Well, as the year draws to a close I think it’s time to take stock and look ahead to 2012. My blogging year in review for 2011 isn’t much more than random thoughts, rather than something earth shattering. Actually, I find most of December to be a bittersweet affair of melancholy which I try and not think too deeply about. The one thing that always bothers me is the heightened feeling that it’s another year over and time is ticking ever quicker.
Time? It’s on my mind more than ever before which I guess goes with ageing in general. I can see 50 years of age just on the horizon and it still makes me think, “Where did the last 10 years go?”. If I think back, mortality has stuck in my brain since the first time I heard The Doors song, ‘Five to One’ which contains the line, “No one here gets out alive”. I remember as a kid going, “Hey hang on, I’m going to be dead one day?!” Thank you Jim Morrison for causing that angst to my brain whilst so young.
Then again seeing the movie Deliverance when I was nine years old didn’t help my innocent brain too much either. What’s even worse about all this is a bloke at work whose locker is near mine, says stuff like, “Well, that’s another day over, another day closer to the grave”.
How’s your mood now? I told you the blogging business is not all beer and skittles and for the remainder of this meandering post I’ll slot in suitably moody shots of the Mt Macedon area shrouded in low cloud, just to keep you feeling slightly depressed.
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Oh yeah, I like to mix it up a little, so in between talking about dying I’ll touch on more important things in life such as blogging. It’s taken me a while, but I’ve just realised what the problem is with this online stuff. Do you know what it is? I hope you’re sitting down for this ‘splitting the atom’ moment which I’m about to reveal. The problem is it’s online. Whew, you must be worn out mentally by that ground shaking revelation? It makes sense though in the next paragraph, but first of all enjoy another ‘moody’ picture.
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I’m not alone in feeling that the internet only seems to suit reading short snatches of information. Have you ever tried to read a large document online? It sucks beyond a handful of pages and I find I just want to sit back holding the bloody thing instead of being propped up at a screen trying to absorb the information. This means when it comes to a blog being concise is the key. I find I can’t really unleash my writing as I know that if it goes beyond a certain length the audience will move on to something else which goes hand in hand with online content. It’s a case of scan, click, scan, click type stuff. In fact at times I feel this abbreviated ‘snatch of information’ type of thing has affected my overall concentration when I go to read a book, either that or it’s excessive medication. Oops, the paragraph is getting long, so it’s time for another picture.
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Can you imagine James Joyce today? “Look, I hope you check out my Ulysses blog and have a read. It’s about 1000 pages long, but I forgot to put any pictures in to break up the slabs of writing. Sorry”. Yeah right, I’m afraid Jim you’ll be struggling with every one else online who just gets swamped by other ‘stuff’.
I can imagine a few plebs out there who have just thrown their Corn Flakes in the air, “Check out this fiasco tool, he thinks he’s James Joyce restrained by the internet!!!” Relax you sugar munchers, but that’s not the case at all.
Actually, I remember reading that Corn Flakes have more sugar and salt in them now compared to 30 years ago. I read that online, but I have no idea where, which is my other online problem. Beyond two pages of Google searching I usually give up. Do you realise that Corn Flake question I just asked gave me 4,800,000 results? Maybe the answer is on page 36,046.
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So, besides keeping the content down to make the post palatable the other online occupation is maintaining the persona. I’m fairly anonymous online, so I can be any personality can’t I? I tend to use excessive exclamation marks to infer boundless enthusiasm and it looks like I’m a bundle of likeable energy. How about some examples? “I’m going to have my breakfast!!!” “I’ve put my kettle on!!!!” Later on I’m putting my head in the oven!!!!!”
See? It’s so simple isn’t it, which brings me to my next blogging point. Keep it light and simple. If you come across with any thoughts too deep you’ll be clicked through for something lighter and less straining on the brain. If you do go for something slightly heavier, make sure you include lots of photos to break up the downer writing. For example, one simple thing I notice about ageing is my hands. The skin doesn’t have that elastic feel it once did and now appear weathered and my joints can feel stiff and sore. Okay, forget all that and let’s look at another picture.
