I have two confessions to make. First, I have not read any genealogy blogs in almost 18 months. Second, I spent yesterday going through my blog reader to do some clean-up (so I can get back to reading regularly), which resulted in the deletion of many blogs (hundreds!).
I will also admit that I myself have not been blogging much in the last few years. While I know what my reasons are, I’m curious to know the reasons of others. I ask because as I was cleaning up my blog reader, I was shocked at what I was seeing. After going through about 20 blogs, I started to record some information because I was so shocked, I thought that what I was seeing couldn’t be possible. Sadly, it was. Here’s what I found:
Out of the 350 blogs found in my reader that hadn’t had a post in over 30 days, 63% hadn’t been posted to within the last 12 months! Of the blogs that had been posted to within the last 12 months, just over half had been posted to within the last 6 months. What’s more, of those 350 blogs, over half hadn’t seen a post in over two years. Here’s how the numbers look:
| # of Years of No Posts | # of Blogs |
| 2 to 5 months | 72 |
| 6 to 11 months | 59 |
| 1 | 30 |
| 2 | 70 |
| 3 | 52 |
| 4 | 43 |
| 5 | 16 |
| 6 | 5 |
| 7 | 2 |
| 8 | 1 |
Although not completely scientific, I did hold consistent on a few things:
- There were actually around 450 blogs in my reader that hadn’t been posted to in over 30 days. However, in the figures above, I didn’t include blogs that barely got off the ground (and there were plenty of them!). The blogs included above were around for at least a year.
- I also came across some blogs that completely vanished from cyberspace and some that may have been hacked; these were not counted either.
- Sadly, I came upon a few blogs that belonged to people we have lost over the years; those that I knew of were not counted.
- For my own sanity I rounded the years, one year and over.
I am flabbergasted! This is just a small sampling from my personal reader (which clearly hasn’t been updated in years!!) and I can’t believe that at least 189 genealogy blogs seem to have gone by the wayside, having not been posted to in over two years (and I suspect based on this non-scientific study, that there may be many more!!).
So again, I am curious. What has made some genealogists refrain from blogging? My own personal reasons have to do with a lack of time due to competing priorities, but I do try to post something at least once a month and I am making strides to get back to regular postings. What about you? Is it a lack of time? Is it a lack of interest in blogging and/or genealogy? Were your goals for genealogy blogging not being met? Have you found other ways to share your family stories or genealogy research tips and advice? Other reason(s)? Please share your thoughts in the comments—I really want to understand this!
I think many who haven’t posted share the same reasons that you have given. I’m retired and, for the most part, my time is my own so I’ve been able to post daily. I cleaned out my feedly list at the beginning of the year. I followed about 200 blogs and found about 35 of them were non-active and a few had disappeared, too. For those who aren’t blogging for business, this is a hobby that can be set aside when life gets in the way. 🙂
Very true, about setting it aside, Linda. P.S. Your blog is on my list of those to catch up on, as I enjoy reading your posts.
I’m not yet in your statistics, as I’ve been able to keep to my twice a week blogging for almost four years. However, I suspect that people who were writing to post their ancestor’s stories have two main reasons for slowing down or stopping. The first is that they may have run out of stories to tell. I am approaching that point on my husband’s lines. The second is the lack of encouragement or interest expressed by family members or our target audience. And finally, let’s face it…for some people, genealogy is an interest or a hobby, not a passion bordering at times on obsession. I’m grateful to all those who have blogged before me and to those who will hopefully come after me but like you, I’d be glad to see more people blogging again.
Very good points, Janice. I’ve seen the “run out of stories” a few times in the comments here and on Facebook. You’re posts are interesting to read, so I hope you don’t run out of stories to share with the world.
The data certainly looks worrying, Julie. But did you check for the emergence of new blogs in those 18 months? I admit that I haven’t blogged for a couple of months, but that’s because I’m going through really tough time here, at the moment, and I can’t find the time or the clarity — I hope to be back, one day …
Tony, sorry to hear about your current situation; I hope things get back to normal for you. You bring up a good point about new blogs I may have missed in the last 18 months. I will be reflecting more on this in my follow-up post.
Blogging is harder than people think to do. I dip in and out of genealogy blogs and not many of the blog posts I’ve read rarely entice me to read. Bloggers need to have something compelled by to say. It’s not just a diary you put on line. Recommendations say that you should post at least once a week to keep your readers engaged.
