Meth: a Ticking Timebomb Gone Viral

The Search for a Target Audience

I've been a member of WdC for almost three years now, and I still wonder if the stories I share on my port are relevant, understood or even appreciated.

I'm not talking about being popular, I am talking about the lack of feedback I receive on average per item read. It's an ongoing thing and anyone who has read this blog over time would be aware of how this state of silence affects me. There is a voice that tells me not to look at stats...that it doesn't matter if one hundred and sixty people have read a particular item, but only two or three could be bothered to share their thoughts on what they got from the experience.

I hear what they are saying, or not saying when I have to fill in the blanks myself. Common sense tells me they can't all be too lazy to write a few words of encouragement, or a few words explaining why they got nothing from my story. In the past on this blog, I have asked questions such as...is this lack of feedback the norm? And...do YOU have items with those kinds of figures? Then, over the following few days, it becomes apparent silence is once again par for the course.

Today, I had Bing do the math for me because although I don't write real good (sarcastically speaking), my math is even worse. Which is my own fault for leaving school without achieving so much as a junior level of education. So, Bing explained to me that only 1.25% of those who read my work review or leave a comment. The AI also told me that I shouldn't be discouraged by such lowly figures. And although I do appreciate the algorithm trying very hard to prop up my ego, I had to reply, "It's a little too late for that, Bing."

When my membership came up for renewal last year, one of the main reasons I didn't look for somewhere new to present my work was that I felt very indebted to this site and to those who have befriended and supported me...and also to those who did read an item and share their thoughts on said item with me.

I remember feeling exactly the same way then as I do right now...a little disheartened and somewhat perplexed as to why I continue to be on the nose with the vast majority of people who visit my port. And now, as my membership approaches, there is that same voice telling me this is not the place for me. That the stories I share and opinions I express are not supported or worthy of comment. And without any way to gauge how these readers feel, I must postulate that my stories are not clever or enjoyable.

I cannot help but feel that I belong somewhere or hope that there is a place where people will read something of mine and go...WOW. Something that has rarely happened here. Perhaps I am not worthy of comment. I admit there have been times when I have felt ostracised and definitely misunderstood. I am not the kind of person who goes along with commonality for the sake of acceptance and could even be accused of being resolute, but I call it being assertive.

There is a degree of guilt associated with all of this talk of leaving, especially when I hear a voice telling me I expect too much. A voice that reminds me of the times before I joined WdC, when I wrote in my bedroom and very few people read my words...and then telling me that I should just try and be happy with how things are here.

And you know what, I probably could be if I knew this was how it is for most members. But, as I say, no one has ever told me that is the case, and without any reassurance or data to go by, so I understand that it isn't just me, that there are others who feel the same way and have similar experiences with those who visit their ports, then I have to assume that I am the problem.

I am not going to leave, but it might be worth the extra investment to join another site and see what things are like there.

I hate blame because it serves no one, but I can't help but think this lack of feedback, if it hasn't to do with my work per se, might possibly be a side-effect of social media, where many people are only interested in promoting their own brand. I would love to think that statement is going to upset any member who reads it and be vehemently denied, but past experience, logic and a growing sense of apathy are telling me otherwise.

I think that after three years, it can be safely assumed that you, and a large portion of the people who visit my port, are probably not my target audience...but there might be one out there who will understand me and like what I do.

I am proud of how I have progressed in the three short years I've been here. And considering when I first joined, I struggled with the mechanics of writing due to my aforementioned lack of education, I really do feel I have come a long way.

I hope this post doesn't come across as simply a big whine because there is no bitterness here. I would like to think anyone who puts their heart and soul into their work and then posts it on any site would want more for the effort than they get from those who come, read and leave without giving anything in return...not even a thanks. This isn't Napsta, but simply a desire for a small degree of recognition for the work and a little respect from those who consume it. And if that is too much to ask, then perhaps the answer is that I was born in the wrong century, before manners and approbation became a thing of the past.