Matt on the value of blogging:
There is no predictable connection to the effort and thought you put into something and the response it receives, and every experienced blogger has a story of something they spend a few minutes on and toss out casually going viral, a one-hit wonder that makes your stats in future months and years puny in comparison.
This has happened to me a few times, and it always seems strange. The prolonged impact of distorted stats makes it even worse.
The suggested fix? Write for just two people:
.. when I get caught up in that the randomness of what becomes popular or generates commentary and what doesn’t it invariably leads me to write less. So blog just for two people.
Scott Berkun left a comment on Matt’s post that put the situation this way:
Is it better to be popular or good?
After giving it some thought I don’t like this question as much as I had hoped. There are some things and people that are popular that I would still consider good.
I’d adjust the question by adding just one more word: Is your intent to be popular or good?
Hopefully the best of us at least start out wanting more to be good than popular.
This site has my name all over it, hopefully it is clear that the things here start as something for me. If they are helpful or enjoyable to anyone else, then that is a bonus. A wonderful bonus of course 🙂