Valid points, Peggy. For some bloggers I think it really comes down to their reason(s) for blogging. My blog is a mixed bag, but most of my “family” posts offer something for everyone, whether it’s a tip for finding something, how to use a record, how how I applied a certain research method, etc. (it an intentional decision). I also share news items, book reviews, and my favorite–instructional articles. For some bloggers, they just want a place to share their family stories and photos with other family members and hope that it reaches future generations someday. But, no matter the reason, I agree with you–it’s a lot harder than people think. The thought that people would give up so easily bums me out because there are so many stories to tell and so much knowledge to share, it’s sad that it doesn’t get out there.
I am one of the bloggers who hasn’t posted since August. My reasons are I don’t want to post anything that is not good quality and good quality takes me time. I had hand surgery and it took three months to recuperate. Also, I have been busy helping my aging parents, ages 87 and 92. I miss blogging because it makes me a better researcher. I will be back, hopefully soon.
Brenda, I totally appreciate this comment! My main reason for not blogging lately has been time, but you made me see why I think that–I’m like you, I want quality posts and it takes time (time that I don’t have!). Thank you for helping me see this more clearly. And, I’m sorry to hear about your situation–I hope you are able to carve out time here and there to get back to blogging (I see you’ve already taken a step and I’m very jealous of your trip!!).
Forgot to mention that I’m expanding on this in my follow up post.
Julie, I haven’t posted for about 6 weeks and I have been erratic this past year. I love to blog. Here come the excuses: I would like to blog more, but pressing priorities consume my time. I am now president of my society; I submitted my BCG portfolio in October, and was disoriented for a month afterwards–not an uncommon phenomenon. And, now we are going into the lecture/ conference season! I find I have less and less time to blog–for now. The two blogs I wrote on research plans—really sucked the energy right out of me! I also ran an online class on certification which had its own site; and I usually make a new website for each presentation in a third blog site (these latter two are private). Now, I am catching up on my presentations for five conferences each with 4 pages of syllabi materials. So, yes, I am blogging less on my primary site (genealogycertification.wordpress.com) for now. Excuses, excuses–I’ve got them!
Jill
Super! I’m pretty much disoriented all the time for health reasons…I can’t wait until I finish my portfolio and have it times two!! I’m suddenly discouraged and overwhelmed! Just kidding. BTW, if I haven’t already said this already, congrats on your certification. You’ll be happy to know that I did catch this for the FGS 2017 conference materials, so you’ve got your credential and your bio no longer says “on the clock”!! CONGRATS!!
Thanks for sharing. I am about where you are – almost six years blogging and I try to get at least one post (to each of my blogs) each month. In addition to lack of time due to competing priorities, I think that the novelty of blogging and sharing the “low hanging fruit” in my first couple of years made it easier for me back then. For example, it is easier to share and explain a census record or a gravestone or an interesting occupation of an ancestor. I also had a good run during 2015 when I did the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge. Now I’m learning about DNA and trying to write blog posts that are understandable, which takes a longer chunk of time to write. I do have enough photographs that I should be doing at least 2-3 Wordless Wednesday posts every month, but I keep putting that off and I don’t know why.
Thanks for getting me thinking about this and I look forward to seeing what others say!
Two peas in a pod 🙂
I’m expanding on this in my follow up post.
Lots of interesting comments here and on Facebook. Thinking a follow-up post may be coming next week. In the meantime, keep it coming!
I will have a look for the Facebook comments but I wonder if some of the more prolific bloggers have found alternatives or have created other blogs. I now have 4 of my own blogs and also contribute to Worldwide Genealogy blog. I have noticed the posts on the latter have really dropped off as contributors have either finished their topic or life has got in the way. Many of my posts are about genealogy events or software or other publications and I have yet to find time to discuss research I have done. Lack of feedback can be discouraging and video seems to be taking over for some. I have published something this month but not on my own blog yet. I hope to do something this long weekend.
After reading your comment and others, I also wonder about the possible alternatives.
I’m expanding on this thought in my follow up post.
I haven’t posted a blog since January. I’ve got drafts and other ideas written down to write about. After volunteering at an organisation 3 days a week for 10 weeks, I was made temporary full time for April. When the weekend comes around I am exhausted. But I have made a commitment to myself to get back into it next weekend. Fingers crossed.
