Loading...I’d like to take the opportunity of the New Year to look ahead with you on matters related to the blog. My idea for this post is to tell you what my goals for the coming year are and what challenges we are (or that I am) facing, and then to ask a couple of questions from you, the members, about how best to proceed.
Goals and Challenges
I have several different goals for the blog this coming year.
- Financial. This past year, as I indicated in my past post, we pulled in $61,000. That is a significant increase over the previous year. I would like to keep the increase going, and have as a target $70,000 for 2014. This will obviously mean acquiring significantly more members; keeping the members we have; and hopefully increasing the number of donations from people who are already members. On that final point, there are some people who generously give everything from $25 and up. I appreciate more than I can say, from each and every one of your kind and generous souls. May your tribe increase! In fact, I hope it does. As part of this goal: the blog has had one very serious major donor, and I would like to see us find another one. As you have heard me say ad nauseum, all the money goes to charity, and building up the giving base is what keeps me motivated. So this is a real and tangible desideratum for me.
- Practical. I would like to make the blog as user friendly as we can, over time. We have taken great strides forward: the blog is much better than it was when we started in April 2012. And all the thanks go to Steve Ray, the workhorse for this machine, whom I’ve already thanked and can’t thank enough. We get a lot of ideas for the blog, some that we adopt and others that we shelve for a while as we think through the implications. I’m always open for more suggestions. For now, in addition to the improvements we have already made, we are planning to add a couple of new features to the blog:
- A Testimonies page. I will soon be asking people to provide some testimonies about how well they like the blog and what about it they find compelling, to post on a public site on the page as a way of helping to draw more people in.
- A Readers’ Forum. At present, the only way for any of you to post something that you want to say is to reply to me about a post and then possibly have someone reply to you (the latter of which doesn’t happen with incredible frequency). We are considering opening it up to have a Readers Forum feature as part of the blog; this would allow readers to pose questions or make comments, not to me, but to anyone on the blog, and carry on conversations back and forth with each other instead of always through me. We are working out the kinks for how this should work, and figuring out if it can be done without increasing exponentially either the expense of the blog (since, well, I pay for the expense of the blog :p ) or the amount of time that I devote to it.
- Intellectual. I want to continue to provide high-level intellectual content for the blog, since that’s why you joined! I feel pretty good about how things are going now already, and hope simply to keep it comin’. More on this under Questions for you. The main challenge that I have – in addition to simply sustaining the level of output every week – is that I continually wonder when I’m going to run out of things to say. So far so good, and I don’t see an end in sight. But that doesn’t mean – to switch a metaphor – that the well will not some time go dry….
Questions to You.
So the above comments are my side of things. I’m interested in knowing yours. Feel free any time to suggest improvements or changes in the blog, since I want to make it just as good as can be and am always eager to make it better. But I have two questions (well, sets of questions) in particular that I would like to ask.
- First: As most of you have figured out, I simply am not able to have lengthy back-and-forths with people who want to engage me on detailed discussions of this, that, or the other thing. We have had thousands of members on the blog since we started, and I just don’t have the minutes (let alone hours) to engage with everyone or, actually, with anyone. I do answer every direct question that comes my way and make comments also on other posts if I can do so quickly and efficiently. And if a question/comment is particularly scintillating, I reserve it to make an entire post on it. So my question is really a simple one. In your opinion, does this approach limit the usefulness of the blog enough to make it detrimental to acquiring new members and keeping old ones? If the answer is yes, I don’t know what we would do, since, well, a yes answer doesn’t give me more hours in the day. But I do want to know. As a corollary, do you personally think that we should limit the *length* of comments (e.g., through word limits), or is it fine as is? If we should limit the comments, to what length?
- Second, and for me more important. Some people have suggested to me that I post too much – roughly six times a week, though sometimes five. I am absolutely fine (trust me on this one) posting less. But I want to achieve the maximum utility for the blog, and I’m not sure what the answer is. I asked this before, some months (or a year?) ago, and most people thought that 5-6 times a week was ideal. But I wonder if that’s still the case. More specifically I’m wondering two related things:
- Does having this much content turn people off, because they find that it’s frustrating having so much and they can’t read it all, so they decide just to give it up and not renew membership?