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So, if I need an example of an online persona, then I don’t need to look any further than Facebook. It’s a great place to maintain a completely false, carefree front. In fact it’s a great spot to show a self-reflection of the person you want to be, but are not. Another example, “Yeah, I’ve got such a busy weekend coming up!!!” Actually, I’m spending my time trying to get out of bed, but you’ll never know any different. So, my next blogging rule? Think of the person you want to be and write with enthusiasm as if you are, as no one will know any different. How easy’s life when you can do that? I love this online stuff! Oh, but if you’re going to slip into complete honesty by accident and mention that you’re feeling slightly suicidal, ensure your misery is funny, otherwise another click through will eventuate.
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What’s next in my blogging experience tricks book? Oh yeah, you’re writing an outdoor blog right? Guess what? You’ll end up disappointed if you think writing lots of trip reports will draw in a zillion visitors. Unless someone is aiming to do the walk you’ve mentioned then hits are unlikely or if they do it’ll be your most recent post. I don’t think much digging into a blog goes on for older entries which is probably fair enough, as there’s no time with another million things to read online. I can’t waste all day!
My blog entries for the Overland Track in Tasmania are the least read things I’ve ever posted which is interesting as it would be the most well known Tasmanian walk in the world. Yet some of those entries have less than 50 page views in over 18 months. The reason? Well, the blog was in its infancy then and being quite a while ago no one really digs in to have a look. Oh yeah, there’s another scenario which could be possible and that’s they’re crap. Mm… I wonder what it could be?!
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My key to all this is that if you’ve got an outdoor blog forget the trips and just write about the stuff you took with you. I bet my left testicle that if I returned to my Overland Track hike and wrote a series of posts about my stove, pack or my clothes then the hits would overwhelm the actual trip entries themselves. In fact if you start looking at outdoor blogs the prominent thing you’ll find is banging about the crap that was taken instead of what the person was finding in their outdoor experience.
I guess I can return to my online persona remarks earlier and run with this scenario. I could do hardly any walking and just talk about bits and pieces and it’ll appear I’m a real outdoorsman when in fact half the stuff I use is only in my backyard. How easy is that? I could show you shots of gear getting used on the front lawn and then return to my couch and write it up. Yeah!
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Actually, if you embrace ‘geekdom’ of the outdoors in your blog you’ll be laughing for popularity. There’s so much stuff out there to write about you’re on a winner if you stick to the brand new, shiny gear. Then again, I’m more interested in how Tim McCartney-Snape walked from sea level to the base camp of Everest in a pair of Dunlop KT-26 runners. How much do those shoes cost? $30 or $40? The best gear is sometimes sitting abandoned at the bottom of the wardrobe.
In fact of the money I’ve spent on outdoor gear one of the cheapest items is giving me the most enjoyment. A comfortable and efficient pair of shoes from the much maligned Kathmandu which I bought for about $50. The thing is though if you’re doing an outdoor blog you must remember that Kathmandu is not very edgy and used by amateurs. If you maintain that brand elitism you’re well on your way! Actually, it’s funny in that I’ve got four different items from Kathmandu that I’ve used for a number of years and they’ve all outlasted stuff made by other ‘fair dinkum’ hiking manufacturers. Oh yeah, I’m talking to you Exped. I’m still mentally affected by your gear!
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What next? Oh yeah, everyone writes a blog for people to read their entries. Is there any point otherwise? Even better is if someone leaves a comment. I remember in the early days the only comments I’d get were from my son Ben and he was on the actual walk the entry was about! Lots of people may read, but very few comment which is okay. So, if someone does comment I’ll feel mildly chuffed and always reply to the comment in appreciation. This leads me to the fact if you write a blog then reply to comments. If I comment somewhere and the other person couldn’t be stuffed writing a reply whilst still posting entries then I’ll sack them. Ha! It’s a harsh world over here in fiasco land!
