It has been about  /years since I started this blog (more or less–my anniversary is actually in early December) .

Because I am an evaluator, I have asked several time is this blog making a difference. And those posts, the ones in which I ask “is this blog making a difference”, are the ones which get the most comments.  Now, truly, most comments are often either about marketing some product, inviting me to view another blog, mirroring comments made previously, or comments in a language which I cannot read (even with an online translator). Yet, there must be something about “making a difference” that engages viewers and then engages them to make a comment.

Today, I read a comment that was directed to me specifically (most are not) which said:

“Hi Molly,
Are you still up for some more updates?
I surely hope so, or perhaps someone else could maintain the blog-post. It was pretty cool to read about.”

So I keep blogging, and am learning to be satisfied with little differences and small, sometimes meaningful, comments from readers. This week’s post is about those little differences with small comments from readers.

First some statistics taken from my dashboard: Yesterday (November 4, 2014), there were 38 views (out of 101 views) all related to the posts that have “making a difference” in the title. Today, there are (at 11:00am PT) 17 views (out of 38 so far). The most views I’ve gotten in a day was 157 and that was this summer when you would think most people would be on vacation. Of those 157, 55 views were to the sites that had “making a difference” in the title (about 1/3 of all views).

What do I take away from those analytics? That this blog IS making a difference. Perhaps, not in the way I have traditionally viewed evaluation–changes in the “participant’s” life. Maybe using electronic programs (like a blog) results in small changes, changes that manifest in a return visit, a new idea, a formation of a community (in this case of readers). So I’m learning to look for small changes, not life changes. Maybe a lot of small changes result in life changes. Only you, the reader, can tell me that. So if you have read this far, let me know–do a lot of small changes result in life changes?

Blogging is a good way to express your views and defiantly it makes a difference when you post it with unique and (hopefully) new information. That difference is crafting the blog, thinking of what to write, and telling the relevant story. I continue to do that…that is my difference.

I strive to publish valuable information. I believe that this blog may make a difference to readers. After all, they found this blog, spent some time on this blog page, perhaps left a comment or two.

my

molly.