Recently I read a post by a relative xanga newbie asking what makes a person a xangalebrity (you can read the post here). I rather enjoyed reading that entry and weaving through the newbie’s web of xanga confusion. It took me back to that time when I was just as confused by many of the things that go on around here.I have been on xanga for over five and a half years now. I have taken breaks, I have tried other platforms, I have had my own website, but in the end I wound up right back here.
For much of the time that I was on here I had a very small readership. I was frustrated at times with this because I felt like certain entries were the best shit EVER and I was only getting like 5 comments. I reposted one of these entries after I achieved “xangalebrity” status and it got featured. I remember this frustration very well. It’s similar to the frustration that I now feel with my standup comedy sometimes. As frustrated as I was by this, I kept on at it. I had a my two or three loyal readers and I was content with occasionally being their morning laugh (Love you C).
Then last year I decided to get serious on here. I started writing with alot more regularity and promoting my blog a little bit more. I got featured a few times and things progressed from there. The first time I got featured was really cool. I was pretty shocked actually. It was not the type of entry that I ever thought would get featured (then again, those are usually the ones that get featured).
Since last year my readership has grown immensely. I have been featured a bunch of times on multiple sites, and I am used to being on top blogs (which I used to think was impossible to crack).
Annoyed yet?
Don’t worry. The point of all this was not to brag. The point of it was to say that I am now spoiled. I have grown so accustomed to these things that I hardly ever take the time to appreciate them. I did a post yesterday that got over 200 views and 50 comments. Yet all I kept thinking was “geez, no reccomends!” Two years ago I would have had a mild heart attack if a post received 50 comments.
I also find that I take some of the things you guys say to me for granted. I remember a comment I got last year that I thought was the coolest thing anyone had ever said to me on here:
Huge Props!
Haha. I *almost* didn’t read this entry after getting a dose of somekoreanchick’s crap–but this totally made my day, month, year. Maybe I won’t give up Xanga after all. =) – lil_squirrel4ever
I made it a point to let her know how much that meant to me. Alot of you guys have said nice things like this to me since then and I haven’t really made much of it. I just want you to know that it does mean alot to me.
I haven’t said thank you to you guys in a while. I think I’ll end by doing just that.
Thank you to those who read and comment with regularity. Liz, Riis, Thu, and so many others.
Thank you to those who are there without me even knowing it most times. Katherine, Kes, and Rogier.
Thank you to my more vocal supporters – Joel, Beth, and Steph immediately come to mind.
A BIG thank you to all of you who have come to see me perform. Matt, Arie, Katie, Terri , and John.
Thank you to my xanga cousins for loving me even when I neglect them. Jess and Cheryl of course.
And lastly thank you to Kal for always being there.
Against the Grain 
woohoo! :] nice
You’re welcome, Dave! Just know that the appreciation is mutual! Plus, I’m gunnin’ to get on a couple of those other lists… like the “come to see me perform” and the “cousin” lists. What? I could pass!
AWww, everyone loves someone who remembers those who care about him when they “make it big!” And, if ABD and I ever jet off to NYC, coming to one of your comedy shows will definitely be on the agenda. (Just so I can get tagged twice, of course)
Awww, We love you too
Awww how sweet. I do understand that though. When I first started on Xanga, I would get like one comment and that was it. Now I average about 12-15 comments on a post and once in awhile get a rec and I find myself feeling disappointed if I get less than that now. And a few months ago I would have, like you said, had a mild heart attack if one of my posts got that much attention. And once in awhile I find myself at the bottom of top blogs or in the middle. And that’s only a few months in. If I ever reached Xangalebrity status… lol… I would probably get all big headed about it. 😛 Only in good nature though.
Haha, I love you Dave!
Everyone loves you Dave. 😛 More than Dan at least. hah.By the way…where do you perform? I could use a laugh. I promise.And yeah…I think we all get frustrated with our low readership status. One day, I’m going to grow up and be a Xangalebrity too! Just like you Dave! And I’ll be kind and nice to everyone who was there for me in the beginning too. ^_^I kind of forgot that most xangalebrities started off just like everyone else….Except John. He was cool before Xanga was cool.
😀
Yeah your like our very own xanga rockstar lol and we are all your groupies.lol. AWW but its nice of you to have posted something like this. Don’t worry I will go back and recommend your last post. The watermelon one right?lol. 😀
This is so nice. I’m glad you have become prominent without it being ruined for you. I think you have the kind of personality that can withstand that, and maybe that’s part of why people love you so much. I know that, for me, you are one of the big bright spots on Xanga, so please keep it up.
props.Mad props actually. It’s always nice to meet people who are just as funny and cool in real life as they are online.
