I have a choice to make: whether to keep my domain or let it expire.
I’ve been hosting this website on GoDaddy for a couple of years now. No complaints with them, neither price nor service. I’ve had the domain for longer—I think five years, total—and I used to redirect to my old wordpress.com site.
Well, I decided it was time to empty the old blog. I kept the url in case I ever need to go back, but all the content has been deleted as of this morning. There was no tangible reason to delete it. The content moved with me to this domain, so it’s not like I was embarrassed of it. It was just sitting there unviewed. But you know, a need to start fresh has simmering below the surface, evident in the ebb and flow of my new projects. Shedding the old blog was a symbol, I guess, of releasing old and tired ideas and habits, of mental clutter.
When I checked my email this morning, I got the confirmation that Wordpress had deleted my content as requested, along with the domain expiration notification from GoDaddy. I have to make this decision every time the domain expires, but this time it is really tempting to let it go and just not have a blog or a website at all. The social networking sites have the capability to add any content I wish, free of charge and light on maintenance. I haven’t been posting here much, anyway, because all my ramblings have occurred on Facebook or Google+.
I don’t know. I have a lot to think about. I daydream about deleting my entire internet presence (as much as I can) and starting over.
I think it's always possible to start over. Heck, you could even take on a new name! Life is full of potential, and possibilities. :)
ReplyDeleteYou'll know what to do - you always do. :)
I kept my wordpress blog but ended my contract with godaddy. No more domain name for me. I decided I didn't want the bother and no longer saw any reason to spend the money. (Plus, I was getting tired godaddy's sexist ads.)
ReplyDeleteAnd I've stopped reading a lot of blogs, even though I like most of the blogs I used to read.
You're right that other social networks can do much of the same. I'm conflicted about this too. There are things i like about blogging...sigh. To think all I ever wanted to do was be a published author.
This reminds me of a news story I listened to a week or two ago about how these companies where we put our words and our pictures, files, etc, can delete everything and there would be much we could do. I mean, if any one service decides to close, they can just turn themselves off and poof. If they want to give you proper notice and help you find a safe place to transfer your data too, that's great, but they're under no legal obligation to. Gave me pause.
Do readers need authors to have blogs? What is the point of a blog now?