- Would posting less strike people as a step backwards so that if they didn’t get their 5-6 posts a week they would be less inclined either to join or to renew membership?
I am genuinely interested in knowing your responses. If you could make just a brief comment in reply – for example “Yes 5-6 is perfect” or “Actually I’d prefer 2-3” or “I don’t think it makes a single bit of difference” or “I would not renew if there were only 4 a week” or something similar (no need to give lengthy explanations, unless you feel driven to do so) — I would appreciate it.
OK, those are just about all my thoughts moving forward. As always, I’ll be interested in hearing yours.
Hi Bart. 5-6 updates will keep me here! (Actually one per week would too, but I don’t want you to think in that direction.
A couple of suggestions for features: weekly links, possibly with brief comments, but not necessarily, to other sites with relevant news. A ‘Bart’s beautiful Bible bits’ page with Bible (or similar) quotes you find beautiful to read, listen to or consider. You often make passing comments about the power of the language, and more illustration of this would I think have wide appeal.
On fund-raising: you are doing well. To provoke donations, have a highly specific target (s much money to buy vaccines for children in x) and a closing date, and include a couple of pics and testimonials from the good people who will put the money to good use. Have say two of these ‘additional’ campaigns a year. Get someone else to do the work on them for you.
All the best for 2014!
I’ve subscribed since the beginning. My expectation/hope was three posts a week. I think this is more than reasonable and I would renew if you limited your posts to three posts a week. I think you should limit. You’ve made already hundreds of posts that new subscribes can read in between your posts if they want more. As for those like myself who have been subscribed for awhile, I don’t think it will make a difference. Why don’t you do a trial run? Post 3 times a week for the next three months to see what happens.
Also – if I can help/volunteer in anyway let me know. I’d be more than willing to help out with the the Readers’ Forum if you decide to get that going, such as a moderator. Also, if you want a testimony, I’d be more than willing to give one.
Thanks. I’ll think about it. I’d be very picky about a moderator of the forum. Could you zap me a private email and tell me a bit about yourself, your background, your interests, your level of familiarity with the field of early Christianity, etc. etc?
Prof Ehrman
1. I like the format.
2. I like constant posts. (the audience is rapacious)
Comments: I haven’t taken a poll but I suspect that there aren’t many folks who are only casually interested in this field. On the contrary I suspect your audience is filled with obsessives who would be interested in whatever you might wish to offer. In the end of course I can only speak for myself but I’m totally fascinated with this subject. Including the technical stuff!
Some suggestions:
A reading list. Start out with the “classics of the field” (what you might give a new student) and then go from there.
A frequently asked questions (FAQ) page. There must be some questions you tire of constantly being asked. (Did Jesus exist?) You can either provide an answer or refer to one of your own books. Newbies can go there and get caught up without you having to constantly go back to these questions. Add as needed.
A links page. Must be some cool websites out there you recommend. How many folks are aware of the New Testament Gateway for example?
This stuff might be labor intensive but only up front. After that it would only be a matter of intermittent updates.
Looking forward to 2014.
4-5 posts a week would be best.
I think how you answer the comments is fine as is.
A 500 word limit for comments would be good, I usually skip over comments if they are too long.
I don’t have an attention span problem. In fact, scholars don’t have an attention span problem either.
Financial: no comments on what you posted, but for me I’ve enjoyed donating several times to Urban Ministries of Durham. Where else can I dedicate beans and feminine hygiene products to multiple friends in the name of charity?
User interface: I still request a persistent direct link to your most recent post per my previous comments and email to you. Also, can the drop down box for “If A New Comment is Posted” be changed to “send email notification only is someone responds to my comments” by default? I’d like to know when you respond to my comments and don’t like having to set that option every time.
Limiting comments: I’d be in favor of limiting the length of comments. I like reading the comments, but some people on here get rather verbose and I just see a wall of text. But, if you limit then the way around it is to post multiple comments so I don’t see a solution.
Your weekly post count: I think that if you feel like you’re reaching for something to post then take the day off. I have no issue with less than 5-6 per week. When you cover multi-post topics I’d like to see those without interruption. After doing a 4-5 post topic take a couple of days off!
Limiting responses could have stifle responses and have a negative effect on memberships.
I suspect I would renew my membership even if you cut your posts in half, since there is so much in the archives. The biggest factor for me is that it goes to charity. I wouldn’t subscribe otherwise.
