Blogging on 500px and getting annoyed. What to do?

[sk66]

As some of you are aware I've started blogging on 500px. It's a free "feature" and I thought "why not?"
I put a bit of effort and thought into it and I try to write the types of things I would enjoy reading.... No "gear reviews" and that kind of crap. No "had a great time shooting blah blah blah". Just things that are meant to be funny and entertaining. (well, they make me laugh)

But there's really no "promotion" of blogs on 500px. My posts are very quickly obliterated by the tons of other crap blog posts. I wonder if I'm wasting my time. Well, of course I'm wasting my time....but is there any point to it?

So I'm wondering if there is a "better option". I know there are better formats, and I could certainly host one myself and plaster it everywhere if I wanted. But in the end, isn't it kind of the same? A blog post obliterated by tons of others out there on the web.

Is there really nothing to do about it?

Well, at least they make me laugh.....

[SwissJon]

LoL.. Oh dear Steve.. Welcome to the world of the ordinary..

I really don't see the point of using a blog to comment on the world. If I were you, I'd use it more as a personal diary for random ramblings.

[dlambert]

Yeah - interesting. One of the features I like about 500px is the "Friends" tab that lets me see just new pics from people I'm following, because there's just no way I'm going to be able to pay attention to all the new photos coming into that site. Unfortunately, there's no equivalent for the blog feature, so even though I'm following you, I've got no idea you're posting new stuff.

I did notice that they at least offer RSS feeds for blogs, so I'll go ahead and add you into my Google Reader feeds, but at that point, there's not much to offer here relative to just doing your own thing in Wordpress or equivalent. I think I mentioned earlier that I started a blog before I "discovered" 500px, so I'm keeping that going at the moment, but I think 500px has a couple of features they need to add to blogs before they're ready for prime time. Maybe I'll try dropping them a line....

[sk66]

Originally Posted by SwissJon

LoL.. Oh dear Steve.. Welcome to the world of the ordinary..

I really don't see the point of using a blog to comment on the world. If I were you, I'd use it more as a personal diary for random ramblings.

I don't think I'd call what I'm writing "commenting on the world", do you?
I think of it as more "ramblings of a photography lunatic".....at least that's what I'm going for.

[sk66]

David,
Isn't "doing your own thing" in some other format really pretty much the same?

[dlambert]

Originally Posted by sk66

David,
Isn't "doing your own thing" in some other format really pretty much the same?

I guess so, but the whole idea of a site like 500px is that it supports community building. In your case, I'm following you because of DPS, but there are some other people I've found on 500px because I liked their photos, and a few that started following me because (hopefully) they liked my photos, and by virtue of the fact that I like your photos, I'm automatically more inclined to listen to your opinion (blog), too, whether I agree with it or not, and that's sort of what you're looking for, right?

The nice thing about 500px is that it reduces the friction of following someone, to the extent that it helps build those communities faster than just throwing your stuff out on the web, I think.

Incidentally, I posted the following in one of their "support" areas:
500px | Blogging improvements

I guess we'll see if anyone's home.

[sk66]

I'm also following other DPS members and several others just for their work. And I have about 20 "followers", many of which are not DPS members, but I really have no idea why they are following me....

[dlambert]

FYI, someone from 500px responded to our posts with a notice to the effect that they've got improvements planned to the blogging features.

[RichardTaylor]

Steve, they may just like your photography.

[sk66]

Originally Posted by RichardTaylor

Steve, they may just like your photography.

Hah!
I don't have a single image rated above 75....
I do have one that's been "faved" 5 times but has only one vote...?
Oh well, it's not like I'm trying to get paid.

And should I be reading something else into that comment????