When I started blogging seven years ago, I did not know any blogger – Nigerian or otherwise – and then one day, I got a comment. I visited her blog and linked to other blogs. And more blogs. And more blogs. There were so many Nigerian bloggers, and we were like a little virtual family. There were bloggers like London Buki, Taurean Minx, Bab’s House, Azuka, Real Naija Bloke, Afronuts, Guy Horny, Baroque, Overwhelmed Naija Babe, Good Naija Girl, Omohemi Benson, Boorish Male, Temmy Tayo, Diamond Hawk … there were so many! If I did not mention your name, please forgive me. I’m working on seven-year old memory here.
Anyway, every now and then, I read old posts and read their comments, too, and I get so excited when I see those bloggers’ names. Most of us from that virtual era don’t blog anymore. We’ve moved on with our lives. We have gotten married, become parents, relocated, switched careers, something. And I cannot help but wonder how everyone is doing out there. I miss you guys.
When we were blogging back then, it was all about story-telling. We just used to come online and talk about life. No one knew anything about Google Adwords or Google Analytics. No one paid attention to page views, unique visits and time spent on site. It was just for fun. And it was a lot of fun. People read posts and replied them with a whole new post.
These days, there is a race to the front: who will post it first? I am not in anyway implying that this is a bad thing. No, it isn’t really. I’m merely reserving my right to miss my former colleagues. And like I said, I hope everyone is okay. I hope you’re all thriving in your respective lives.
I still keep in touch with some of the bloggers, and every now and then, we go down memory lane and recall certain events. Blogging has afforded me so much. I can now categorically say (and my Oga at the top will not say another one) that my virtual friends are way more than my non virtual friends. I have met so many people online, and though I have not met most of them face to face, I fully intend to do so.
I. Miss. You.
Pele. Fix a blog party and let’s come to drink akpeteshi in your backyard.
I really would not mind having a blog party at all.
A blog party sounds amazing… and u don’t have to do it alone…
Yayyyy! I cannot wait. I am not in Nigeria (and I don’t have an official date yet), but when I do come, I would absolutely love to have one. It will be awesome! 😀
I second the above comment. Not virtual party o!
Quaggar,
Okay now! Let’s wait till I’m in Nigeria, and we will make it happen!!
Those were the days….pure fun. Made so many friends online as well. I remember when we London bloggers had a meet up, with BimbyLads, Londonbuki, Olawunmi, Vicki, Law Damsel and some pple I can’t remember now, mad fun. Miss those days a lot.
Ahhh, I remember 🙂 🙂
Yes, I really miss those days. We were like a big family.
Adura, we were definitely a big family. Oh, the days!
Ehn ehn, Temmy Tayo, you did a meet up without me abi? I don’t care if it was in London. Still, how could not include me! I’m not talking to you anymore sef.
Awww see Vera reminiscing. Anyway yours and GNG were my first ever blogs to read faithfully and I am still loyal *holds hand out for her present* lol I so agree with you on the race to the top bit these days you read one Nigerian entertainment/social culture blog and you have read them all it’s like everyone is on a race to be the first to copy paste stories some don’t even take the time to put their own personal spin on it.
Pendo,
Don’t worry, your reward is in heaven! I miss those days, too. And yeah, girl, I know there’s a race to copy and paste. The struggle is real. Lol.
Awwww, I wish I had ‘tasted’ of those days you speak of. 🙂
Pearl, you would have loved those days. It was soooooo much fun! And the fact that a lot of us were anonymous made it even more fun. *sigh*
You forgot to mention Noni Moss. I still visit her blog once in a while and I swear that babe haunts me!
Oh, yes, Noni Moss!! There are so many people I forgot to mention.
Hmmmm i discovered blogging in 2009/2010… so I dont know a lot of these people, but I heard it was fun. I read some and I liked it. But everything progresses, twitter, facebook, instagram, google + came and i guess a lot of people didn’t like it sha. lol. I loved it. Its just like old school vs new school. Some moved with the times, others could not cope. I guess in the next 7 years I’m going to be sharing a post like this. Will i still be blogging sef? I don’t know
Sisi Yemmie,
I guess time will tell if you’ll still be blogging after seven years. I did not know if I would still be here now or if I would have moved on. I always think I’ll never give up blogging, but who knows really? You would have definitely loved the old bloggers. For sure!
I started blogging in 2008 . I stumbled upon it while using gmail. Those times, it was all about story telling, life experiences but all that has been washed ashores by the immediate entry of money making devices’ and appps.. Na God hand we dey shaa.
Lol at money making devices and apps. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with making money from blogging. In fact, I’m sure most bloggers would like to make money from their blogs. It would be making money from the thing you actually love doing. It’s a blessing. I pray to get there one day.
Oh, well …
I started blogging late 09 when most of the older bloggers started to bow out. But I was reading you guys from around 07, fun days.
Mehn … those days were the ish. I know it sounds like I’m living in past glory right now, but I guess I am. Every time I read some of my old posts, I just miss them so much.
Yes, I had all this people on my blogroll too and you are correct, everyone has moved on! It was so much fun back then and I do miss it. I’ve been part of the blog world since 2004 when Xanga was the coolest and then it became Blogspot.
Good times indeed!
Xanga!!!! How could I forget? I think even MSN had some kinda blogosphere thing, too. But for us back, it was mostly Blogspot, then WordPress.com. Can we ever, ever get those days back?