I have appreciated readers sharing their personal experiences in their comments. A back and forth on that among readers might require moderation of comments after the fact rather than the delay you have now.
Yes; limit comments character length; 4-5 is ok.
I think the blog is terrific just the way it is, but I would rather see you blog less if it keeps you from burning out. Reading what you blog is not too much nor too little, but just right. Nevertheless, I would not throw a fit if, due to time constraints, you decided to blog less. The blogs really do not take that long to read and are written with such clarity that they are not too much for me.
I don’t think you will ever run out of material. This concern reminds me of your concern about the length of your Teaching Company lectures.
I am not sure about a Reader’s Forum, but scholarly contributions from others, like the guest you once had, would be helpful, especially if they have some thoughts about how to learn all this stuff and still remain Christian which, to me, seems quite difficult. Maybe, staying Christian is just not possible, but I would like to read how people manage to do that. I have participated in Reader’s Forums on other blogs and they tend to lack depth and people rant and rave too much. If a reader wrote a scholarly article, like the ones you write, I would eagerly read that.
I have been reading some about whether the apostle Thomas went to India and converted people there. I would be interested in a blog or two on that subject especially if the blog contained some references on this topic.
Mostly, Thanks!!!!
Ronald Taska:
I am not sure about a Reader’s Forum, but scholarly contributions from others, like the guest you once had, would be helpful, especially if they have some thoughts about how to learn all this stuff and still remain Christian which, to me, seems quite difficult.
Steefen:
I do not see a full Post-Christianity after learning all this stuff. The human experience gives us ample opportunity to cry out: Save Me!, Heal Me! Love Me, Father (authority figures and establishments of authority, be it Bilderberg, Congress, Corporate America, Mother Nature, Family Politics, the spirit of the times, the dawning Age of Aquarius); Sympathize with Me (St. Jude), Support Me as I Go through Something Difficult or the Valley of the Shadow of Death with a stage of life, the passing of an elderly family member, relative, or friend, etc.
Besides, it’s good to have religion to teach us to hold something sacred. Sure, we don’t just have Christianity for that–for example, the book I and Thou and the book The Kabbalah of Money are wonderful books written by non-Christians.
I agree with you, however, this way: we definitely do not need Paul’s formulation of life after death or Jesus’ Apocalypse. About two months ago, I lost track of my copy of Jesus, Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium. I was bummed out for about 30 days. Then I got over it because Jesus didn’t know WHAT he was talking about and the Hebrew God did not create an empire from Abraham to Jesus. We might saw the Hyksos was the greatest civilization of God since they did rival an empire. David and Solomon did not rival an empire. Herod the Great did annex himself to greatness with the support of the Roman Empire.
Is the Talmud, the New Testament, and the Jewish and Christian content of the Koran as great as the works of Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Akhen-aten, and the Epic of Gilgamesh? When we add modern books like Infinite Mind by Valerie V. Hunt, Journey of the Soul by Michael Newton, and an older collection of writings, Synchronicity by Carl Jung who speaks of Astrology and the I-Ching, I’d say the examination of the soul definitely needs material outside of the New Testament, outside of Christianity be it found in the Koran or the New Testament itself.
There is something about my character that could make me an antique dealer. In addition to holding fast to Christ Consciousness (given our needs mentioned above: to be saved, to be healed, to be encouraged, to be charitable, etc.), we need Bach’s B-Minor Mass, Mozart’s Requiem, etc.
I like 5-6 posts a week (the more the better for me) and appreciate the time you devote to the blog, but I would totally understand if you could only do 2 or 3 some weeks because of other time demands. It wouldn’t make a difference in terms of whether I would renew.
No, your response approach does not limit the effectiveness of the blog. What you’re doing now is good.
Although I like 5-6 posts/week, you could save a day on the weekend and just do 5/week. 2-3 seems too few.
Since I’m retired, I look forward to checking your blog each day, during my morning reading. Most blogs, from various sources, work 2-4 times a week and that seems fine to me. With 5-6 weekly post, I don’t see how you have a life to do anything else. Quality instead of quantity works for me…still get value for my bucks.
On commenting, you might consider only requiring approval for someone’s first comment. This would loosen up the threads and allow conversations between commenters. Abusive commenters could be moved back into the moderation queue. (All of this should be doable with standard wordpress functionality.)
