June 23, 2011
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The Myth of Xanga Popularity
I have wanted to write this post for awhile but I wanted to do it when no one on Xanga was declaring himself/herself popular.
I have been on Xanga for 6 and a half years running my site like I run it today. I must admit I have watched as many people on xanga have come along and declared themselves “popular.” They will also write posts telling other people how to be popular just like them.I must admit that most of these bloggers have confused popularity with getting attention.
According to dictionary.com “popularity” is “appealing to the general public; widely favored or admired.”
Yet, I will read as some of these “popular” bloggers talk about how so many people hate them because of their “popularity.” It appears to me that if that many people hate them that they are not “widely favored or admired.” So they are not popular.
I remember a lady on xanga (who is no longer on xanga) and she wrote about how she was popular and yet said she was the most hated person on xanga. She also talked about how the xanga team hated her and everyone ganged up against her. She was unpleasant to so many people.
In her case, she was not popular. She simply gained attention. In order for a person to get into the top section of Top Blogs, it usually only takes about 30-40 comments as long as they are individual comments. So a person can comment about 30-40 people every day and get 30-40 comments back. This does not mean the person is popular. This means the person has effectively marketed their site. They have commented others and those people comment back.
Now some people try to pretend they don’t comment much. But you can easily go and look at all the people that commented them before they were on top blogs (obviously you might gain some comments in the top section of top blogs). You can see as you go to their sites that most of these people have received comments from the “popular blogger.” In other words, most of the top bloggers have simply commented more people than the average person. This really doesn’t make them popular. It makes them sort of nerdy.
If a person continues to stir up drama, he/she is not always popular. The person has just brought attention to himself/herself.
What if you were in high school and there was an assembly in the gym. There were 2000 people in the gym. What if you walked into the gym and grabbed a microphone and told everyone that abortion was the taking of a human life. In that moment you would get feedback. Some would “boo” you. Some would agree with you. But you would not be popular. You simply gained the attention of everyone because you had the microphone and you said something that gained you attention.
The same would be the case if you ran into the gym totally naked. You would have gained attention. But unless you were super hot, it would probably not make you popular. In fact, it might make you the punchline of jokes.
I would think if you would want to be popular online, you might want to try a social network people have heard of.
On xanga, we appear to confuse popularity with the ability to gain attention.
Comments (133)
But that blogger needed to feed her children with the money she made on Xanga.
great post!
This, a billion times.
I only consider a xangan popular if I am out with xangans and we have frequent discussions about certain xangans. Doesn’t matter how much traffic they got on their page. If I have discussions about them with my xanga friends in real life then they are known in my book. FYI these discussions are all not positive. Yeah, we xangans prefer to gossip offline rather than on xanga, haha.
Very true. I also find it absolutely hilarious that they were being called the populars.
I think it’s important to get attention if you intend to blog. I prefer to get it from my titles, I think a good title will make you look.
Thank you for this, Dan. It’s so true.
Hmm, interesting.
wow, you made some very valid points. you’re right… people DO mix up with attention for popularity.
Glad you finally wrote about this.
Hmmm while I suppose I agree with you, I guess it sets a standard of power among the xangan community when someone has so many followers that even stating a small negative opinion about them such as “Nah I don’t really like em” could get you threats and people telling you to leave.
Very true, we seem to confuse a lot of things on here .
“I would think if you would want to be popular online, you might want to try a social network people have heard of. ”
^touche sir…seriously though, I only know one other person out of all my friends that uses Xanga anymore…
I never learned the difference between ”popularity” and “getting attention,” now it makes more sense.
this was a great post.
But I ran naked in the gym and nobody noticed. Of course, I went to high school in a nudist colony, but still I should’ve gotten some attention.
So you’re saying that the “top bloggers” are either popular or attention grabbing. This is true. What also helps is what topics you choose for your post. As you see, my post yesterday got 60 comments. My post today received 3! So it also depends on topic.
I can not get your attention, Theo. That’s why I stopped blogging. (sigh ;-()
@AmeliaHart - agreed. my baby pics post got 80ish comments but all my posts today were tons less comments. i can’t blame anyone, babies are cute
and i applaud you for this post. hearing someone talk about how popular they are on xanga makes me laugh. reminds me of high school.
Thank you for this.. thank you.