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By the way, commenting on other blogs leads others to find yours, although there are some rules to this I hope. I try and leave a comment that has some interest to what I’ve just read rather than, “Wow! What a post! What great pictures! Did you use a camera??!!”
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Oh yeah, my early days of comment moderation have long gone and I’ve got my Blogger comments set-up as a free-for-all. Anonymous is okay and I’ve thoroughly binned ‘word captcha’. Actually, I can’t use something that’s spelt as daft as ‘captcha’. It’s written as an abbreviation, but doesn’t the word ‘capture’ have the same amount of letters in it? I actually had someone say, “I’d leave a comment, but you’ve got that stupid captcha thing on”. Fair enough I say, as I once used it on a blog and the captcha word to write was ‘retard’. What? All I want to do is leave a comment and I’m being insulted?! If someone wants to insult me with an anonymous comment they can, although I will track them down with my homing beacon alfoil helmet.
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What else? Not much and this post is getting too long anyway and it’s starting to feel a little Ulysses-like plus I’ve got to go to the shops. I’m sure James Joyce had the same problem when he was just nailing the wandering rocks, but got sidetracked by running out of milk for his cup of tea.
My last blogging thoughts? Crap grammar hurts the brain, but within reason. Do you ever see online forums where the only thing a bozo brings to the argument is a criticism of someone’s grammar? I still struggle with writing and even the heading to this post hurts my brain. Capital letter with each word or not? That could be wrong, but at least I’m confident with knowing the difference between ‘you’re’ and ‘your’ or ‘effect’ and ‘affect’!
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So, what’s on the fiasco horizon for the next year? Who knows, but there should be some sort of walking. Maybe.
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Any more? Oh yeah, I’ll probably continue complaining as much as I’ve done in this post. It can’t be helped as I was brought up by an absent father and a mother who believed she was programmed by the Queen at birth for a life of misery and bags had to be kept packed in case government ‘agents’ came to take us away . I think that’s a slight case of schizophrenia and thrown into the mix was that she was English with the generalisation that nationality made her a whinger. Well, I’m sticking with it as part of my ‘complaining DNA code’ and hopefully people only call me a whinger instead of a wanker as that would be slightly more disappointing. Well, it would be for my online persona, as my actual real life one doesn’t care that much.
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That’s it then. It wasn’t too bad was it? I guess with all this doom or gloom in the photos it would be best to leave with something a little more colourful? How about an aircraft about to fly into a late afternoon storm? That would sum up my view of the year ahead I think.
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Greg, I know what you mean about the views the gear posts get, although I slipped up with my walk report for the Sunrise track which has the most views by far, I assume due to the word “sunrise” in the title.
I look forward to your 2012 Post 🙂
Hey Wazza, thanks for comment!
You know what? I do like 'some' gear talk, but not all the time! Sometimes I like to read something that'll inspire me a little to get out to new places! A bit of a blurb and some pictures of the outdoors keeps me quite happy 🙂
At times it seems the gear is more important than the walking itself!
Yeah, tags and titles certainly have some effect at Google. I worked out that frequently Googled places bring in the stats! My puny Mt Dandenong and Philip Island walks are some of my most popular. Then again the people Googling those probably had no intention of doing the walks and just ended up on my blog by accident 🙂
Greg, reading this post with ragged red eyes while waiting in the transit lounge of an unnamed airport almost brought a smile to my face (but I'm too tired). You need to meltdown more often, it's very entertaining!
Hey, wait a minute, is that me giving the middle-finger salute to the western world in that last picture?
You have a great year of walking shaping up, I hope it all works out for you.
Hey Goat, thanks for taking the time to post a comment during your intergalactic journey!
Ha, I blame December for the mental flame out. I'm positive the only thing that stops a mass slaughter on Christmas day is food. In fact the whole thing is held together by piles of food that leaves everyone so stuffed they couldn't be bothered attacking family members they're forced to be with for one day of the year!
Middle finger to the western world? I thought it was to the entire world?! I must say meltdown posts are pretty entertaining and do give me a laugh in a burned out way!
