[...] If your starring at a pile of older blogs that either just didn’t quite make the cut or maybe they were posted but didn’t get very much response, your probably wondering what you should do with them all. Most peoples first thought would be to file 13 them  in the trash can, but below are some other options that may be of better use as suggested on Men With Pens. [...]

[...] What Should You Do With Lousy Old Blog Posts? Taylor from Men with Pens asks what we should do with old blog posts and stirs up a comment storm. Hold that finger back from the delete key, there are some other thoughts to consider. [...]

[...] is the long way of saying that last week I advised recycling an old blog post and making it new again as a way to get rid of the shameful inferior blog posts from your [...]

[...] If your starring at a pile of older blogs that either just didn’t quite make the cut or maybe they were posted but didn’t get very much response, your probably wondering what you should do with them all. Most peoples first thought would be to file 13 them  in the trash can, but below are some other options that may be of better use as suggested on Men With Pens. [...]

“@ Tei – Dating? No, you got it all wrong, Michel’s into copywr-… Oh. You mean *that* kind of dating.”

I read the comment the exact same way.

Beyond the changes in writing style and factual changes over time that need to be addressed, I find it interesting to see the change of topics and perspective over time. Even with a blog like Men With Pens, which sticks to the topic of better writing and blogging, there are shifts in finer level topics. With personal development blogs, the shift can be huge sometimes. Again, it’s fun to watch the evolution of a blog.

I like Michel’s suggestions. Thank you.

Akemi – Yes to Me´s last blog post…Ask The Readers: What Is Romantic Love?

I’ve been blogging only for two months, but writing for many years, and you’re right, it is painfully embarrassing to read my own words of the past. Never thought of turning that around creatively.

Thanks!

Kaushik´s last blog post…Awakening is Simple – FREE!! ebook excerpts

And I’m one of those people who goes back and reads old posts. Every time I come on here I’ll find a few more that I haven’t read yet. And yes, some of the older one’s suck (sorry James – this is more of the pot calling the kettle black).

I did delete several of my early posts. I got a few months in (site is not quite six months old now) and looked at the posts and decided they just didn’t fit with the direction I was going. I’d done them at the beginning, thinking I was heading one way, and sort of veered in another better direction. So they were really out of place. None had comments, so easy to delete.

I will quite likely revisit old posts one day and review or rewrite them. In just the last few months I’ve notice that my ‘voice’ and writing has changed, thankfully for the better!

Melinda´s last blog post…How to Write Copy That Keeps Readers Attention

Our time is finite, and tinkering around with old post that by this point don’t get much traffic anyways is a colossal misappropriation of time and energy.

Moreover… people will see with their own eyes that your writing has progressed from point A to point B. Mine sure has.

All this said… I *love* your idea of taking an idea from an old post and rewriting it and posting it new. I wouldn’t even change the angle, though. I’d take the same basic route but make sure that this time it’s sparkling. I’d also add more detail to the post if it would prove to enhance it.

I guess if you had tons of traffic at the time you wrote your original post this strategy may not be prudent. No… actually… if it was old enough, it won’t matter. It won’t be fresh in people’s minds. And if it was an important enough subject to share then, it will still come across as an asset if you share it now, particularly if it’s all polished up and ready to go.

Bamboo Forest – PunIntended´s last blog post…Why You Should Accept Everything in Life Just the Way it is

@ Kathleen – I think I’d try your route, if it were me. “Here’s how I used to suck. Now that I’m all grown up and smart, here’s how amazing I am now. Compare!”

@ Michel – I’ll have to go check that out myself. I’m behind on my feed reading this week, but updating older posts has been on my mind lately. I also think, as you mention, that it’s important to make sure older posts still continue to get attention. They were good then, they’re still good now.

@ Solomon – We take pride in our comment section and love having new people join in with their thoughts. (Join in, new people. Come, come!).

I agree as well. Older posts show a journey at times, and that’s quite cool. Unfortunately, new readers don’t see a journey – they see an inconsistent quality or level of information. Ouch.

@ Barbara – I don’t think Tei meant ashamed in that sense in the least. We tend to be pretty confident creatures on the Pen Team. But I recently found an old post where I’d spelled weird two different ways (it looked right at the time!) and felt, “Oh god. What will people think? I can spell onomatopoeia but I can’t spell weird?”