It is funny to read people’s stories about their site. My site took off right away so I never wondered about those sites that got more comments. It is also interesting how many of the new people took off after being featured. We didn’t have the featured content back then. We had a second page link that was like top blogs.These days it appears to me that so many bloggers focus on being featured or making it to top blogs or having a certain number of recommends. All those things can help but all of them are also limited ways to grow a site.I have said this a hundred times but the best way to grow a site is to make fun of homeschoolers and then go comment on people from a homeschool blogring.
🙂 It’s always nice to appreciate your audience!
:applauds:you know you deserve it :]thanks for being so entertaining.
It’s funny how a very enjoyable site like yours is out there and I did not known about it until this year. And I know what you mean about changing expectations. I used to be very happy with 10 comments and shocked by 15.
AND we’ll see you, tomorrow, too, sir.
@theblackspiderman – sure you can’t make it up to New York tomorrow?
5.5 years?! Wow. I’ve been around for about 5 years. I only get a little commentors but I don’t mind! Some days I wish I had more but the ones I have I love lots! They are great! Its funny how much Xanga has really grown or maybe how much I’ve noticed it more? I’m not sure. To me its a little community! Its crazy!! Like you I’ve left & come back on. Its xanga! I love it! Very cool shout out to your friends!
Well thanks, vandave (or is it just Dave?). I honestly never thought anyone would really read my blog- much less write a response to it. This is really quite an honor. One thing I would like to know though- what were some of the ways you promoted your site here on Xanga?
You’re so sweet and adorable, even in pimp mode. Who couldn’t love you? Seriously, though, part of it is that you reach out to other bloggers. I’m an uncool middle-aged mom with one foot still in the last century. Who’d have thought I’d ever become friends with a hot young stand-up comedian in NYC? It boggles my mind. But it’s because you made the effort to befriend me.
This was sweet!
You be awesome!readership is hilarious. A real life friend read my blog, and when I saw him in person he said, “Dude, how do you get so many comments?” I was like, “lol, you’re funny.”
What an excellent entry. You are a fabulous writer. It’s your determination that got you to here as well as the encouragement and support of some very exceptional Xangans. Face it, there’s been plenty of times that good entires go unnoticed which makes me wanna pack it up and hang out at 7-11 indefinitely.
For the record, mixedbabiesrock is still under the impression she once saw me get kicked out of a Target, when in fact I was just friends with the security guy. Grumble. And I owe her a steak.No lie.
You’ve made it big, and you still remember the little people! Not only have you dominated Britney Spears in your mannerisms and many others (okay, Britney was ALWAYS dominated), you’ve become a favorite in so many people’s blogging worlds, and my heart. RYC: Lmfao, Xanga has a certain draw to sociopathic behavior. Fortunately it draws some badass people in too. Guess who I’m referring to.
lol ‘a mild heart attack’ ..i would have that too XD .. i’m still fairly new to xanga but this is a really nice post 🙂
I totally understand where you’re coming from. Aw lil_squirrel4ever is one of my favorite users! I’m not surprised that she would say that about you. I’m a new reader, but I’m thinking I’ll stick around
Aw, you mean a lot to us too.
Awww, thanks Dave! I actually enjoy coming to read your entries because you aim to be funny, not controversial or to start up drama. It seems that so many others use their blogs to start flame wars and try to gain popularity that way. It may work for a while, but in the end the drama fizzles out and your left with a sub par writer who only knows how to do one thing. Comedy is versatile and it hardly ever gets old. Mad props to you for keeping it real. And I’ll be sure to stop by and see your comedy routine if I’m ever in NYC =)
you know we love you!
I’ve started to rationalize my lack of comments. It’s mad frustrating to not get any comments on something that I think is the shit, but I look at who IS commenting. You, Matt, Dan, Arie, Rob, Nori, and Ayliana, the only person to have stuck through since the very beginning. On occasion I’ll wake up and see “holy shit, featured?!” and I cherish those comments. I’ve never broken triple digits on comments regardless of the amount of time something was on the front page. I just let it make me smile for a couple of days and move on to a new post which I know will not be read by the couple dozen or so new subscribers.I’m still at that place where quality trumps quantity. A little validation is always nice though.
im spoiled tooo
lolz, i had my first “semi-heart attack” last fall when i posted about Xanga (and that was a time when everything just went to hell)
Aww, I love you, Dave. It’s easy to spoil people who spoil us back.
aww, you’re sweet(:
I love xanga. 😉
I’m still a newbie here and this is what I don’t get. “Blog” is short for “web-log” which is in fact an online journal (diary). I guess what I find bewildering is that I find people are writing for reasons I don’t understand. It’s becoming about being recommended and readership and comments and e-props. Does anyone around here write simply for themselves? I view my sparse little Xanga page as just that…an online diary and I wouldn’t want to have a page torn from my diary and shown to the world at large, so why don’t the same rules apply here? If by some miracle when you post someone else thinks similarly and you connect then that is beautiful; I’m fighting disillusionment here.Don’t get me wrong Dave, I recently stumbled across your blog and find your writing style immensely entertaining. I in NO way mean to offend you and I hope you take my comment in the spirit which it is given. I am at a loss here. I’ve never been recommended (and don’t regret it) don’t have many visitors or comments (that’s fine with me) Am I in the wrong place *looking about furtively* did I log on to myspace by accident?*sigh*
Aw. how sweet.