Everything else about the current commenting structure seems fine to me. It’s not at all unusual for popular bloggers to be unable to respond to every question they get in the comments. Loosening up the threads might allow the more knowledgable readers to answer some questions.
On post frequency, it’s a depressing fact of life that a blog post that takes an hour to write can usually be read in a few minutes. In other words, our time commitment simply isn’t anywhere near yours. I love the near daily posts, but I would be fine if they fell to once or twice a week.
Anyway, whatever you decide, great content, which it definitely has been so far, will keep me subscribed.
I’d prefer 2 to 3 posts a weeks so I have time to think about them for a day or two before the next one pops up. People just joining wouldn’t even know you had done more than that in the past. Love your blog!
I just wanted to say that a post every other day would work for me. I too am very busy and feel like u sometimes get behind and don’t have time to catch up. I know I can always go back and read the posts but some topics are a few posts (ie the Reza Aslan commentary) and am always falling behind ( I work 80 hours a week or so).
5-6 is perfect.
1. Limit the number of words from contributors? I don’t know, but I do know that contributor postings that are longer than Bart’s original posting of 1000 words sometimes causes me to skip over them for lack of time.
2. 4 times a week is enough.
The bottom line for me to is to limit the chance of your burning out.
Five postings a week is just about right for me. In other words, continue what you have been doing.
Even tho I have read a lot of your books, I find the information interesting and fresh. Your writing style is excellent.
I would like to see more moderation of comments posted. It seems to me several recent screeds really added nothing to the discussions as they are so off base. Of course, I don’t have to read them, but they seem at odds with what you are trying to do.
In short, a “continue to march” would be fine for me.
Great as it is, but I’d also be quite happy with 4-5 per week
2-3 is fine.
First: We understand that you cannot give lengthy replies, so a direct answer is okay.
As far as word limit, yes– (too many paragraphs become a soap box.) Maybe no more than 150
words?
Second: Posting 5-6 times is great but realistically 4 times/wk would be fine
Posting too often is definitely not a problem for me, and I spend a lot of time reading through the archives so I would still consider the blog a good ‘value’ if you posted less frequently.
I have been sending you ‘public forum’ vibes for months now. As someone whose friends and family view my current Biblical Studies obsession as somewhat peculiar, I would eagerly participate in a forum for academic discussions of the Bible/Christianity. I can’t imagine moderating a public forum wouldn’t take an enormous amount of time, though.
5 to 6 times a week is great. A real time commenting system would be ideal.
5-6 is fine with me.
Regarding the questions – it seems to me that if you end up creating a comments page that would be the place for long extended comments. I think it would be reasonable therefore to limit responses on the blog to direct questions – or brief comments.
But I like it very much and intend to continue to support and read no matter what you decide…
All the best for 2014…
SBD
I like 5-6 a week.
Yes, 5-6 posts a week is perfect for the blog. But they don’t all need to be lecture length posts.
Recently, the 1998 PBS video “From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians” was a Frontline encore broadcast. I notice both parts of this Frontline feature are still offered on the PBS website.
I found the two-part video interesting but was curious — as I was watching it — about whether you might have any thoughts about the video in general or specific about any of the thinking or positions in the video that had changed over the years due to new discoveries or theories or research that was not available at the time the video was made.
Would a discussion of this video belong in a readers’ forum? Or some other category?
I haven’t seen it recently enough to be able to discuss it intelligently, though I certainly had a lot of criticisms of it when it came out (not of the scholars on it, just of the way it was produced.) There was a panel discussion on it for the Society of Biblical Literature that I was on. I’ll see if my comments are still hanging around on my computer.
Bart,
Well, I’m glad to hear that you consider opening up your blog to a Reader’s Forum. Too many posts dilute the focus. But post what you think is important. I wonder if you realize that you are regarded as the most important voice to counter mainstream Christianity. Do you? That’s why Nat. Geo., History Channel, etc. have you as go-to guy. That makes any blog you put up a focus for new ideas in the field.
