I had been curating the list of amazing free Blogger templates based on my observation in the internet. While I am committed to feature these Blogger themes in this blog, I realized that it has been long due that I did not talk about the elephant in the room - there have been massive internet spamming utilizing the free (blogging) webspace provided by Google via Blogger platform.
With overwhelming scale of internet spamming in front on my digital devices, I thought that I can do something about it. I can at least self-console with jotting down of my thoughts. Even if I could make one hundred people read my blog and get the sense (or at least vibe with my thoughts), I will win (of course, relatively!
Hence, I first started a new website based on Blogger - NeFoLi Blogger. The contemporary Nepalese people consider the term 'NeFoLi' as 'a Nepali person trying to act smarter in this fast changing world'. Since I situate myself in similar situation, I decided to brand myself as a 'Nefoli Blogger' and write my personal thoughts (almost self reflective, sarcasm-filled) on 'Digital Citizenship' evident via contemporary media - Blogger, YouTube or any digital space that matters. Sorry paper-media, I know you should exist! You've become so small (and so not relevant) that my rants on bigger problems of the world overshadow you.
My experience with Blogger platform
I too started writing in Blogger platform using the freely available themes from across the world. While I was in another profession, I used to repost professional development opportunities that came across me in my blog, and share it in my social media.
My first website was getting popular in the professional network. At some point I realized that it was becoming a buzzword among the small circle of colleagues I know which later extended among people I did not know.
Gradually, my website was getting growing traffic from the visitors. This spiked really high during COVID19 pandemic. At that time, I had been sharing educational resources for online teaching. It was the same time that I also began to get monthly income from Google's Adsense Program. I could see that many other Blogger-based websites emerged in the same timeframe to cash in the pandemic situation. Slowly, when COVID19 situation began to settle across the world, the websites were earning lesser and lesser from Google's Adsense Program.
Because the digital marketing of domains and webhosts was so immense and convincing that I also decided to migrate my website from Blogger platform to self-hosted WordPress. I was lured by the affiliates - "Bruh (sic), Blogger websites are not so SEO-friendly. Move to WordPress, you will spike the traffic to half a million pageviews a month!"
They succeded in convincing me - I moved my website to WordPress. However, to my surprise, there was no such materialization. Gradually the traffic subsized. Even the ad clicks were nullified by Google Adsense (saying invalid clicks) at the end of the day. I would never click on any Ad that comes in the webspace. Hence, it would be natural that Google would have nullified the potentially unintentional clicks, or otherwisely intentional clicks should they have been made by some entities - However, I don't know what happened. I had been getting some money during my professional break after COVID19. Adsense Income elevated me and dropped me from the height. It was late 2022, I was struck with mid-life-crisis when suddenly the Google Adsense income was not able to even full my dinner plate despite the hardwork and investment I had made.
Hence, I sat by syself and reflected deeply. I asked myself - Am I part of this internet spamming? Am I doing any meaningful thing? What's on the plate of these digital spaces? Why (on earth) are many people deviating from the meaningful works and enjoying the spams? and so on. Decreasing income form Google Adsense made it easier for me to come grounded to the real and beautiful world. Then I dropped all the blogging projects, deleted the websites, and returned to the libraries, cafeterias, parks, and social spaces of the likes. I learned the big lesson - The world is (in fact) really beautiful without the spams.
Reclaiming Digital Spaces
After I returned to professional life, I started my personal website (based on Blogger platform) and a YouTube channel. I deleted almost all social media accounts (and of course profiles). Now, I also maintain an academic blog (this too on Blogger platform), and Nefoli Blogger project (also on Blogger). Hence, it seems like I am handling 3 websites altogether making Blogger great again!
NB: Blogger (blogspot) templates (themes) are recommended gradually as posts in this blog.