Saturday 12 July 2008

Okay, that's it!

I'm going to be too busy over the summer to continue with these photos, so that's it for now, I'm afraid!

I have to say that I have been disappointed with the response to this blog. There have been only 2 comments left in the last 3 months and none at all in the last 2 months. This is in complete contrast with my Ashton under Lyne blog which receives a number of comments for almost every post.

There has been a steady trickle of visitors since the blog started 6 months ago, but many of those have arrived here after searching for things on search engines. I suspect that there are not many regular visitors. I thought the combination of randomish canal photos plus links to aerial views would have had some appeal.

I don't know yet whether I will carry on with this after the summer or just give it up as an idea that didn't catch on.

19 comments:

nine9feet said...

Martin, just so you know, I have accessed this blog from the beginning - but I don't visit and comment as I use the RSS feed in my reader!! You must do as you see fit. I will certainly miss my daily fix if you stop.

Thanks for the enjoyment I've had up to now and the time and effort you have put in.

Regards,
John
nine9feet

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry you've had so little response. I too visit virtually every day as I have found your choice of pictures and descriptions very informative.
Perhaps I should have said "thank you" a little more.

Thank you, and it will be a shame if you stop but there is only so much lack of appreciation anyone can take!

Anonymous said...

I only discovered your blogs in the last month via uk.rec.waterways and found them enjoyably informative about our eroding heritage. I certainly appreciate the considerable time and effort required to produce your high quality daily blog and will belatedly say thank you.

Perhaps after a break you will decide to continue; I shall keep an eye open.

Thank you Martin,

Best Wishes

Neil

Unknown said...

like your other commentators I have enjoyed your photos greatly and feel VERY guilty at not passing on my appreciation. I also use the RSS feed and therefore miss the comments box in the general way. It never occurred to mje that you were not getting feed back and felt un appreciated as a result - I appreciate the photos so much that the alternative never crossed my mind!!!
That's all a bit disjointed, but I hope you get the drift!
All the best, and hope to see you posting again after the summer busyness!
Ann

Anonymous said...

Martin.
I check your blog every day and very much enjoy the pictures and the google satellite view. Sorry to see it stop. Thanks for all your efforts.

Anonymous said...

Martin

Many thanks for the photos - something I turned to first before looking at e-mails etc.

In the course of some 11 trips over the last thirty years we have been to the majority of the places shown - always good to see that things are much as they were when we visited!

No canals in Guernsey so it relieves withdrawal symptoms

Please start again when you have time

John

Anonymous said...

Martin,

Yet one more 'shamefaced' response. I also have accessed from the very beginning and have to admit to feeling disappointed on those days you've 'missed'.
My Wife and I are Brits on a long term RV tour of the USA and your beautiful photos help keep us connected.
I reiterate all the sentiment expressed in the other 'comments' and can only ask you to forgive my lack of good manners. Thankyou for the pleasure you've given us all.

Best wishes,
Eric & Patsy
hrf250e@gmail.com

Brad Smith said...

Martin - just visited your blog for the first time today via uk.rec.waterways - great pictures!

Anonymous said...

I also enjoy yur photos. but as I read several blogs I do not comment on many. However yours is the first one I open.

Thanks

Anonymous said...

I have to say that I am quite touched by these comments - thank you! The stats picked up by the "hit counter" on the blog suggest an average of between 20 and 25 visitors a day, which is not a great many, especially as a lot of those visitors have arrived from Google searches - although interestingly this has shot up to over 50 a day for the last 2 days since my post has been picked up on uk.rec.waterways and Granny Buttons!

I am interested to hear that a number of people only see the posts via their RSS news feed rather than by visiting the blog page as such. There is no way of knowing this from the stats, because such viewers would not be picked up by the stat counter.

Apart from selecting photos that I think may be of interest, and locating the spot on Google Maps, I also try to do a bit of homework to add a few interesting or historic facts. When no-one comments and the stats appear to show limited interest, I start to feel a bit like the guys who set up the waterbus in Leeds and got hardly any passengers.

I hope that you will notice in my post that I did not say that this is definitely the end, but that I would have to think about whether to carry on after the summer. I have only been managing to post around 4 photos a week, rather than one a day, due to other demands on my time. This is only a worthwhile use of my time if there is an audience benefiting from it! What seems apparent to me now is that it is not going to be simple to gauge just how big an audience there is.

Anyway, watch this space and see what happens...

Ashtonian said...

I love the canal photos and appreciate the work you do Martin.

Baz Juniper said...

Do start again after the summer, Martin - I've been peeking at your snaps since the start and the only reason I've not commented is that I feel the web should be spared any more of my usual inanities. I thought I'd be whinging about northern bias, but there's been plenty of pictures of the K&A. I could wax lyrical about the number of shots that feature the TNC flagship, but what does that achieve? Following the Google Earth links has sometimes led me to extensive work avoidance, but that is my fault, not yours.

When I worked in local government we generally proceeded on the basis that, if no one was commenting, we must be doing something right. I reckon that's a good standpoint.

Your efforts are appreciated.

Baz

Anonymous said...

It's a bizarre quirk of the Internet that truly creative and dare I say interesting content is often marginalised or totally overlooked in favour of mindless dross about what folk ate for breakfast, or how funny their cat was today.

Chin up lad, Summer's s'posed to be on a Thursday this year, when we've had it, take time to reflect.

What did you have for breakfast, BTW? :-)

.m

Anonymous said...

What did I have for breakfast? Roast Hazelnut Muesli from Mossley Wholefood Shop, with added walnuts and blueberries from the Co-op, with milk. Do you want some?

I haven't got a cat, though. What should I do?

Anonymous said...

Hello.

This is first visit to your blog.
Very interesting~:)

cottonchipper said...

Martin, I discovered your blog today and wanted to thank you for posting your pictures. I'm an American planning my first narrowboat trip in the UK and will use your photos to help "narrow" down the list of possible routes.

Gerald (SK14) said...

Hi Martin - I don't visit this blog often as canals are not a major interest of mine but popped in having been taking some pics in Stalybridge today and wanting a bit of info on that newish sculpture thingy there - thinking I'd seen it mentioned on your Ashton blog but didn't find it so popped for look in here.

Anyhow whether you continue to add to this or not is up to you - but it is a great resource as other commentators have remarked. Long may it remain.

Anonymous said...

Hello from Canada. Sorry about your decision to stop posting pictures. I only found your site today. Enjoyed all the pictures and comments. We have a trawler yacht in France. We spent the winter of 2006-07 in London. We were able to get up only as far as Windsor because of the water levels. We plan to rent or buy a narrowboat and cruise all the UK canals. This site has been an inspiration and almost as good being there.

Your site needs to be added to more link pages. Is it oK to do this?

Thankk you.

Lucie and Georges Nobert
"Black Magic I"
Have tools - Will travel

nobertgeorges@aol.com

Duncan said...

I've only just come across your most interesting blog and having now one of my own (http://patienceafloat.blogspot.com/)I think it's wonderful that you've provided so many photos - which are being viewed even now, 18 months later.
If you feel like starting up again I say "go for it!"
Thank you
Duncan nbPatience