Same here….drafts (nearly final!) and all sorts of ideas…if only I could just find the time. But as I’m realizing, it’s more than that. Update coming in a follow up post.
Interesting findings. I had been thinking the same just from the few that I usually follow but had not sat down to do any analysis. I haven’t done as much genealogy blogging mainly because of other commitments but I also find that if I am not participating in a regular blog challenge there is not the same pressure to write something. I do try and post at least 2-3 times a month on my family blog and weekly on my Diary blog as I know there are regular readers. Blogging is still wonderful cousin bait as I still get people finding me via earlier blog posts after searching in Google. Thanks for taking the time to look into this and report your findings.
Totally understand the “pressure” to post when participating in a challenge or committing to a weekly theme. Expanding on this in my follow up post.
Dear blogging buddies, please know how much your readers enjoy following along on the journey, learning from your experiences, getting to know you (and your ancestors) just a bit. I don’t comment on every blog or even every day, but I miss your voices and stories when you go on hiatus.
Usually I blog once or twice a week, but if I have a work deadline or a family get-together or something else keeps me busy, I just have to accept that the gen blog will wait for another day or another week. But even after 18 years of researching ancestors, and nearly a decade of blogging, there’s always something new and exciting to discover and blog about. Plus my blog also serves as cousin bait, attracting relatives who do a search for their family’s name and stumble on my posts. So that also keeps me going.
Thank you, Julie, for opening the door to this discussion. I’ll be interested to hear what others have to say!
Marian, I echo your comment directed at the bloggers. Even though I’ve been horrible about not reading blogs, when I finally made an effort to get back to it, I was so sad to see that many of my favorite bloggers hadn’t posted in quite some time (in some cases, it had been so long since their last post, I hadn’t actually missed anything). I know life gets in the way (we’ve all been there), but I wondered if there was something else going on. The comments on this post were certainly interesting.
I’ve noticed something similar, but it isn’t just lately. This has been happening since before I started blogging (more than seven years ago!). Not everyone keeps up, but that’s OK because there are loads (TONS!) of new bloggers coming along every year. If you haven’t been reading blogs in a long time you will be surprised at all the new blogs you have missed! And some will continue over time, and others will wane. It seems to be the natural course of blogging and bloggers. Over time some blogs will even come back stronger than ever. It happens.
Thanks for your comment, Heather. I’m going to talk about this a bit in my follow up post. Are there any newer blogs that you would recommend? My reader’s a little lonely 🙁
I’ve gotten better with my blogging when I merged my two blogs into one main one. I had one for my husbands family and my own, but decided I’d do more if they were together. I’m also using Lonetesters blogging challenge and will set up 2-3 scheduled blogs at a time to post wary week, so that way if I get busy, my blogs are already done and ready to go. Personal life can ge in the way though and often does.
Glad to know I’m not the only one that writes a batch of posts at a time and schedules them. When I was doing two challenges and a weekly theme, I would do all three at the beginning of the week and schedule them to post. That strategy worked for me…hmmm…maybe I need to get back to that way of thinking.
I didn’t plan to write a Genealogy Blog but in last year’s A to Z Challenge chose memories of the 1950s. For years I have been threatening to put all my family knowledge down for future generations so decided this year to do the A to Z on Fact or Fiction-Family Stories. All I can say is that I am totally immersed in research and verification, scanning photos and writing blogs. I’m up to Q and feel like I’m doing a thesis for a PHd. I will need a rest after April. It is the sort of intense research that is unsustainable. Maybe that’s why people stop writing.
Very interesting perspective, Linda. I know those types of in-depth posts can be very draining, which is more than just a time thing, I think, and maybe leads to burnout?
If bloggers don’t receive feedback from readers, they stop sharing I guess. Especially when they just started. So if readers disappear, blogs disappear. On top of all the time consuming reasons already mentioned.
Good point, Barbara. The sad thing is, it takes time to build a readership (or get family members to read the blog if that’s the intention). But in this day and age, we’re all about instant gratification, so I can see why people bail when no reward comes right away. Sad.
For me it’s lack of time. I do try too post at least twice per month.
