When I started my blog more than seven years ago, I didn’t think about the future. I was just thinking about coming up with ideas for posts for the next day, the next week. Time passed, and with the passing of time came the accumulation of blog posts. This post is #1500, an average of nearly four posts every week for the past 92 months.
My associate, Jan McClintock, does most of the web development and maintenance for my site as well as all our client sites. She has recommended I delete old posts that have no current value on my blog. In a way, though, asking a writer to give up even an outdated post is like asking her to give up a child. What is no longer of value? What should be deleted? Will my next milestone be 1000 posts or 500 posts, fewer rather than more?
Deleting old posts feels like deleting part of my writing history. I always advocate everyone keep a journal or write a memoir or family history, and my blog is my online journal. When reading history, it’s often the simple, day-to-day activities that are most interesting. I would love to have a journal or memoir of one of my ancestors. Wouldn’t you? Our descendants will probably feel the same way. Whatever we leave them in the form of words, pictures, and memories will be a precious legacy.
Of course, when I die or become incapacitated, my blog and my words will disappear with little notice. So I might as well clean house now.
What posts would you recommend I delete? I’d be interested to know what you think is worth keeping and, conversely, what you think should be eliminated.