I came just a few years late to the Gospel of Judas launch by Nat. Geographic. I have since published my first book (2009) which has a full chapter devoted to explaining what it signifies. I plan a full book on it in the future. I firmly believe from my perspective as a practicing Mystic (Gnostic) that the Gospel of Judas will be seen soon as the most important discovery of all time. Some now think it is the most important biblical discovery, or second behind the DS Scrolls. But I see enough in it to see it as the convergence point of East and West, understanding of East (Mystic thought) being nearly completely absent in the West. When it is finally apprehended that the subject in this Gospel (“Good News”) of Judas is not Judas, not Jesus, but JAMES, the New Age will finally dawn, where true Masters are found among us (and not as “a child”!).
“NIOYUDAS” means “Gospel OF Judas, not Gospel “According to” Judas, as the Nat. Geo. clip I just watched online — with you in it telling us how the climax is Judas sacrificing Jesus — says. This is super important and an example of why your role is important here. People think from this video, and all others on it so far, that this gospel is about JESUS. It isn’t! You speaking in it, in support of this erroneous view, is an endorsement of it. It’s about Judas, who stands in for James, his successorship event inverted tendentiously as it is in the canon “Betrayal”. This gnostic view of the ‘Betrayal’ sets the New Testament canon on it’s ear (literally: Malchus is an initiation event in metaphor, not just an ear-cutting!). This is a huge deal, indeed. The NT is finished as an authority on salvation. You scholars just missed it. I have told you before the supporting facts (go to judaswasjames.com). I wish you were more interested. I have a source of information that you cannot even fathom: the mystic Masters of the East. Broaden your imagination to see what the possibilities are here. We may not encounter an opportunity like this again for another 1,800 years.
I’ll catch up with you somewhere in coming months and years. I’m retired now, and plan to do this with my remaining years. I look forward to introducing to you in person the mysteries of mystic/gnostic thought.
Set up a Reader’s Forum, and be sure to attend.
The blog is fine as it is.
6-5 posts per week are OK!
Thnx!
I would subscribe for just 1 blog a week if that’s all you wanted to do. However, I don’t think the issue is how many blogs a week but the content. If you feel that the content would be more focused with 2-3 posts a week that would good. However, reading a few paragraphs every day is, like you say is over time reading a good book on NT studies. I’m not eager to read comments from others or to engage with others. I read to learn from your scholarship and your personal journey.
Happy New Year Bart! Heres to another successful year for the blog and I hope that the target of $70k is exceeded!
Just a quick note, in my view having a post every other day would be better as it will give the reader something to look forward to rather than a daily reading…
keep up the good work, I will be the first to leave a glowing testimonial on there!
thanks
your devoted follower Sam Chahal (London)
One time a week, I’d be thankful for just that. Four times, even better.
Happy new year!
Answers:
1. No need for long comments and responses. Possible length limitations: from 1000 to 1500 characters.
2. Doesn’t make any difference.
Yes 5-6 is perfect
My review of this blog which you are free to use however you choose:
For decades, Christianity has been very important to me, important enough to spend extensive time trying to critically and respectfully examine crucial questions with vigor. As I have done this, the questions have mounted. I have repeatedly tried to respectfully discuss such questions in church classes, but found church members to be deeply offended by such questions. Moreover, being a busy physician, I also found that such church classes move just way too slowly for me. I really cannot spend an hour hearing church people try to prove that Noah and the Ark is a historical event, that the earth was created in 6 days, that the theory of evolution is a product of the Devil, and that gay marriage is evil. Hence, Dr. Ehrman’s blogs, books, debates, and Teaching Company tapes have been a breath of fresh air for me providing the critical examination of crucial questions that I have been seeking for decades. He also writes clearly which many religion scholars do not do as they frequently take refuge in obscure terms. Finally, he seems to be a genuinely nice person often taking time from his extensive and hectic schedule to personally respond to my questions. In summary, this bog is fantastic and has been so helpful to me. There are a couple of blogs each year which are a little esoteric and get over my head, but that is quite rare. The blog is the best $25 I spend each year and I have read every blog that Dr. Ehrman has written and will continue to do so..
Ronald Taska, M.D.
Thanks!
Dr. Ehrman,
6 posts per week is perfect — gives me a reason to check back daily, or nearly so. Thank you for the obvious care and effort you put into this blog.
Ditto!
I would be happy with 3-4 posts per week and love the idea of a discussion forum for members.
