Do you ever sit down at your computer and wonder how in the hell someone like Scrivs became “popular” (relative to the small design community) in the first place? Maybe you wonder how other people became popular. I have a person like that, Jason Kottke. I read his blog everyday, but I still can't figure out why. Hell in fact I can't figure out why everyone has them in their blogrolls.
He gets quoted by publications such as Wired and seems to have the power to change people's minds. Why the fuck is he that popular? I had to find out so I investigated.
I went through his archives looking for that one big article that “made it” for him. I looked and couldn't find anything. Everything in the past is like how it is now, but he seemed more human back in the days. Nothing but short paragraphs filling an entry talking about some other link somewhere else. A glorified linklog.
This led my mind down the natural thought process of figuring out why other sites are as popular as they are such as Slashdot and Boing Boing. If they were just starting off now would they be able to gain the popularity that they now have. I don't think so. I think what makes these sites popular is that they have longevity. They were first-movers in a sense.
Every industry/community has them. When do I get to be first-mover? Maybe if I continue doing this for 5 more years my perspective will change, but for now I will just consider them fucking lucky bastards.
So what led me down the road of mini-popularity? I think if you run a number of sites then people build this perception that you have a shitload of traffic and must be making tons of money. Heh, I have had people told me the last couple weeks that they won't link to me not because they don't think I am deserving, but because “I don't need anymore help.” What the hell does that mean? Of course I need help. I need more traffic. I need the same things that other people need.
In any case if you want a popular site it's a simple formula. Write interesting things and stick around for a while. It's impossible to catch lightning in a bottle...
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