Indeed Dan, you have spoken truth to the masses here…..
I’ve had a fair amount of readership and commentary since I’ve been back. I have even been on Top Blogs a few times. I can’t say I’m popular, though. That would be more evident if, during my upcoming travels, I get a message from someone in a town I’m passing through, saying “Hey, dude, come on over.”
So, correctamundo, Dan! Attention seldom equals popularity.
I’m far too cool for that shit.
Wow. A real post. I’m so proud of you!
This may be the best post I’ve seen you write yet.
Aww Xanga popularity and drama all go together. Xanga still is the best place on the web to be regardless of all of that.
Very well-put.
Only XangaXombies need Dan to explain what is obvious to people who posses actual functioning brains.
To the XangaXombie the obvious is oh so eloquent, so in need of being said, so profound.
It’s sad, really.
@beebizzle - Yes exactly! I don’t mind either. People want to comment on things they relate to or to what attracts them! When I blog about personal stuff I probably get the least comments but I understand they just are bored with it hahah! It’s no biggie; it’s my blog.
So true. Well said!
Very true Dan, very true. I’m glad you finally wrote about this
I like this. I mean don’t get me wrong I would love to see people come by and comment and I comment back when I go to their site but I don’t want to get bad attention you know?
I had no idea that there even were “populars”. I thought that stuff ended with high-school. I guess I was hoping Xanga at least be more like a college where there is diversity and exchange of different thoughts and ideas (at least when you aren’t drinking and partying).
Oh well, then if Xanga is like one big lame E-highschool….what do I have to do to be a Xanga-jock? Get really good at video games?
exactly most aren’t popular they just attract attention by creating drama. not mentioning any names!!!
you deserve to be popular on xanga because you never start drama!
This is a very thought provoking blog, Theo (and a nice change of pace from the “Here’s an issue; here’s a link and picture of said issue. Opinion?” stuff you usually do).
There are a lot of people on Xanga (I’m looking at you, Mr. Curtis Bell) who will go so far as to deliberately say provocative shit to get a rise out of people, and thus, attention. It’s best not to feed these people-with any luck, they will soon go away.
Personally, I always focus on writing what I’m feeling or what I feel like blogging about. I also make an effort to make whatever I’m writing at least mildly interesting for my meager number of subscribers.
well, one thing for sure… there are topics or discussions that are really popular in xanga that it never go away
Xanga friendship is so much more fulfilling than Xanga popularity.
There were 2,000 kids at my high school and trust me even running in naked wouldn’t get you too much attention when there re that many people =p it’s easier to be this sort of faux popular online.
The real question now si how do we determine who truly is popular so we can worship/hate them just like high school again
I admit, when you first came to xanga with your one questions posts, it pissed me off. How can a guy who asked a question become one of the most “Popular” people on this site. Your entries werent necessary quality but interactive in nature. Quality bloggers (especially in the past) took to hating you for that. I admit, I was among those people. Now that Xanga has morphed into a social media site, some have called it diversifying, but I call it a watered down product of what it used to be. I dont blame you for that, let me get this straight, but the older bloggers do miss what xanga used to be. To be honest, I like your entries these days because they have substance now.
Yes, you marketed yourself well, when you first came onto the scene.
true. the few bloggers that I adore aren’t on top blogs. it is like my little secret and they can be all mineeeeee
lol
I never thought I’d say this, but I absolutely agree with you Dan.
Good post
So you’re saying we should be naked.
What did you say Mr. Popular?
Click here.
I think the proper term is probably “well known blogger.” You or Summer or Gravy, for example, are well known on Xanga. I wouldn’t consider anyone on here “popular”, per se.
This sort of helps me figure out what I can do. I don’t really want to be popular…popularity has never seem to been my type of thing on any website. The way I figure it, hopeully, joining a lot of groups will help spread your influence~]]
@ShimmerBodyCream - I didn’t wait for Dan’s clarification to be naked.
go Dan! <3
@jenessa1889 - Sorry I just saw your comment by chance and had to say something:
Only 2000? Lol my graduating class along with 3000. You can bet graduation day itself was a drag.
@TheThinkingPerson - loborn isn’t the only one who does that around here, lol.
@MangoWOW - wow that’s huge. My district is one of the biggest in ny. however, my district had two high schools of the same size so it was really 4,000 high school students in our district with a grad class of 1,000. still a third of yours though.
