That’s entirely normal, I think. Blogger passion ebbs and flows. Other projects loom and the desire to speak up can also wane. I have a dull sense of having been a “bad blogger” in second half of 2010. I enjoyed a flurry around the General Election (thanks for all the comments) but unlike previous years I didn’t have a big “hit” in 2010 that enjoyed a massive surge of traffic. Moreover, my most popular 2010 bloggage (I’ve checked Google Analytics), comes from previous years. There’s good ambient traffic, but no great new stuff. It’s the long tail.

So, to make myself a hostage to fortune, I’ve decided to publish my personal blogging aspirations for this year. I don’t really expect any support or approval, but do promise to report back in January next year. I have always been pleased to have a small cadre of loyal and conversational readers. You will doubtless hold me to it.

Here’s what I’ll continue to blog about in not particular order:

eBay and Ecommerce: I'm freelancing for eBay again. The latest 2011 edition of my book Make Serious Money on eBay UK is out there. The book is also on Kindle for the first time too. There will be more of the same.

Politics: 2011 is a noteworthy year for me personally. I shall be standing as a Labour candidate for Regency ward in the May city council elections in Brighton and Hove. I must confess to having never done anything quite so scary in all my life.

I imagine I’ll blog a lot more politics. And I’m sorry to those of you that dislike that. I try (and don’t always succeed) to blog politically in a particular style. I don’t want to rant. I also think that a few funnies don’t go amiss. I detest boringly partisan stuff, but my views will have a Labour bent. That’s my part of the compass, after all. I certainly don’t seek to make personally derogatory comments. I always want to be accurate. I also enjoy being whimsical, playful and potentially mischievous.

As a general view, if I’m going to express a view, I do also like to offer positive ideas too. As one Green party activist told me after the General Election in 2010: “you’re too balanced to be interesting.” I’ll take that criticism happily.

More Brighton: I enjoy scribbling droll vignettes (expect more of my Brighton Scenes) and I love reflecting on little snippets of Brighton’s history and culture. Cue more Brightoniana.

Net stuff: Yeah, I need to do more of this. I don’t feel like an expert on a lot of this and feel drawn to explanation rather than trend spotting. I also do feel a fairly earnest draw towards being contrary.

Short stories: Here’s a new idea. I have been writing a few short stories lately and want to write a proper collection in 2011. Should I publish them here? They will surely have no commercial value.

Target?
So, a target. Total blogs? Is a pure number a valuable target? I think probably not, but it’s a good thing for a bit of discipline and regularity. So, and I have never managed this before. I’m gonna say I’ll blog 211 times in 2011 for sake of symmetry. By the end of the year, I hope you’ll be begging me to shut up.

My continuing blogging efforts elsewhere are www.randomaniac.co.uk and www.whotube.co.uk.

This will be will be my 'professional' blog, a venue for my thoughts on online community, the internet industry and everything else I'm doing.