Yeah, I hope the walks go to plan because I'm piling them up this year. I hope you get in a few miles yourself. I'll be awaiting your next post in whatever location you are 🙂
Greg I am still catching up, after all we are behind the time(s) here. I agree completely that gear reports attract more visitors than trip reports, though it does seem to depend on the title, I am still trying to work out why I get a lot of Eastern European visitors, is it the content or women seeking …
As for gear I have decided that I will provide a few comments on gear at the end of a trip report and then provide a comparative review of gear at some later stage, I think comparative is a better option if you have the time and the gear (of course).
Your sizing of photos is interesting, the quality of your photos is excellent and no doubt a larger size would work just as well but you have made a conscious effort to keep them restricted, I do wonder why? Is it for others or for upload times?
Have a great hiking new year and maybe we will bump into each other when I am next in Oz.
Hi Roger! Lots of Eastern European visitors? It sounds like I have your problem, but I've a feeling it's spam bots bombarding me from afar! I could be wrong, but I don't seem to have many Russian followers!
Yeah, gear talk is all a bit funny isn't it? I start to wonder if people are still actually walking or just talking about the latest piece of kit to keep their blogs ticking over!
Like I said to Wazza I do like some gear, but not when it becomes the main aspect to walking. Hiking should be a really, really simple process I would have thought.
Anyway, I do like your method of the post trip gear round up and that sort of post makes perfect sense. I took note of that in your 400 km hike (can't think of the name right now!) and I think I'll do something similar at the end of my next long hike (I'll give a link back to you for giving me the idea of course!)
Yes, the photos thing has bothered me for some time. I'm always a little mindful of upload time for visitors. I did do some research online about what is an ideal photo size to upload when it comes to blogs. I didn't really get an answer as most stuff written about this topic is from 2009! I'm thinking internet speeds are a lot quicker since then and god forbid no one is still on dial-up!
I did find that something about 1000 pixels wide or high is a good size. I'm tempted to go up to 1600 though 🙂 I do like a massive photo on a blog which is also an indication I need glasses more and more these days!
I hope you have a safe New Year with plenty more walks to come as well. If you're ever down this way drop me a line and we can catch up for a stroll or maybe a few dozen beers 🙂
Well, I keep reading your posts because they make me laugh and you show a lot of personality. I keep searching for blogs that I enjoy reading and I end up unsubscribing to many of them because they just don't offer anything much to connect to. I could care less about 95% of the content in my rss reader. So, I'm glad you've taken up this fiasco 🙂
Hey Sonja, Happy New Year to you! I think my 1000 mile challenge has taken a dive over the Christmas period. I need to get outdoors pronto!
Thanks for the nice words about my blog. I do like to have the odd ranting post to get things off my chest now and again 🙂
It's interesting about some blogs though isn't it? I've thought about this and I've concluded that the worse thing to do is write what you think other people want to read. I think a bit of personality gets lost in that sort of stuff. I hold back at times, but I'm always trying to put down some of the weird things that I think of. It's always going to be hit and miss, but at least it will be mildly entertaining (I hope!)
My blog will never be a world beater with that method, but oh well. When I go hiking I sometimes meet some real freaks! I find a lot of outdoor people interesting like that, but I wish they'd have a go at blogging! They'd be great!
Hey Greg, as someone new to reading blogs and writing my own, your posts have been an inspiration. Looking forward to more of your witty prose this year. Thanks also for the comments they are always much appreciated.
Hi Pini, thanks for the kind words and thanks also for dropping in during the year!
I do like your trips to the snow and it always reminds me that I should make an attempt to get into the hills this winter! Keep at the blogging as it's always good to read something that's local for a change:) Best wishes for the year ahead!
Greg!
I'm a fan of the long posts 🙂 Although I do admit to being guilty of checking out how long a post is and deciding to read it later. Most of the time, I remember to read later. You, I tend to remember to read, as (a) you're a great, very amusing writer; (b) I hope for references that will keep you at the top of any google search for hiking with well …. friends; and (c) your walk reports are very helpful.