Got me beat, I might be around once a month if I’m lucky. Keep it going 🙂
I have been blogging regularly for four years. I try to post about 10 times per month. Blogging is more difficult than people first think. I believe that many begin and then after a while they stop altogether. I suggest you take a look at some of the widely read bloggers and also check out the new ones. There’s a LOT of interesting blog posts out there. Have you read mine? Here’s a link http://www.michiganfamilytrails.com
I not only write about family, but I also post technology tips and tips for using Legacy.
Your blog is on my reading list and has been for some time. I look forward to reading your new posts.
Absolutely, Diane, been following since the beginning!
Julie, several people have mentioned lack of feedback from readership. An important question, therefore, is whether there’s a correlation between the defunct blogs and a particular host (e.g. blogger.com, wordpress, etc). I know Google have broken their blogger tools in several places, and the changed interface may not have helped readers keep on top of interesting stuff. A correlation would be very interesting.
I try to blog once a week (in both English and French), but… life happens! I have a full time job and sometimes it gets in the way. An injury last January kept me away for months. But I love blogging and it has to be for pleasure. So I prefer to skip one week rather than to publish a bad article because I have to publish.
Also, I think a lot of people started blogging and realized later how much work and time it needs. You can easily be overwhelmed by it
Excellent attitude, Diane!
Lack of time and energy. My last post was in September last year. It was part 6 of a series and it really took it out of me. I didn’t feel like blogging again for months. Add to that a heap of personal stuff that hit at the same time and working and family, etc, it didn’t leave me any time or energy to even think about new ideas. On top of that, I still have heaps of family history research to do; I’m in the middle of a do-over; I have only started in the past year to use a software program and am trying to input all of my data; and, I have recently acquired hundreds of photos to sort, identify, scan and catalogue – when do I have time to write posts as well?
Life just gets in the way, sometimes. Having said that, I’ve recently started to think of new ideas for posts. I just have to find the time to write them properly.
You’re not alone. Several people have mentioned the same things, particularly the energy drain….I feel ya!
Ohh, touche, I’m a lapsed blogger as I’ve applied myself to my mother’s memory blog and let my Civil War Ancestors on WordPress languish. I have 3 or 4 almost ready posts that I should go ahead and put out there.
I hear ya on the “almost ready posts.” Why is it that we can’t seem to click “Post”?
I blog twice a week except for vacation breaks, and I’ve been doing so for over three years. But a lot of blogs I followed when I started no longer are active. I think people get tired, busy, interests change, etc. For me, I am retired, and this is my new “job”—one I love better than any job I had before! But did you ever read 350 blogs? I try to follow about ten active ones and probably another 20 that post somewhat less often, and I can barely keep up with those!
You are definitely committed (and your posts are very in-depth!), which is a great blogger attitude. Keep it up!
To answer your question, until Friday, I actually had over 600 genealogy blogs in my reader. That number is now down to just under 250, having removed most of the 350, along with others that were not included in the count for various reasons that were mentioned (e.g., those that didn’t last one year in total), and some that just didn’t interest me anymore. My reader only shows me new posts, so I wasn’t really *reading* 600+ blogs all the time (no way I could manage reading any blogs without a reader!).
I don’t use a reader—how does that save time? I subscribe to the ones I am interested in and get email notifications of new posts—some from WordPress, some from Blogger, some from other sites. Most blog about once a week. I also follow several blogs through the Genealogy Bloggers FB group and read as many posts as time and interest permits.
I don’t know if using a reader is any quicker, but it corrals everything in one place. I follow hundreds of blogs. Most of them are genealogy blogs, but I also follow blogs on writing, technology, business, and social media. I can also feed things like Ancestry message boards and Google Alerts. I can organize all these different blogs into categories with ease. I’ve used a reader almost since day one. I used to do it through email, but quickly learned that was not the solution for me. If I followed maybe one or two blogs, I could manage. But I get a lot of email everyday and I don’t have time to deal with half of those messages, so when I was using email from blog reading, I’d end up with a huge backlog. I needed to get them out of email and make them more manageable. My other problem was that years ago, even with a reader, I’d fall behind on blog reading because I don’t like reading on my computer, so ever since I got a tablet, I found a great reader app and I was able to keep up with blogs daily (until I deliberately stopped in December 2015). Most readers out there show you only the posts you haven’t read (unless you tell it show you everything) and you can usually choose if you want to see newest to oldest or the reverse. You can see all unread posts, or if you have them organized into folders (like I do for my different subject matter), you can view them by folder. There are other handy features, for example, most readers give you sharing options so you can share a post on Facebook, without leaving the reader or the post you are reading. With some you can share to places like Evernote, which I do quite a bit. Many readers also let you star/bookmark posts that you may want to save for future reference, and some let you create tags or labels for additional organization of the actual posts. I’m going to touch on my reading philosophy a bit in another post…stay tuned!
