I forgot to note my blogiversary. Again. I forgot last year, too.
I started blogging on November 5, 2003, and received 4,960,172 visits since then. I briefly tasted big blog success, and it was good. Mostly. Thank you, readers! It still amazes me.
Will I resurrect past glory? Maybe. Perhaps, one day. Such things used to mean a lot more to me than they do now.
Blogging is no longer rebellious or novel. It just…is. My whole life I’ve tried to be different from the crowd. It’s a compulsion. However, a blog is still a wonderful medium, and I encourage anyone to give it try.
When I started back in 2003, it felt new and exciting. These days, I still see the value in it, and I can’t imagine giving it up. But I’ve mellowed in six years, and some things just aren’t worth the aggravation. My blog is nowhere near as popular as it once was, and that’s by design. I slowed down, chilled out, and took it in stride. Now, I make a living blogging and writing for others.
“La Shawn Barber’s Corner,” and the wonderful people I’ve met online and in person, made it possible.
Thanks again, readers. 
(Image: Bloggersblog.com)
I was so busy this week, I forgot about my “blogiversary.” On Monday, November 5, this blog turned four years old. LBC has received about 3.9 million unique visitors since I signed up with Site Meter in May 2004.
Once again, thanks for reading my blog.
Blogging is in the blood, baby.
Update (11/10): My new title: Writer-in-Residence at Biola University.
About Vegas: If you had no conscience and a lot of money, you could have a really good time/get in big trouble (the same thing, in most cases!). Now I know why people say, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.”
That’s all I’m saying.
Update II (11/11): Biola London? Hmmm…
Update III (11/12): Likewise, John Mark. See you next year, Godbloggers!
There’s nothing quite as inspiring as a drive through downtown in the nation’s capital on an Indian Summer’s night…
Update (9:46 p.m.): This blog has opened a lot of doors for me.
Not only have I met terrific people, but this tiny small space has given me the courage to boldly say what I believe needs to be said.
Not only that, but it’s given me the confidence to speak to large groups of people in person, on the radio, and on TV. I’ve never been what you’d call a wallflower, but I never imagined I’d be called upon to talk to people about what I believe, and defend it without shame or fear. I’m not the most articulate or the best looking or the smartest, but I’m here, willing to take risks.
I know some readers miss what this blog used to be. At the peak of this site’s popularity, I used to blog several times a day at least six days a week. In fact, I think I blogged more when I had a day job. Some posts produced 100+ comments. I craved the interaction, loved the civility, hated the trolls, and never thought I’d slow down or close commenting.
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In today’s round-up, I offer you a potpourri of topics for discussion.
First, a few blog shout-outs. Tami Gill, inspired by me to read the Harry Potter books, currently is on Book 5. Surf over and welcome her to the fandom. (And no spoilers!) For you Harry-Potter-is-evil folks, check out Laura Mallory and the Misguided Crusade.
Welcome Christian Harry Potter fan and professor John Granger to the blogosphere (and I’m thrilled to see my Christian fantasy fiction blog on his roll)! Also see “Harry Potter and the Charmed Christians” and Who Killed Albus Dumbledore?
The Carnival of Homeschooling celebrates one year of existence. Loyal reader and trackbacker Nathan Bradfield at Church and State celebrates his one-year blogiversary. And welcome commenter and new blogger (relatively speaking) Thomas Nguyen to the blogosphere.
Next on the list is Steve Sailer’s “Fragmented Future” article in American Conservative. Some folks call Sailer a racist; I call him a realist. His latest article is not as controversial as others, but it’s worth checking out. Also see his notes on the Great White Defendant.
Sailer surmises that people tend not to trust people who don’t look or act like them. Citing a study that concludes cultural diversity engenders distrust, Sailer says it also tends to inhibit social cohesion, to the dismay of those who worship the multiculti god. If you live in a “diverse” neighborhood, what’s been your experience?
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Three years ago this week, I decided to start a weird-sounding web site called a “blog” because I didn’t think enough people were reading my opinions. You’ve heard this story before.
Three years later, I can’t believe public ranting and raving has been so good to me.
Other bloggers travel to hear me speak, and a few journalists have written about me and quoted me. I’m actually making a living, barely, blogging for myself and for others. Over 4,000 visitors a day click on my URL to find out what I think about the latest news and to read about my faith.
There will be no colorful “Happy Anniversary!” graphics today. I’m humbled by your readership and thoughtful feedback. LBC has received about 2.7 million visitors since its inception. Thanks for reading, and God willing, I’ll be here for another three years.
(By the way, I usually forget the exact date of my entry into the blogosphere. I thought it was Nov. 8, but it’s actually Nov. 5.)
Related post:
by La Shawn on November 5, 2006
in Faith
Tuesday, November 7: Thank you for the wonderful e-mail and comments, everyone. I must clear up a few things about why I wrote this post. First, I have no intention of changing my writing style in any way. I say what I believe needs saying in a manner that I uniquely express it. There will be no soft-pedaling or euphemism. The “edge” is here to say.