My problem with online things being online and on the computer is that my computer is so old and slow, and I have been spoiled by reliably good fast broadband connections in the UK, that I am in danger whenever I try to go online at home of damaging expensive things and breaking windows. I am trying to practise patience, but really. Gah!
Still working my way through a backlog of your posts. You have started 2012 well! I look forward to plenty more, especially as having just returned from Tas, I am itching to do a long hike. Vicarious hiking will have to suffice!
Hi Oanh!
Welcome to 2012! Thanks for the comment and your opinion about the long post. It can be a tricky one at times as often I reread something I've written and literally delete entire paragraphs as I think it's just too much. I also like to use photos in order to break up big slabs of writing, but it's always a bit of a balancing act.
When I started the blog I think I decided that other people do trip reports really well as a resource. So, for something different I've gone for a more manic approach to walking and writing which appeals to me more! I like the little strange things that happen on the way whilst hiking which make a trip more memorable. That's my niche!
Yes, I can sympathise with your slow computer. About 3 months ago I had a complete mental meltdown in relation to excessive loading times with a laptop I was using. I literally sprinted out the door and bought a ballistic speed desktop computer. I like the flexibility of a laptop, but the desktop just powers through everything with no lag. Oh it makes blogging so much easier and stress free! Watching a screen just hanging there without loading is enough to make me want to put my head in the oven 🙂
Yes, I did kick off the year with a bang. How long did that last? A week?! I've already slowed down, but I'm in the middle of a three day adventure which hopefully I can post shortly. Lucky you going to Tas. The home of hiking!
Hi Greg, I'm doing my bit for keeping up hits on your old posts. After coming across your blog, when looking for info on Mt Feathertop I have gone back to the beginning in 2010 and am reading them in order. I enjoy the personality you give to your stories, your laugh-out-loud take on things, your philosophic ramblings, and the details of your everyday life. I give you full marks for your efforts at accurate spelling and grammar; such a pain to read things multiple times to get the meaning when there are spelling mistakes and typos. I'll give you a bit of an ego boost to say that I've never followed a blog before, and this one is plenty to keep up with. I enjoy reading "biography" in general, so much more interesting to read real stories than imagined fiction. Someone hikes for days, could have got washed out to sea, could have got lost, could have fallen off a cliff, deals with thirst, a painful neck, bleeding and koala pee and lives to tell the tale … fascinating. But someone heads to outer space, battles aliens etc etc .. ho hum.
Some of your photos I look at and say, that is just soooo beautiful, especially the details and patterns like the ones in this post with the brass direction plaque.
As to Dunlop KT 26's – thirty years ago I trekked in Nepal for 6 weeks in a pair and wore them at home till they wore out. My husband also bought a pair, but never wore them because they were too small for him, but I now wear them while working in the garden, even though they are a bit big for me.
Thanks for the stories, and good luck with your future adventures! Rosemary
Rosemary, thanks for your great comment! As I've said many a time, blogging at times feels like an extended conversation with myself, so any feedback is much appreciated! It reminds me that people are actually reading this stuff 🙂
I must say, I'm drawn to the absurd and I want to write to entertain myself firstly. I just hope other people feel the same way. If I stuck to a traditional format about walks, then I'll be sued for sending people into comas! There's enough dull stuff around as it is.
Photos are always hit and miss (a bit like the posts!) but I think now I'm getting some nicer ones. I'm impressed you've read that far back! Early on it was a pretty scratchy affair until I hit my mojo, so I bet you saw a different style of writing. I must admit, it used to be a bit more manic in the early days. I've pondered this and am considering pulling out all the stops for some unusual ideas I've had on my mind for some time!
Wow, you have done some hiking! Another great Dunlop KT 26 story! I still remember the Tim Macartney-Snape photos of him on his Himalayan trip wearing the KT 26's. It's a great sight 🙂 It's amazing you're actually using a 30 year old pair? I go through a set of shoes a year. It's nuts.
Thanks again for comment and hopefully I can keep you entertained in the future!