Aw, this was nice, honey. This was real nice. Funny is good . . . but people will always remember nice.
aw, that’s so nice!!
Dave ,you are so welcome! YOU ARE ONE OF MY FAVORITES,HANDS DOWN!
aww, you big softie, you.But, i know what you mean. I got 50 comments on a post around a year ago, and it was by far my most popular post.Now, 50 is fairly common. There is no justice, is there?
Nice shoutouts. It’s good to see you appreciate the fans. It also took a lot of work on your end like you said. Keep it up.
What a sweet post!
aww… so sweet. xanga luffs you.
okay, i’m still thinking about your standup routine i watching yesterday, and it keeps getting funnier and funnier… =Psorry, was that random? that was random =PPS. my favorite post of yours was on cuss words. brilliant (:
@ForgoThePretense – xanga is a blogging community. it is different from your journal because on xanga, most people KNOW that people can read it and like getting feedback. i don’t see what’s wrong with that? everyone is different, suppose (:
Then maybe I’m on the wrong site. For me, this is an online journal. I write for me and me alone, but I thank you for your input.
😦 Ok so I know I didn’t come to your show that one time, and I occasionally flake on xanga, but geez…no mention?
saweet! Oh. And good luck tonight!
<3! This is like the perfect Xangacademy Awards speech ;D Haha, but yeah, awesome to have you around!
I had my semi-heart attack last month… or whenever March was… 😛 Yay! I’m not here to get featured, though. The people here are just awesomeness. 😀 I mean, where else is toilet paper a hot topic? I think this place is great. 🙂
I am beginning to see GOD-MOMENTS in you
Hi bro, that’s cool! You made me cry and laugh at the same time
Ha! I didn’t even know those terms existed…
You always make me feel loved. ❤ I’ll always be here lurking in the background if you become an even bigger internet phenom or if you just have the time to give morning laughs. 🙂
I swear. I’m gone for two weeks and I’m chop liver.:P
You always bring great humour to Xanga admidst the occasional negativity =) Cheers!! And I can’t believe you picked out that comment from so long ago!! 😉
This warmed my heart. : ) Your sincerity and gratitude are lovely to see.
@meanii – yes it was the watermelon one. lol. Thank you for trying to quell my whining.@melissa_orchid – thanks Melissa. Just enjoy the people you enjoy and let everyone else just sort of fall where they may. It can be hard to ignore the assholes, but it makes it so much better here if you can.@Lynnjynh9315 – Commenting other people more, submitting to the front page every once in a while, plugz, participating in the occasional contest, hosting a few contests. @TheTheologiansCafe – Yet another reason to hate your guts. lol.@saintvi – Please. You are so cool. It’s not fair actually cause you get to be cool and wise. I just get to be cool and dumb.@impossibleangles – lol. 7-11 huh? Well at least you’d have slurpees.@Drakonskyr – I could see you getting kicked out of a Target.@Laryssa – Yes Brittney has been my bitch for years now. You always make me feel so loved.
@Roadlesstaken – she is a sweetheart.@lizheartshakespeare – woot woot. Anytime you are in this neck o’ the woods just lemme know.@another_rebel_without_a_cause – Quality absolutely does still trump quantity. I know if I was just getting commented by random ass people everyday it would not be nearly as fun. It’s the comments from people like you, who always have some smart ass insight, that I like most.@MySecretLoveAffair – lol. You know I love you back Jess.@ForgoThePretense – The thing I love about xanga is that it is what you make of it. If you want it to be more of a personal journal, then use the private and protected posts. Me, I enjoy sharing and making people laugh. You could say this is a log of my musings and people’s reactions to them.@jacksoncroons – lol. So you’re saying I was utterly forgettable until the nice stuff?@seedsower – likewise Beth. Likewise.@beetunes – lol. That wasn’t so random. At least it wasn’t from three weeks ago or something. Thanks. Made me smile.@TessieLuv – Awww. Trish you know damn well I love you. Don’t even front like you don’t know.
@SerenaDante – I forgot to thank my mom and dad though.@RogierFvV – lol. I do what I can Rog.@Kalligenia – Don’t call it lurking C. lol. @Levanna – NEVER!!! You are still one of the sweetest out there. I didn’t forget how delicious those cookies were.@lil_squirrel4ever – I really did like that comment. lol.@SecretNeverTold – aww. I’m glad you liked it.
*sniff* geez, i came here for a good laugh and you made my tears come… damn you! where’s the tissue *sniff* *snort*