Agreed, completely.
I agree with everything you just said, and really I never thought about it that way. It’s nice to hear an intelligent person on the internet for once.
This is so true. I would never think anyone was ‘popular’ so to say, they just knew how to grab the attention of others better than some. Nice to see a good post about this.
This is an important distinction that most people fail to grasp, and I’m glad that you put it so well. It’s easy to get attention by stirring up trouble, but it doesn’t mean people like you, and it’s hard to hold that kind of attention for long.
You know Dan, it always take a great mind to explain small things like this. You have both the mind and courage to always accomplish it. You write blogs that I am always afraid to write about, good for you my friend.
A. Fucking. Men.
Haha…antisoccermom? She was awful! And an awful writer, to boot.
This was a great post. I miss true – and truly popular – talent like Sam. Also I think it’s so funny/cool that RiceBunny or Michelle now gets MILLIONS of hits for her YouTube videos. I think through all the popularity both true and false on Xanga, you’ve really been the anchor site that’s held it all together.
Not receiving comments makes me feel inadequate and unimportant sometimes just like in real life because i know that the Internet is real life now. But i sometimes have moments of friendship with other bloggers that i find very satisfying. I also know that quantity does not mean quality. So i reason i must be ok after all.
makes a lot of sense, the word popular has morphed into something it’s not, even in life outside of xanga.
ps. you’re totally talking about antisoccermom. I subbed to her and left her nothing but nice comments always, the one time I disagreed with her she ATTACKED me. I deleted her the same day haha
I know the difference Dan.
But for me, it’s yes and no at least depending on the xangan anyhow.
@Nicks_Notebook - You and Johnny were popular.
I enjoy when you actually write something thought provoking, instead of just asking a question of your readers so they would be made to comment. Oh wait, I see what you did there.
@ShimmerBodyCream - Damn right she is. Now show moi them goodies. -Wants to take a bite out of Ket— I mean errr crime >_>-
Very insightful. It’s nice when you post things from the heart (or wherever you find inspiration).
When it comes to me and my blog–I would rather be admired by a few than known by all. But that’s just me.
so true…
You’d only be the butt of jokes if your penis was small. Otherwise, you’d be sought out by girls who don’t want that short dick man.
I’m sorry. That damn featured blog about guys comparing penises spilled over to your dear blog. I apologize for such vulgarity.
I do, however, agree with you
Xanga is dead .Tumblr is waiting with open arms.
Good post, Dan.
So unbelievably true.
I did enjoy this post, so true.
If you made a vid of you running out in public naked, I’m sure you’d become instantly popular
Yup.
Great post ! A lesson for those to learn that have a tendency to be on an ego trip.
“Yet, I will read as some of these “popular” bloggers talk about how so many people hate them because of their “popularity.” It appears to me that if that many people hate them that they are not “widely favored or admired.” So they are not popular”
Did I mention that I love you? Do you know how much it pisses me off when people say things like “I’m sorry I’m so popular and that everyone loves me! I’m sorry you’re so jealous of my popularity!” Reminds me of fucking Mean Girls to be honest. You’re not popular. You’re an attention whore, and no one loves you. Everyone’s fake and pretends to love you because if anyone says anything against you we get a fucking shitstorm up the ass. If I wrote an entry about everyone I don’t like on xanga right now, using names and all that, and all my reasoning behind it, you know how many rec’s/comments I’d get? I’d get some love, some hate, and some people who pretend to hate because they want to be loved by these so called “populars”
I talk about “xangalebs” cause i think it’s funny, and I think it’s funny because most people say you’re one as well. God at least you’re a real person and you actually talk to people instead of expecting them to all bow down and kiss your fucking toes. Dan, you’re the only xangaleb I care about<3
absolutely amazing post!! that was really funny and SO true.
Most people don’t get the difference between being actually popular and getting attention, even if it’s neagtive. Thanks for putting this up.
The most “popular” bloggers on Xanga seem to be those that write controversial blog posts that mostly every member on this site agrees with, such as how much America sucks or how Christians are a bunch of dumb inbred hicks. These bloggers will make themselves appear to be experts on the subjects by googling up information someone else wrote, even if the sources are questionable.
