holiday dilemma

Towards the end of September I'm going on holiday and will be away from this blog for a week. I'm of two minds about telling you this - not because I think you might come clear my house out whilst I'm away although, writing that, I suppose I should maybe be concerned about that, but because I don't know what to do with my blog.

According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, I'm not the only blogger who faces this dilemma everytime they go on holiday. Lots of bloggers carry on blogging when they go away, others tell their audiences they'll be gone, and a few get a guest blogger to come in and take care of things.

This summer I've noticed a drop in my traffic that roughly coincides with the end of the university year. Things are starting to pick up again and I'm noticing a lot more academic traffic appearing in my stats again. The summer dip was about the same as whenever I stop blogging for a week to go on holiday - around 1/3.

The thing is, whenever I take a break from blogging, not only does my traffic dip by around 1/3, but it stays down for weeks as I struggle to build the traffic back up to normal levels. I also worry about leaving the comments open whilst I'm away. What if I fall victim to a comment or trackback spam attack? What if someone posts a potentially libellous or otherwise illegal comment?

It's a bit of a dilemma and I'm interested to hear your thoughts on what I should do whilst I'm away. The choices are:

• don't worry about it - just take off
• keep posting from my laptop
• keep posting from my mobile
• get some posts set-up to publish automatically whilst I'm gone
• post up a "gone fishing" sign with some links to some past posts
• get a guest blogger (who?) in

What do you do with your blog when you go away? How can bloggers go on holiday without without losing their audience? Am a sad git who takes this blogging malarky far too seriously and should stop worrying about trivial stuff like this?

Update 22.48 on 08 Sept: Looks like Shane Richmond over at Telegraph.co.uk is having a guest blogger in whilst he's on holiday.

Comments

[Iris]

On Sept. 1st, I was back from holiday and wrote on my experience of being away from my blog and computer for a whole 6 days. If you know Hebrew, read how I survived it...
http://israblog.nana.co.il/blogread.asp?blog=237348

[joanna]

I think you should do everything you can to get a proper break during your holiday - including switching off from your blog. On holiday I like to escape from emails and turn off my mobile phone (apart from in emergencies)- it's a great opportunity to clear your mind and get a different perspective on things. Setting up posts to publish automatically while you're away or rounding up some of your previous posts would both be good options. I'm sure people would understand if you turned on comment moderation temporarily as long as you explained why and that comments would be published when you get back. Perhaps you could use it as an opportunity to look back at some of the comments you've received / discussions you've had with readers on your blog. Whatever you decide, have a great holiday!

[Graham]

Joanna's right, leave the laptop at home - and the mobile if possible - and go build sand castles with your kid.

The only thing I do that remotely connects me to blogdom or any higher thought plain while I'm on holiday is a notebook I take along. Sometimes I use it, others I don't.

You could of course hand it over to some of the BBC guys you gave it to before, if you trust them... But could you resist not checking up every now and again to see what's going on?

[Linda]

I am tempted by the set up some posts to publish while you are away option, as well as asking someone to step in.

You must have a trusted contact or colleague who can either just keep an eye on comments to your pre-written posts or if they would like and you are happy with the prospect, add their own stuff.

There must be bloggers who would welcome the opportunity? It'd be great for their own experience and profile, wouldn't it?

It can be hard to switch off but hopefully a couple of days away can do it! I haven't been blogging long but was keen that when I went away recently that our company blog would continue.

This gave colleagues who had been wary of the technology a chance to get more involved and now there's no stopping them.

I know that where you are people will be much more clued up than us so surely you can bring new voices to this blog and leave it in safe hands for a few days.

Good luck, I hope you have a fantastic holiday and if your thoughts do wander to blogging, they can be of the 'I wonder what a great job X is doing while I am away?' variety.

You have to have a holiday.

[Jemima Kiss]

Definitely have a proper break Robin. I'd offer to post the odd thing while you're away but I'm so damn busy.

Maybe you could get a small posse together to blog sit? What's the blog equivalent of coming back to find an empty cocktail bar and fag burns on the sofa?!

PS. Site down while I switch servers!

[yankunian]

Like Graham, I vote for a guest blogger... I always really enjoy it when guest bloggers take over on a blog I read. It's often a chance to check out a new voice. And the length of a vacation is probably just about the right length of time that anyone could go on posting on someone else's blog before running out of steam. If you just take a break you risk losing momentum and, yes, losing readers.

Do not blog on vacation, though. Not unless you absolutely have to. We all need to switch off for a while.

[Nancy White]

Fuggedaboutit! Be released and carefree on vacation!

[RobinH]

You say that, but when do I ever see any of you not posting regularly! ;-) Thanks everyone for the advice. I think what I'd like to do is have some blogsitters in - thanks for the idea Jemima - but to do something different.

Perhaps posting links to stuff I will have missed whilst on holiday to delicious or something like that? Or maybe diong quick reviews of a few of the sites in my bloglines, which I make publicly available. Not sure... hmmm....