Gentle readers,
Sometime earlier this month My Irony reached its third (!) birthday. And last night I got an itch to make some radical changes, including no less than ditching makingchutney.com altogether. And I need to know what you think.
What am I thinking about? I’m thinking, perhaps, about moving everything over to a new blog, called something like “Making Chutney.”
Why such a big change?
As longtime readers will remember, I lost makingchutney.com last year due to my own flightyness. Because of that, My Irony’s readership (measured in all ways) has dropped by at least half. I am sure that a good deal of that represented spambots, but by no means most of it. Losing the original domain name was a branding fiasco, and I’ve seen the proof in the stats.
I’ve now given makingchutney.com (and also myirony.org) a full year, but readership is still significantly lower than it used to be. My thinking is that a new start, with a more accessible name, would give both myself and my readers a fresh perspective on what I’m trying to accomplish here.
The name “My Irony” has also lost some of its original luster. When I first started the site, my primary blogging interests were Foucault, self-formation, social ethics, and globalization. Which is to say my interests were much more explicitly academic. The name “My Irony” made more sense then, and the Randolph Bourne quote that sits in the sidebar was a good description of what I was about. But irony was no longer the buzzword it once was, and I have written precious little dealing with irony the past year or more.
Another consideration for me is the annual redesign. Somehow it’s turned out that I’ve redesigned My Irony every year about this time. It hasn’t been planned that way, but somehow this is about when I get the itch. And, let me tell you, I’m getting the itch bad. (Some color schemes I’m having a gander at. And also this photo.) I’d like to incorporate more of WordPress 2.0’s new features here, and maybe even incorporate something like Binari Bonsai’s K2 theme and plugin kit. Having a new domain would make that process all the cleaner and easier during the interim, and would let me fill you all in on the progress.
And of course I’ve recently started up Healing Hagar, which draws a good deal of my “god stuff” and “jesus crispy” postings, plus some time and energy. Starting a new “Making Chutney” (or similar) site would make for a cleaner break. It would give me more freedom to do more personal postings since Chutney, and not irony, would be the explicit subject.
What do you think? Should I make the switch? Do you like the new name? Any of the color schemes catch you eye?
I am, gentle readers, listening intently for your responses.
Do it! Make a change. Sometimes you just have to walk into the barber shop and say to the man, “Cut it off, cut it all off”. There is something to be said about the weight both physical and mental that comes with a virtual haircut. So why not tryout a new domain name. It just might suit you.
I say do it if it will make you happy. Sounds like it will, so I say go for it! Just let me know, so I can update my blogroll and my bloglines subscription! I read! I read!!
i say go for it. though “making chutney” is a little mundane for my taste. especially since you’re quite the hot peppery mix. ;) maybe you’re a chutney marinade? though that’s a little hard to spell if you’re looking to up readership… did you know there’s also chutney music? i had no idea… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chutney_music
I like it. Do it. Nothing more to say.
I think you should have a more “Chutneyish” color scheme with reds and yellows.
Otherwise, I like
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Go for it. I’ve enjoyed your blog for the past year that I’ve beem reading it. Whatever you need to do to keep it fresh and relevant to YOU is what you should do. We’ll follow.