And then there are bloggers who get popular by making everyone feel sorry for them. This includes taking what someone said that has nothing to do with them on an ish site and spinning it so it seems like they are the direct victims.
funnily enough (before this comment) there were exactly 80 comments. >_>
@Da__Vinci - that is very true. You do a good job of giving your posts a title that makes me want to check them out.
This is the best post on this subject I’ve ever read.
“On xanga, we appear to confuse popularity with the ability to gain attention.” – so true my friend….so true.
Wow, we’ve been on here over 6 years? dude…that’s quite a trip…
I totally want to be popular, so hit me up ^_^
Yes, this is blatantly an attempt to get you all to follow me back to my page, but it’s also an ironic comment, so I reckon it’s excusable.Xx
Very valid post. Popularity is a funny thing, often mistaken to mean something like simply having a lot of people know you or talk about you regardless of how they actually view you. Good post!
Last month I wrote a post titled “WELL KNOWN is vastly different than WELL LOVED“ (link). You’re right. There is a big difference between being popular and getting a lot of attention.
i used to think this, too, back in the day. imo, there really isn’t anyone who is “xanga popular” anymore. everyone is just an attention seeking whore these days on the top blogs. but i also think this is in reaction to how the xanga system is set up to appear on the front page – it isn’t a staff pick anymore, but based on who can get how many comments in so many hours on one post. that leads to spamming and flooding, instead of good content and value.
“You can hate me now, but I won’t stop now.” I am very happy with xanga because all this venting is having a healing effect on me, and I am sorry for all the pussies who cry, never having experienced the struggle of the Curse. Imagine every waking moment in a state of extreme paranoia and fear. Imagine being so defenseless, so clueless, so blind. Imagine watching the world blossom like seasons, while you watch it all from a dark corner. Imagine the insecurities I had to struggle with for not being a normal functional humam being cast down in a cruel world obsessed with sex and popularity. Imagine hiding in a dirty dust basement with spiders, roaches, and a couple rats, because you were too terrified of the real world. Imagine feeling so incompetent, you couldn’t ask for food without the fear of being judged. No, don’t try to imagine, you white scum trash of society, it is beyond your comprehension.
I’m more healed now. If you stupid girls can’t get dick I’m here for you.
i actually rec’d a dan blog
I agree completely! I used to be on xanga years ago and now im back. I never looked to be “popular” or see how many comments i could get; i just wanted advice/insight.
Best post you’ve put up since I’ve been reading your site.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this Dan.
I have to quibble with one point. A great number of haters is not proof against popularity. In fact, having a lot of detractors come with the territory.
Take sports. Some of the most rooted for teams are the New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys and Notre Dame’s football program. But they are also the most rooted against teams. That they are simultaneously the most hated in sports does not negate the fact that they are also the most loved. In fact, it appears that being popular spurred greater degrees of hate in their detractors.
This does not mean that a large group of haters indicates popularity. A person or organization may simply be universally loathed. But popularity tends to also breed a lot of resentment, as the legions of Dan-haters out there show.
“On xanga, we appear to confuse popularity with the ability to gain attention.”
Very true. Unfortunately, xanga is just symptomatic of a growing trend deeply rooted in mainstream culture itself.
I m not sure what to say, but IDK how to suscribe without posting.
you are absolutely right.
Great post!
win.
I would consider Seedsower and Adamswomanfell “popular” because they are genuinely good people, not notorious, for example. We all know who are merely attention seekers at any cost, and I imagine they take issue with your definition of popular, but you don’t get to change the definition of a word just because you have the “loudest” voice.
I’d rather write what I feel than be popular.
On a deeper, but still related note: Many people mistake attention and/or popularity for love.
I think a perceived lack of love is why some people seek out popularity/attention online.
Ah, nice post
I think a lot of people need this entry to knock them upside their head. I agree also with the people who said the title is the grabber. The more topic you can put into your title; the more the crowd will want to see what’s up.
Sounds about right.
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well no fall out from anti-sober mom yet
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I’m freakin’ eccstatic that this was said. Even more so cause it’s coming from you. Great post, Dan.
Never had to worry about thinking I was ever “popular” on this site. I never even tried to “gain attention”.