I had to comment, I remember those days. Boorish male was so funny, taurian minx, calabar gal and her sister, you amongst many others. And many posts were quality. I live in Nigeria and I remember trying to introduce people and they were not just interested. I remember when bellanaija started when she was in canada. I was there when linda ikeji started, liade ex schoolnerd (looked fwd to her rants during lectures) and many other naija based bloggers
Unfortunately access to internet has reduced the quality of bloggs and increased the numbers. Sometimes I wish it wasn’t as affordable in naija
Douby,
How could I forget Calabar Gal?? I loved her. And her sister, too, whose name I cannot remember now. And Laide, too! Chei. Those awesome, awesome people. And lol at wishing it wasn’t so available.
36″ of legs!!!
Yesssss. Loved her.
Oh I loved those days. I shared londonbuki’s mummy mondays with my mom and she cried. 36 inches, Tminx, ync, olawummi. I think blogging was quality stuff then because people shared the real stuff in their lives, you know straight from the heart. Oh well they’ve moved on and so must we; along with the memories.
Ex-LondonBuki here 🙂
It’s always nice to find out about people who followed ‘Mummy Monday’ posts. You all made that time in my life easier.
Lol at Ex LongonBuki. You can never, ever be ex London Buki. I always remember you first as LondonBuki before I remember you are now Adura who drinks the weird stuff. Loool.
LMAO!
Kassi,
I refuse to move on! Lol. I must have those days back. Blogging from the heart is definitely missing. What happened?
I read some good blogs n. Felt like a part of sm big family where my opinion matters.v found even some more. Good thing is this stuff is always out dere 4us 2go bk n read.chk out http://the3six5ng.wordpress.com/ making a new family dere.365 views of 365 different Nigerians scattered around the globe
Oh, nice!!! I did check it out, but I didn’t know it was from different Nigerians all over the world.
What happened to the young boy and girl that shared a blog? They said that they were so in love. I always smiled and thought “youthful exuberance.”
London buki, Omohemi, bumight, bloke. The gal that blogged about her sexual experiances/partners, the one with an oyinbo sugar daddy
Life… oh life
Funmie,
You’re talking about Chari and Buttercup. No, they are no longer together. But at that time, I think it was clear that they really were in love. Chari is on Twitter, but I have no idea where Buttercup is.
Yea buttercup and Chari…..
Lover ni,
that explains why they are still together then. Oshisko
Fufu, you’re just mean.
Bia…I have not expired virtually oh! I have also travelled the 6 years of blogging too. I knew when you relocated from blogger to wordpress…I remember those crazy posts way back then and all the other bloggers. I also got married and had kids but I didn’t leave my blog. At a time I thought you sef don stop because you don’t seem to visit oda blogs again…You don’t even know wia my own blog dey any more…busy woman.
well…change is inevitable. We can’t escape it.
I know, I know. I know you still blog, so I don’t even know why I mentioned you there. Guess it’s me that hasn’t been keeping up, and I am so sorry. I don’t know why I have not been keeping up. I have become so busy – and that’s not a good thing. But it’s all good. I’ll do better, I promise.
I wasn’t part of that era, but I really feel you all. Almost like remembering secondary school days. Well done guys! Your passion inspired many, απϑ is putting food on the tables of most bloggers.
Yes! It is indeed like remembering your secondary school days. We enjoyed those blogging days and we cherished them, but I think we would have cherished them more if we had known that come today, most of us will not be blogging anymore:(
Fineboy, Nigerian drama queen, exschoolnerd was hilarious, what was the lady’s name, that was a “runs girl” while doing her mba or something, then gave up the game to get married to her first love, when bella was still a blogger, jaycee from light her lamp, I remember Mummy Mondays, Afrobabe was funny aswell, overwhelmed, that girl could write, NIce Anon commented so much, I think he/she was encouraged to start their own blog… whatever happened to Chari and Buttercup? could be here all day, Good times, when people wrote heart felt posts, and found solace.
Oh, how could I forget Naija Fine Boy and Nigerian Drama Queen? Mm mm mm. I don’t remember the name of the runs girl … lol! Jaycee still blogs; she just had a baby, too. Afrobabe wasn’t there originally from the beginning, beginning. But she was definitely one hell of a crazy girl. Yes, Nice Anon did get her own blog. She’s on Twitter, too.
It saddens me when I read that bloggers “used to” write heart felt posts. Do we really not write heart felt posts anymore? 🙁
“… then, it was all about story-telling.” 🙂
What is it about now?
I think blogging is still about stories but am not sure its as heartfelt for pple now as it was for a lot of us then.
Anyways, I miss those days too… Where is Dr Napaali? That dude could write!
Black James Bond!!!!!!!!!!! Where have you been??? I think I’m gonna write a post to ask people if they feel like my posts are still heart felt. I think I really wanna know. Napaali disappeared. I loved his writing, too. There was some controversy – if I’d call it that – that another blogger (and I don’t know why I can’t remember her name right now) had a big crush on him. I have no idea how true that was, but I remember that being a thing that was going around on Blogville back then. And really, who can blame anyone for having a crush on him? The man could write!
Ha! Such an awesome post! I was looking for YNC and I googled her and this post came up…so much reminiscing going on here! I have to agree Blogger was so much fun then..even for me since I almost blogged through out college. But like someone said…Life happens. Different turns and directions…oh and yeah, facebook and twitter happened too! LOl
Wasn’t Chari Jibola on Twitter? I think!
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And the reminiscing continues even in 2015…was trying to remember 36 and I found this. Man those days were something else, read a couple of blogs back then.I went to 36 now and read a but of the posts and really truth be said, those times and post were truely heartfelt. God bless you all where ever you are # goodoldtimes
Miss Lara, those were the days for real!!! I miss them so much kai. There were personal stories all over the place and you got to know these bloggers and the lives they (we) lived. I’m definitely trying to find my roots back to personal posts.