I am still trying to imagine reading hundreds of blogs! If I read hundreds of blogs, I’d have no time to write my own, let alone research, eat, sleep, etc.!! As it is, I probably spend 30-45 minutes a day keeping up with the blogs I follow. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
🙂 It does seem unimaginable, but not all of those people post every day, so it’s not like reading 600 posts a day (remember, half of the blogs in my reader hadn’t posted in over two years). I’m going to talk a little more about this in another blog post about my blog reading philosophy. I actually started drafting a post a few years ago, but it just say…until now since some of the discussion also included people mentioning that they no longer read any blogs.
After my father died in 2011, both the blogging and the research seem to come to a hault. Every year, I vow that this is the year I’m going to get back to it but as you said I now have other competing priorities.
Sorry to hear that, Mavis. Hope you are able to find the time to get back into both blogging and researching.
Mavis I fully know the impact that losing a parent can bring. However, I have found that blogging helps me hold on to them longer–just in a different way. But I also want to say that I miss your blogging, your writing was a delight to read–and you were among my favorites! Please get back to writing again! The ancestors—and now your dear father who walks among them, are all waiting.
Wow, Julie, you have unleashed a cascade of fascinating commentary! What a great discussion.
While I don’t (currently) fall into your category of genealogy bloggers who haven’t posted lately, I have noticed a shift in the milieu, but can’t quite put my finger on it. Perhaps through this discussion, a clearer picture will emerge.
For those I’ve followed who haven’t blogged in a while, I know some have lost family members, undergone surgery or endured other illnesses (i.e. chemo). Some have had changing work priorities or professional opportunities usurp the time previously dedicated to blogging.
I really miss reading some of these bloggers. They were excellent writers, or intriguing researchers, or personalities transparent enough or brave enough to share their vulnerabilities or to be compelling for other reasons. They were part of the mainstay of my daily reading routine and I still wish they would post something, even semi-irregularly, to give their dedicated followers just one more hit.
I can’t really say why others began their blogging journeys, but I do have some guesses, based on observations. When I used to have more time on Saturdays, I tried (at least for one year) to follow Thomas MacEntee’s request that, in exchange for posting the GeneaBloggers icon on my own blog (and having it hyperlinked in his directory), I visit new GeneaBloggers and welcome them to the fold. Often, I left a comment and followed the blog. Many of those blogs only lasted a short while, and then it seemed the writer ran out of steam.
In the process, I also noticed that some seemed to pour every ounce of effort into polishing that opus one. It’s no wonder the writer soon fizzled after that massive outpouring!
On the opposite side of that spectrum, some may realize, after jumping in, that blogging really does entail a lot of work. I teach a general blogging class (how to get started), and once class members realize blogging is more work than sparkly idea, the drop-out rate can be downright disappointing.
I think some genealogy bloggers were hoping that, at last, they had found a way to pique their family’s interest in their own history–and then realized, sadly, that the genealogy “bug” is not genetically passed down, nor is it always contagious.
For my own part, what kept me blogging for a long time was the community that formed around the blogs I followed, as well as those who frequented my own. Comments–especially those which become a great discussion ground–give people a chance to congregate and hash out ideas. Comments became a way to connect. They also provided encouragement when writers wondered, “Is it worth all the work to do this?” I know the comments I received played a big part in keeping me posting–including yours over the years, Julie 🙂
Cousin bait has always been another incentive. I find blogging is like an investment tucked away for long term savings: while a distant cousin (who holds all the answers to my brick wall mysteries) may not show up as the knight in shining armor, the minute I hit the “publish” button, he or she may make an appearance years later, thanks to being re-routed via a Google search. (At least, that is the delusion under which I’m currently suffering…)
I don’t know if this is a corollary to what you’ve noticed, Julie, but over the past year, my blog stats have changed markedly. While my readership numbers have rocketed up, the referring URLs haven’t seemed to come from genealogy-centric sources. I can’t put my finger on it, but I feel more like those numbers have been generated by bots or even spammy websites. I sometimes feel more like I’m hollering into an empty cavern now than when I started blogging in 2011.