Second, I’m not going through any kind of spiritual crisis or epiphany. I simply wanted to appeal to Christian readers to pray for unbelievers who read this blog, especially hostile ones, and for me. There are also people out there who call themselves Christians who can be just as hostile.
It’s not easy being a black politically conservative evangelical Christian woman running a public blog that seems to attract a variety of nuts and others with no lives. Some of them dump all their anger about personal failings, shortcomings, and frustrations on me, expressed most often in inarticulate and illogical rants laced with ad hominem.
But — and all glory goes to God on this one — I don’t plan to stop blogging or stop covering politics from a Christian perspective. However, I think I need to write posts like this more often.
My third “blogiversary” is on Wednesday. I hope you celebrate with me!
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God has put a burden on my heart this morning to pray for people who’ve sent e-mail along the lines of “it’s because of people like you that I left the church,” and variations on the theme.
I can’t imagine losing my faith in Christ because of what another Christian says or does. My faith is strong enough to withstand the sometimes strong influence of people who profess the faith but don’t behave the way I think they ought to. If they’re being disobedient or “unloving,” that’s between them and God, and he will deal with it. Leaving the faith because of something fallen human beings do or say indicates a weakness of the mind unknown to me. I feel sorry for people who’re so weak.
Then again, readers sending those e-mails (and still inexplicably reading the blog of someone they claim to dislike) probably weren’t part of the body of Christ to begin with. They may have called themselves Christians — as opposed to Muslims — but lacked genuine saving faith.
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Update (5:02 p.m.): I really could get used to this blogging stuff. 
Tomorrow I’m speaking on a panel about how blogging has affected the news business. The Leadership Institute invited a New York Times reporter to talk about it from the mainstream media perspective, and two other bloggers and myself will discuss the topic as bloggers. Mark Tapscott, Washington Examiner opinion editor and blogger, will take both sides, I suppose. I’ll write it up next week. After this panel and this event (and I celebrate my three-year blogiversary the day after the mid-term elections), I think I’ll take a few days off and do…nothing!
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This time last week I was in California for the second annual God Blog Conference in La Mirada, California. See previous post, GodBlogCon: Blogging Out Loud.
Last year I led a breakout session on blogging while Christian. This year I got to share a panel with Christians and bloggers like Charmaine Yoest (pictured above in the center; Stacy Harp on the left), Mark D. Roberts, John Mark Reynolds, Hugh Hewitt, and Joe Carter. I even had my own personal assistant. For some reason, the organizers thought it was my first time at Biola University, so they assigned an undergrad to help me out. Katelyn Statton was so helpful and thoughtful. I could get used to having a personal assistant.
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by La Shawn on July 11, 2006
in Bloggers
Friday, July 14: Chris Muir’s Day By Day online comic strip, which has been syndicated to newspapers, will now be available via cell phone through SmashPhone.com, a comic strip network. Viewers can access strips through Verizon, Cingular, Sprint, T-Mobile, and other carriers.
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Hat tip to Sister Toldjah for the post idea and the advice!
Like many bloggers who’ve been at this for a while, I’m always getting e-mails from potential and new bloggers asking for advice. A Google search on “how to blog,” “why blog,” and similar search terms will yield useful information, but I understand that people ask me because they want my advice. I planned to write a series of “Blogging Basics” posts, but the series is low on the to-do list these days. Besides, I think I’m better at blogging and telling you how much I love blogging than explaining the mechanics of blogging.
I joined the blogosphere on November 5, 2003 (Why? To rant, of course!), at Blogger.com, then moved to WordPress about seven months later.
I LOVE BLOGGING because I love writing. Self-publishing my thoughts and getting instant feedback (even the negative stuff) is thrilling, I must say. I went back and forth on disabling commenting, but I got over it. Open commenting attracts Internet freaks and cowardly anonymous trolls, but reading discussions between thoughtful, mature people who disagree civilly is worth the aggravation. I contemplated turning LBC into a group blog, but I’m too much of a controller. I want my blog to look and “sound” a certain way.
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by La Shawn on February 16, 2006
in Bloggers
Glenn Reynolds interviewed bloggers at CPAC for his podcast. Check it out.
His latest column at Tech Central Station is called Blogging: Love or Money? Why the dichotomy? I blog for both!
Making money off a blog requires a lot of traffic, and no matter how much the blogosphere grows, most blogs won’t have a lot of traffic, as Clay Shirky persuasively demonstrated a while back. Shirky observed that blogs, like many other things, follow a power-law distribution in terms of links and traffic, with a small number getting most of the links and traffic, and a much larger number getting much less of either. This was, he argued, essentially a function of attention economics. (I’ve written on that subject here).
Glenn doesn’t quantify “a lot of traffic,” but I suppose it’s a matter of opinion. For instance, I’m averaging a little over 4,000 unique visitors per day. (Some people are surprised when I tell them this. They assumed it was much higher. I wish!) In the scheme of things, that’s a lot for a blog, although I’d be satisfied with 20,000. 