I agree, though it seems some words become a sort of slang as they are so frequently used without proper backing of their true definition. The same goes for the kids in school who are most often referred to as the “popular kids”. In many cases only the other “popular kids” can tolerate them. While the rest (the majority) of the school population may know their names and faces, they usually don’t look at them favorably (whether isn’t validated, jealousy, or any other reason).
I’m also annoyed when people have to assert that they have “haters”. It becomes more annoying when they insist that having haters only means they’re popular and others are jealous of them for one reason or another. If you have to say it, you’re showing signs your “haters” just may have some valid arguments against you…. and you’re probably too concerned with trying to control your image in the eyes of others.
I’m so popular on xanga. I got TWELVE. COUNT IT! TWELVE footprints today.
I’d like to thank everyone who made it happen. Everyone who said I couldn’t do it, I did!
Next year, I’m going for 13!
Great post! And I agree… a confusion of being “well known” and “popular”
Some people commenting made good points, like it may not always rely on marketing yourself, but having an interesting topic, or having a catchy title.
HELLO!
my name is peace,i want us to be friends, i don’t know how you will feel about it,please you can write to me through my email (peacedavid80@yahoo.com)i,m sorry if i am embarrassing you,i don’t mean to do that,thank you for your understanding.
i shall explain all about me including my pictures
yours peace
this is very true. this is my favorite post of yours, ever. way to be!
Very well said. Personally, I don’t have any desire to be popular or paid attention to, either in real life or on the internet. I’d like a few people to know me, of course, but I’d like to have meaningful relationships with people, and you’re not going to get that by running naked through a gym or making controversial statements. Sure, people will know who you are, but are any of them really going to know me? Probably not. So what’s the point?
I’ve got a handful of friends on Xanga that I think are awesome. I don’t really need everyone to love me or care that I exist. And even if they do, what does it gain me? It’s not like I’m making money or anything.
Giving yourself the title of popular is no different than giving yourself the title of President; if the people don’t agree, then the self imposed title is rather meaningless.
@AffinityInUnderstanding - Key word being “were”, haha. The trinity is utterly and completely broken.
@chicbananas - @ShimmerBodyCream - did someone say we need to get naked?
Perhaps this is because of high school’s misconstrued idea of popularity. I went to a VERY tiny private school (K-12 = about100 students) and the ones that had the most difficulty coping with their “new school” were the ones who had transferred out of a school in which they had been very “popular.” They would scoff at other students, cut people down, wear the most “in” outfits (which nobody cared…because there weren’t enough people TO care), and found themselves…alone. They weren’t used to those tactics NOT working. In our school, popularity meant being nice to people…and meaning it. They had a very difficult time with popularity.
I hate you so much.
One of your best posts so far. I wish you write more about a lot things instead of posting questions.
Im popular with the people on Xanga who really matter to me. Thats what is important. It doesnt matter if that number can be counted using the fingers on one hand.
However, I will never be like the blogger you have mentioned who was just trying to get attention… I dont want or need it!
Xanga is what it is. The bad comes with the good.
That said, I have often wished there were two Xangas: One for younger Xangans who seem to enjoy the drama and thrive on it and one for the adults (and adult-types) in this community. Given that there is no choice, and the good people here are really good, I now try to stay away from the “highschool” element.
This is one of my favorite posts. Everyone needs to read this.
I only blog for my own records. Mine has been documenting the high’s and lows for over 7 years
You sure got my attention here. this was well put.
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Attention is what passes for popularity in Hollywood. Any actor, actress, or musician for that matter, who is given enough attention becomes popular. Indeed, I am sure that anyone can attest to the fact that from time to time a seemingly unknown person is suddenly thrust into the spotlight and is THEN shoved down their throat until they are FORCED to wonder who this person is! It is like suddenly EVERYONE is talking about someone you never heard of! You must find out who they are, what they’ve done, and why everyone likes them.
It happens all the time. Take some person and start raving them to your friends and you generate buzz. Get your friends to rave them with you. Then start telling stories about them on a regular basis. You can make someone popular in a relatively short time, at least in your circle of friends. The more people are listening to you, the more popular you can make someone. I think the key is the raving. Spreading POSITIVE emotions about someone makes them popular. Spreading NEGATIVE emotions about someone makes them hated OR may make YOU hated.
HA! I should write a blog.
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People were just hating because of her fame, fortune and looks.