Fewer posts each week would be fine with me – even if you did three a week that would be a lot of content throughout a year.
You need not post this, Bart. Do as you will, however.
As most of you have figured out, I simply am not able to have lengthy back-and-forths with people who want to engage me on detailed discussions of this, that, or the other thing.
*Perhaps, if “we” engaged in more “back and forth” it might not only inspire us to do some good research in order to respond, it might also take some of the pressure off of you, while at the same time creating friendships that very well might draw more people in. Perhaps you could appoint a trusted/knowledgeable moderator, who has the time, and whose task it would be to keep the conversations civil and on topic? I say this, knowing full well, Dr. Tabor’s bad experience opening his blog to comment. You might speak with him as to his experience. Anything Jesus is oftentimes sensitive, and many are offended by (oppositional) historical evidences.
Second, and for me more important. Some people have suggested to me that I post too much – roughly six times a week, though sometimes five.
*I don’t know about anyone else, but I’d be quite happy if you’d give up your full time job and dedicated yourself solely to the blog. 😉 I’m just kidding.
Would posting less strike people as a step backwards so that if they didn’t get their 5-6 posts a week they would be less inclined either to join or to renew membership?
*Has it not been your experience that, for the most part, people pick and choose, or does everyone who comes here read everything you post? Does it really matter whether you post 4-5 or 5-6 times a week? Do you see a drop in readership when you post less? What do the stats tell you? God knows, you’ve got enough information on this website to keep me busy for all of a lifetime! I don’t think I’d miss you much if you didn’t post something new everyday. It might give me more time to catch up. But if you reduced yourself to say 3 times a week I might need withdrawal therapy.
Have I reached my 500-800 word limit, as yet? 😉
I am content with your approach and feel that you should post as often as you feel necessary. Does not make any diff. to me. Will read what you post and enjoy your perspective.
3x/week is just right. More is too much information, no time to digest, not good.
I don’t think you should make it an either-or scenario. I still believe levels of membership are in order that can please nearly everyone. The folks who want more can have access to you and the best the blog has to offer as *platinum members* (or whatever). Others can choose from less elaborate options, tailored to their wants and their ability (or willingness) to pay. Why not a multi-level blog? Why not discounts and lower prices that make signing up less painful, economically speaking – i.e., reduced rates for friends and relatives and referrals of current members, at least for the first year, and/or introductory offers at 3 or 6 months at 8 or 15 dollars respectively?
As far as how often and how long you write, less is better, I think, except sometimes. 🙂
Replies, off the top of my head… I do think your making 5 or 6 posts a week is perfect, and I’d hate to see you cut it back. But I’m retired, and no other online interest is taking up much of my time right now. People with less leisure time to follow the blog may see it differently.
I don’t think a word limit on Comments is necessary or desirable. No one is *obliged* to read all of a Comment of *any* length, if they don’t want to! And I Iike seeing you give a lot of space to people who obviously don’t agree with you.
I also wonder what will happen if you run out of things to say. Maybe you’ll get enough *questions* to prevent that happening? But I think a bigger problem is that newer members will be interested in, and want to read about, things you’ve already discussed at length. If they’re directed to the prior discussions, they’ll want to submit Comments and questions of their own on those topics. I think it’s great to “rehash” things now and then – but you, and others, may not.
3-4 times a week is plenty.
5 to 6 times a week is perfect. I am new to your blog, so I do not have enough familiarity to respond to the other questions, except to say the reason I joined was because of your teaching, and ability to show me what I have been trying to learn about the bible and Jesus for some time. I would be disappointed if I could not refer back to your thoughts on a subject matter. I appreciate the thoroughness of your comments.
Really enjoy this blog, 3-4 times a week would be fine, Learning a lot reading a lot of books ,mostly yours, will contribute more $ it is worth it and goes to a great cause.
Yes, 5 to 6 is perfect. As a new member of the blog, I’m surprised there isn’t more back and forth between various members talking about what *they* think. It’s great to be able to ask Dr. Ehrman questions, but sometimes its fun to state what you think, and try to defend it.
That can lead to problems as some arguments can get very heated. But arguing can also be very addicting. And more people getting addicted to the blog means more money for charity.
Question 1: Could you convince a fellow scholar, not necessarily like-minded, to post as well? If so, you could refer to each other posts, and we would have a better understanding of how scholarly discussions are done.
