We Gotta Stick Together, Bloggers!

Originally posted on Myspace Nov. 12, 2010:

Myspace......Myspazz......Myshit......

MySPACE is no longer MY space.  With all of the changes they've made, it's become so UN-user-friendly to us bloggers.  With 3.0 comes the death knell to Blogging As We Know It.
Last week when I got "3.0'd" as Karen so eloquently and accureately puts it, I was Freaking Out.  Freaking Out, because this little ol' community here in cyberspace has become such an important and integral part of my life and I could see it all slipping away, and right at a very difficult time.  I'm trying to pick up the pieces of my life that I smashed up AGAIN a few months ago and that's hard enough....I DO NOT NEED THIS SHIT RIGHT NOW, MY-FUCKING-SPACE.

After frantically copying and pasting all of my past blogs that I wanted to keep to a Word document saved to my computer, I relaxed a tiny bit.  At least those pieces of me purging my soul won't be lost to the My[Fuckers].  And those awesome, patient saints such as Marian, Barbara K. and C.C. have kept up such a positive, accepting attitude throughout all of this change that I was calmed a little.  Maybe, just maybe, everything will be OK.

Well.  The thing is, so many people have already left and won't be returning.  Even if things settle down after they get out of Beta testing, the blogging community here won't ever return to what it once was.  The people who have already left or who are currently planning on leaving won't be enticed back, I'm afraid.

And what of the people that remain?  Will they be content having their circle become even smaller?  What will happen to BFF and Blogophilia?  Darlene at BFF is already searching for alternative blogging sites to permanently move to.  I have not heard about our fearless leader of Blogophilia, Marvin, on any alternate plans. 

The thing is, there are tons of blogging sites out there.....and that's great!  MySpace was never a true blogging site, it was a social network that happened to have a blogging feature, almost tacked on like an afterthought.  But it seems no one can agree on which blogging site would be best to move to.  So we have people throwing up duplicate blogs all over the place on Blogger, Wordpress, etc, just in case.  Everyone is becoming scattered.  And some people have just left without even telling any of their friends and readers where they're at now.

I know we all want to stick together......well, at least I do.  I guess I can't speak for the rest of you, but I would really hate it if Blogging As I Know It comes to an end.  I may not write about sunshine and rainbows all the time but I really value your feedback and support and encouragement.  And, the occasional kick in the ass when I need it.  I know I have a lot of lurkers who read but don't comment....I can only hope that my words might have some value to you, maybe even help if you're struggling on the same path I am, and would want to continue to follow me down the yellow brick road. 

I feel like I'm rambling pointlessly now....I guess what I'm trying to get at is if you value this blogging community as much as I do, lets make sure to stick together through this change. 

--make sure you have a way to contact your friends/readers with an email address or Facebook add, something outside of Myspace.

--if you're on Facebook, a Myspace Bloggers group has been established for just this purpose, to catalogue everyone's new non-myspace blogs so we can keep track of each other.  Friend/message me on Facebook if you'd like the link.

--plan for the inevitable.....eventually, myspace blogging IS going to come to an end.  Even if you have no intention of leaving now, plan ahead.  Unless you're planning on just quitting blogging altogether once the end comes, that is.

--re:  planning.....if you haven't or don't already, if there are any of your past blogs that you want to keep, make sure you have a copy of it somewhere OFF of myspace, either saved to your computer or moved to another blog site.

--about blogging elsewhere.....really, it's not so bad out there.  We CAN establish a new blog community somewhere else and have it be as close knit as this one is, yes, really!  It'll require making some changes, but that's small potatoes considering the major changes we're going through right now. 

--lurkers, if you want to keep in touch at all, message me privately to share info if you want.  Or just follow me to my new site.

--here's my contact info again:

email:  clarkster68@aol.com

facebook:  Steven Clark

Blogger:  Steven's Rants


And, my friends, please just don't disappear without a word to anyone.  If you're quitting blogging altogether, fine....but please tell us. 

I fully expect that we'll lose touch with some people as a result of this, and that's sad, but inevitable.  But it doesn't have to be the end of things.....one chapter is closing, another one is opening.

See you on the other side......