On the flip side, I wonder if “hanging” with blogging friends who’ve been at it regularly for years makes a difference. I follow and have connected with some bloggers who have been at this thing for more years than I have, and are still going strong. There is an echo chamber of encouragement to be found in this, a synergistic reverberation. It is definitely the affirming voice that helps keep that writing going through the dry spots. Connecting with other bloggers who are still keeping at it has made the difference for me.
Well put, Jacqi. It certainly is interesting and generating a lot of discussion, and others have noticed the decline too. I don’t know that such a decline is a bad thing, I mean, life happens, but it is a little sad. I elaborate on this a bit more in my follow up post, coming soon.
Hi Julie — I’m sure my blog (Living in the Past) was one that appeared to have gone by the wayside, because I hadn’t written in quite a while, and then started going through the process of moving cross-country, so even more time has passed. But today I posted my first update! I look forward to see more of what you’re up to these days.
So glad to see you back! I was wondering what you had been up to.
I have more than one blog, and can’t write on each one with vigor—but I am committed to working on one that I have set for myself this year—to write small stories about 52 Families—yes 52 Families in 52 weeks. I am going at it and getting it done—but it is an effort that requires commitment.
But this effort to document 52 Families in 52 Weeks is becoming a good thing for me, not only to keep the blog going, but to sharpen my writing, and to give me something to convert later into a publishable project–not perhaps all of the families, but many of them.
So—the effort continues.
Keep it up, Angela!
You have prompted a very stimulating discussion, Julie. I have been blogging for over 6 years, and occasionally go through my fairly limited reading list and have noticed the fall off. When I began, I thought I would soon run out of material, but contact from 2 third cousins who found my blog was a tremendous boost in supplying me with new photographs and stories which they were happy for me to,write up on my blog. Although I get a lot of personal satisfaction in writing my blog, there is no doubt that getting comments is a great motivator, and you do have to work at reading and commenting on other blogs to build up followers. Time and other activities do get in the way, but I still aim to blog every 7-10 days on my FH blog. For some time the prompt Sepia Saturday has been my main preoccupation, with other participants good at giving comments. I also have done the April A-Z Challenge most years – but not this. I stopped taking part in Worldwide Genealogy (with a designated day to blog each month) and had high hopes for the site in building up a network, but it never happened. I stopped participating largely because of the lack of feedback and the fact the content seemed more academic and IT based and less suited to my style. I now manage the blog for my local history group (more pressure!), and research and write most of the content – I have recently gone down to 2 posts per month. I am impressed by the bloggers here who write several posts per week and still manage to follow an extensive reading list. don’t know how they do it!
Susan, that’s awesome that you found cousins through your blog who are willing to share stuff with you for research and blogging purposes! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and your own experiences.
Oops – I don’t even get my “name” right. It should read “Scotsue”. With apologies.
I hope my blog was not one you deleted from you reading list; I am coming back. Life, work and somewhat poor health have caused me to take some time away. When you get home from work at 6 and are so tired you go to bed at 9, blogging gets put aside. I spent the last 2weeks revamping my content calendar and I am looking for a developer/programmer to assist me moving my blogger to WordPress. Until I get someone to assist with the move, I will continue to post on my site JohBrownKin.blogspot.com. Hope you join me there.
I enjoy your blog, looking forward to great articles in the future
Alice Keesey Mecoy
Lordy! I hope genealogy blogging is not dead! I just started a genealogy blog this past fall, and am drafting posts to be scheduled regularly in the weeks to come. (Will that last? Who knows? I’ve always wanted to do that #52Ancestors in 52 Weeks thing, so we’ll see!)
I can’t believe I wrote this post almost two years ago. Sadly, right after that, some things happened in my life and my blog reading got dropped down on my priority list again. It’s probably been another 18 months since I’ve sat down to read blog posts through my reader, although I do read them occasionally when I see one posted on Facebook. I’m guessing my reader needs to be cleaned out again. As for my blog writing, I’m trying to get back into the swing of things. Congrats on your new blog. I do find that having specific goals (like the 52 ancestors) and pre-posting helps, so I think your plan will work for you.