Question 2: Yes 5-6 is perfect. (see my suggestion about Question 1 for a possible lower rate of posting.)
NB I am a longtimer (lurking since the beginning and member since October 2012).
Dear Dr Ehrman:
We are getting right now about 24 blogs a month which comes out to .085 cents per blog….Where in hell could I get the education I am getting for .085 cents per day: NOWHERE!!. I think your students are paying a bit more than that.
I read your blog carefully everyday and some of the responses are a bit testy from time to time. Whatever you do is just fine with me…
1. I was thrilled to get personal responses to the two or so short questions I asked this past year. I would always expect that your top-of-your-head answer is more than adequate, and don’t expect you to research our questions. I chip in a small extra donation when I trouble you with questions, since I think that’s in the “busker-historian-for-charity” spirit of the blog.
2. Five to six posts a week is fantastic. I would still subsribe if there were fewer, and you shouldn’t sweat it when circumstances prevent more than two or three ina week. But I always love to log in and see a new post!
I enjoy reading each of your posts as they come out. I’d be fine with 5 a week, but would not be offended if there were a little less. I know you’ve got a pretty full plate as it is, and you’re entitled to some time for yourself.
Thanks for all the work you put into this site. I’m looking forward to your next book, “How Jesus Became God”.
Keep as is, 5-6 posts a week is great!
Your posting rate is very good. Please keep it up!
In terms of posting rates, anything between 1 and 6 new posts per week strikes me as healthy and worthwhile, and I don’t see a need to sustain a constant pace – the main goal is to be informative rather than entertaining. Now that I’ve found the Members Landing Page, that will be my favorite starting point forever more – please keep that (but don’t be afraid to try improving it). Adding any sort of site-internal search facility would be very welcome (e.g. when I want to see a list of posts that mention “Joshua”). Limits on response length might be appropriate (could help to focus the responder’s effort), but it might just be a non-issue; get statistics on average and outlier response sizes and set a reasonable limit if the outliers look like they cause more trouble than they’re worth. If there’s an easy way to reduce clutter in member sessions by excluding non-member entries in listings of posts, that would be nice. Thanks for asking!
3-4 posts per week would be great. Lots to read and I don’t want to get too far behind!! Thanks for your efforts!
Dr. Ehrman: I think a word limit of 250 words would be fine. As a professional writer, I can appreciate the discipline that comes with a limited word count. As a college professor, I require it of my students.
I also think 5-6 posts a week is fine, but I would subscribe even if you posted less frequently, because each one is a joy to read!
-Fred Whiting
Bart,
1 (a). No, your approach does not limit the usefulness of the blog to getting and keeping members. Like every other blog that exists, this blog is not for everyone. Some people will have unreasonable expectations, and you would drive yourself nuts and spend too much time trying to please everyone. IMO, you are meeting or exceeding reasonable expectations.
1 (b). I am in favor of limiting the length of comments ONLY if it will save you significant time overall on the blog. I would like members to be concise, but I fear that policing a fixed length for each comment would take more of your time than it saves you. We members can choose on a comment-by-comment basis whether we want to read a particular comment.
2. For me, 5 or 6 times a week is perfect.
I get quite a few newsletters and links to blogs everyday, and manage to really look at only a few. Not true for Bart’s Blog. I look for it every day. I guess I’m one of the obsessives SJB described in his comment. That said, I do recognize the public service you are providing, and you need to be the one to set the pace.
As for as a length limit on comments, I think it is reasonable to have a limit, just not too small a limit. These are complicated subjects discussed here, after all, and 40 character ‘tweets’ just won’t work.
I’m not sure if a Reader’s Forum free-for-all would be a good idea. As far as I’m concerned you, Bart, are the expert on the subjects that you choose to discuss, and as long as some kind of mechanism to allow a question on an ‘in progress’ subject is available, that’s fine with me.
Although 5-6 posts per week is terrific, I’d be totally happy with 3-4 and would remain a member if you only posted 2 tunes a week. IMO, we’re receiving far more than we’re paying for.
Quality not quantity
1 post a week would see me stay here.
2 or 3 should satisfy most.
Like the new idea of linking to videos on you tube.
May whatever force there may be be with you.
