but I have considered it. I guess I see it as each one was a moment in time
I know what you mean – I think I will have to go back and edit a lot haha!
Yes. Move the computer far far away. Tuck fingers in ears and say, “blah, blah, blah…” Slowly back out of the room…I’ve taken that trip once or twice to an old blog. I thought my posts were so great! HAH. (shakes head) Some are downright embarrassing. Best wishes to you on your early spring cleaning! Wait it’s not even winter yet! 🙂
Haha! Thanks Angie! I think I have a plan moving forward but i’ve definitely had my fingers in my ears haha!
I make very small changes to my blog once in a while but have had to remove over two thousand posts to reclaim space due to WP.com not allowing users to purchase more storage. Instead, they force you to purchase the $300 per year business plan. Pure greed. Sometimes I wanna kick WP. To the curb!
Oh wow 2000 posts??? How long have you been blogging??
I have deleted a lot of old posts this year. Now I just need to tweak my menus…
That’s another thing I need to look at haha! How did you feel after deleting them?
Oh god yes! Especially since I went self-hosted and installed Yoast – I can see three years worth of blog posts which I should review and update…
But at least you can see how far you’ve come, and how much you’ve learned in that time x
I like that idea – although i hasn’t stopped me from deleting a lot of it haha!
I have posted more than 2,500 stories in the now 7 years of blogging: I do not delete any, and have reblogged some from the past since they weren’t widely seen at the time, or I have a fondness (stubbornness) that makes me want to keep sharing until they get the love they deserve!
Haha! Sometimes the older posts unexpectedly take off!
Me, I sometimes look at the blog posts with the least views and find one I can improve and post again like it is new. Not often, but sometimes.
I like doing that too – it works sometimes!
I do this too! I constantly find myself deleting old pointless blogs while shaking my head LOL
It’s hilarious isn’t it… Perhaps we need to just write the stuff and the time and then delete it when we have got it out of our system…
Oh. Oh oh… I really get this.. I just call it a learning curve..
I’m still in the waffle mindset haha! It has given me an insight into how I want to move forward with it though…
I have been getting that itch to spruce up the old blog. Not being tech oriented though I’m terrified of breaking what’s already there so I’ll probably just delete a year’s worth of posts and call it done 🙂
That’s what I’m afraid of too haha! I really need to do a back up soon
I like to revisit old posts just to laugh at myself–sometimes I forget how weird I am!
You’re not weird! Your posts are fabulous!
I actually reposted an old post and it went crazy. I remember taking twenty minutes to write it and post it and then forgot about it. Then during a conversation with hubby, I remembered it and reposted it on facebook and it took off. I usually get a whomping twenty visitors on a very good day and for two days straight I ended up with over one thousand views. Blew my mind! Couldn’t believe it! don’t think it would happen again, but it was a fun weekend. Cathi
I love it when that happens! Isn’t it funny when the most popular posts are the ones who have the least amount of time spent on them!