I appreciate the thought you’ve put into what I’m trying to do. As you may have seen in subsequent updates on the site, we are not progressing through the list of participants. Any blog could be featured for any given two-week period whether that author is participating or not.

I too am interested to see whether or not the two-week influx actually leaves a lasting positive effect on the visited site. I suspect it will but perhaps not in the way many are expecting.

The blogger may make a few new friends, may gain insight into improving his or her writing, or may realize (as you have) that a ton of readers isn’t quite the end-game that they were expecting it to be.

On the assumption that there are some true “hidden gems” though, there will some sites that simply need the exposure to flourish.

To your point about compatability, I think you’re spot on. For most people, they must see something of themselves in the author for it to be so attractive that they commit to long-term readership. I’d like to eventually offer more than just a one-blog-fits-all model, to be able to have something for intellectuals, something for photographers and designers, something for narratives, something for businesses–whatever the division may be. This would improve the odds.

In the meantime, my hope is that the readers identify with the under-appreciated blogger on the grounds that they have at least that in common. Also, some of the readers are bound to find the blog naturally interesting to them and will stick around and send some of their readers that way from time to time. And a few will discover that the blog or the blogger grows on them, that what started as reading to fulfill the two-week commitment turned into reading for interest or pleasure.

One nice thing about a wide audience is that it often contains a number of engaged readers inside of it as well. I think we are intrigued by the large audience because, like panning for gold, a larger sample of people is more likely to contain one that is really resonant with us. If I gain 100 readers, my excitement comes from imagining what interesting people might be hidden therein.

Again, thanks for the thoughts–drop me a line sometime if you’d like. I’d enjoy talking to you further. Otherwise, I hope to see you in the course of the project or over here from time to time.

Gregs last blog post..Monkeys

In this particular situation, size is not the most important factor.

Ps. I’ve always liked your smile.