Bart,
Thanks for this post and soliciting feedback from your members. 2-3 high quality posts per week is preferable in my opinion. Thanks
I understand and appreciate the concerns about your potential burnout, and I would not quit the blog if you needed to post less, and though I would be selfishly disappointed I would still consider the charitable donation more important, but if you do need to post less I fear that would have an adverse effect on your financial charitable goals, kratiste Theophile.
I am fine with 4-5 a week. It’s just amazing that you can keep up with this blog as well as you do with all of the other responsibilities you surely have.
I think 3 – 4 posts per week on average would be a good target. As others have said we don’t want you to “burn out” either. Please consider taking a week off from time to time throughout the year too.
Dr. Ehrman,
Regardless of whether or however often you post a blog, I will continue my membership. What you do is excellent.
Happy New Year!
Judy
Your current approach is fine with me. Limiting replies to about 10 lines might be helpful. I would renew for 1 post per week, but prefer 2-3.
Yes 5-6 is perfect
I like the idea of a discussion forum
I should have brought this up earlier: With all due respect, would you mind including some specifics on your “philanthropy page”, to indicate which particular charities receive funds from membership dues? It would also be helpful and encouraging to see some numbers – e.g. total (approximate) amount donated each year. That sort of information can help motivate people to join and contribute, and and can also dispel any doubts that prospective members might have about where their membership dollars are going.
Thanks!
I’ve mentioned these on numerous occasions on the blog. But I’ll think about putting something directly on the page as well.
I find it hard to believe that the vast majority of members have the time to read the blog almost every day of the week. I would reduce postings to 3 days a week—maybe a occasional 4th posting when the itch is just too great. I especially enjoy reading other members comments and your responses to them. The content quality is extraordinary, and I feel fortunate to have this kind of access. I would like to see more postings involving exchanges/dialogue/debates with those who strongly oppose your views. Thank you!
A forum!
It seems like the next logical step, especially to reduce the amount you need to contribute and to further involve your members. Maybe reward those who show consistent knowledge of the subject matter with positions as moderators.
I enjoy reading 5-6 posts a week but would be happy with fewer. I don’t think it would be unreasonable to limit questions or comments to 250-500 words. I really value the opportunity to ask specific questions and get your answers even if they must be short and terse.
As many as you can spare Bart. I wouldn’t go past 2-3 if I was you. You need time to think, relax with a good glass of wine and just chill a few nights a week too!
What I would find helpful is having a feature like “Word Search” whereby if I am interested in a topic I would type “Temple” (for example) and then all writings where that word is used would appear. This would be something similar to what BibleGateway has. This would avoid having to read all of your writings in order to find something related to one particular topic.
Otherwise, I am a new subscriber so I do not have any further input.
Yes, you can do that already. On the top right of your screen is a magnifying glass. Click on it!
I like the frequency, length and detail to your posts. I wondered if you could pair up with a professor of Hebrew bible posting here alongside you in order to:
a) Share the burden,
b) Broaden the scope of posts,
c) Bring more fee paying members (because of the broader range of interest) and
d) Give a little more variety (perhaps I should say “even more variety” as your posts are already varied).
Your willingness to answer questions really is a fantastic service, and having a prof of Hebrew bible sharing the load would help this further. I wonder if you could persuade someone with a similar theological perspective (Francesca Stavrakopoulou comes to mind, but I’m sure there are many more).
I agree with dvmike in post what works best for you. If it’s once a week or six, I will follow it and read them. The last month as been hectic for me and I am now catching up on what i have missed (Dec 21 – Jan 14). I enjoy your posts, your knowledge and intellect, etc. I would rather see less posts by someone that is not burned than see you be overwhelmed and feel you had to stop. So you do what you have to do to keep your sanity. In the meantime, I will keep spreading the word on your blog and continue to buy your books!
Honestly, remembering college, I could live with hearing from a professor two to three times a week:
Tue & Thu
-or-
MWF
So, I’m suggesting 2 to 3x a week.
Limiting the length of comments would be fine. I tend to skip the ones that fill up more than a screen-full…
I would also be OK with fewer posts per week. This isn’t the only blog I keep up with, and it can be easy to get behind, and hard to catch back up! 3-4 seems like a good number for me… But would probably subscribe as long as you had at least 1 per week…