Let’s face it, though. Most of us will never reach Glenn’s or Michelle Malkin’s numbers or anywhere close (144,000 and 232,856 per day, respectively).
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by La Shawn on November 13, 2005
in Bloggers
One of my blog children celebrates his first year in the blogosphere. Kudos for hanging in there, Tom!
Last Saturday marked the second year I’ve been blogging. I was too busy with my 20th high school reunion to notice. What can I say? It’s been a great ride.
While I consider myself a pure blogger, one who enjoys (and in my case, craves) the act of blogging itself, I must say that I’m happy with LBC’s success, including the writing and speaking opportunities that resulted from the time and energy I’ve put into maintaining this site.
My first post, an op-ed called Life on the Old Plantation, got the ball rolling. Pretty soon the column-writing took a backseat to the blog. There was a time I actually felt guilty for “neglecting” my column and “playing” around with this blogging thing. Since then, LBC has generated readers (and new friends!), money, and benefits I’d never imagined. To name a few:
— Conference speaking (BlogNashville, Young America’s Foundation, GodBlogCon, etc.)
— Radio Interviews (and TV)
— TV appearances (first MSNBC appearance – nervous!)
— Business Blog Consulting
— Senior Contributor for Pajamas Media
You can read more on the About and Writings pages. I’ve written so many posts I’m proud of, so it would be difficult to highlight certain ones. If you have the time, browse the Faith, Race Preferences, Child Killing, and Media Bias categories.
I’m hard at work today on a project, and LBC is the reason. That means I’m working and celebrating at the same time.
Thanks for reading LBC!
Related posts:
Update (11/9): The Commissar celebrates, too.
Update V (1/3/05): OK. I’m now convinced there’s no such thing as “bad publicity.” Thanks, liberals. Link, link, link!
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More blog envy from the left. A bored person who hides behind various and corny pseudonyms has spent his/her precious time running a blog devoted to me: lashawnbarberexposed.blogspot.com (Sorry, dude/dudette; no link from me.).
I kicked this disgruntled pest off my blog, so he/she started one to “comment” on my posts. I’ve known about this site for a couple of months, and I’m writing about it now because I hope other disgruntled liberals link to it, and link liberally. It’s fuel to my fire.
I knew it was only a matter of time before the seething rage (and vulgarity) of certain unnamed and unlinked-to leftists (there are many others) caused their latent lunacy to spring to life. I’m nobody, people. Find something better to do. Contribute something to the world besides anti-La Shawn rage. I assure you I’m not worth it.
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I didn’t hype my pending blogiversary because I didn’t know whether I’d be celebrating it and George Bush’s re-election or commiserating with you over John Kerry’s victory. Now I can celebrate!
One year ago today, I started blogging on Blogger (Blog*Spot). This was my first post.
By the time I’d heard of something called a “blog”, I’d been writing a bi-weekly column for one year (Find late 2002 stuff here. I can’t add. I wrote “two years” earlier instead of “one year.”). A blog sounded like an online journal, and because I’ve kept hard copy “journals of life” since I was 16 (20 years ago!), it sounded easy. I decided my new blog would be a semi-personal online journal serving mostly as a rant forum between columns. It’s become much more than that.
I signed up on Blogger one night in early November 2003, and for three days I almost tore out all my hair working with CSS and HTML code trying to get the look I wanted. Here’s a cached copy of my beloved old blog spot. The memories return! This was my first post on this blog on July 22, 2004.
There’s a whole lot I can say about the past year, but I’ll save it for another time. This weekend I plan to do more reading and less blogging. I’m also working on a piece about the moral divide in this country. I’ll have to take some of the edge off my writing style so I can submit the op-ed to major newspapers. A little compromise is sometimes necessary.
More links to follow. I hope you all have a restful yet festive George-Bush-won weekend!
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In about a month-and-a-half, I will celebrate my one-year “blogiversary.” Since November 2003, my readership has steadily grown. What began as a between-columns-rant has turned into a-new-column-everyday exercise, and I want to thank everyone who reads my blog.
Every blogger wants readers, even though some pretend not to care. Let’s face it: we’re not out here in the blogosphere writing for ourselves and two other people. We want to reach and influence as many as possible. Most of us will never be an Instapundit (although I want to be as influential and widely-read), but having a small audience is more than enough to feel like we’re making a contribution to the world.
There’s nothing like immediate feedback, either, and I thank all commenters. Some of you agree with everything I write and others agree with absolutely nothing. Still others take issue with some of my views. I appreciate every single one of you!
In August, I posted an entry about building a readership, and I’d like to re-run it for new bloggers wondering how it’s done. Make sure you read the other post I link to. There’s no secret. It takes discipline, stamina, perseverance and interesting posts. And a “hook” wouldn’t hurt. For instance, I’m an evangelical Christian who’s an outspoken political conservative. And I’m black. I don’t like to bring race into it, but it is part of my “blog-appeal.” The top ten bloggers in the ecosystem are white males, and I’m certain most bloggers are.
Happy Friday, everybody!
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