Thirteen Today

Blip is thirteen years old today, which makes us now officially a teenager. If you consider that Facebook only came of age in the same way back in February, that gives us a certain maturity in internet terms. We’re Facebook’s slightly younger, introverted sibling, although we like to think we have cooler friends over to hang out with us. We share better photographs and hold much deeper conversations. And we’re generally much nicer to each other.

If you want to get us a birthday present to celebrate, now would be the perfect time to renew your membership - most, although not all, will expire at the end of this month - or take out a subscription if you’re not already a member. Our last post gave you the hard sell, so this is just a gentle nudge. It’s really simple. Just click here. 

We thought it would be fun to celebrate our thirteenth birthday by looking to see which blippers have the longest unbroken run of blips. We found three journals that now represent over ten years of recorded life, not missing a single day. We think that's a pretty special achievement. Of course, it's not essential to post every day to have a unique and extraordinary journal of your life here on blip, and there are a good few more blippers who have been posting almost invariably for just as long, but today we will honour our three most dedicated current members and hold them up as inspiration.

At the very top of the pile is Red, from Scotland, who has blipped continuously since July 19th, 2006.
 
We asked Red for a few brief words about his blip experience ... 

“What’s become increasingly important over time is having a record of my days - even if it’s just a few words and a picture. For me, the journal aspect is much more important than trying to produce a great image every day.”

“Of course, having blips of my kids as they’re growing up means a lot in particular. And I wouldn’t have believed the friendships - both in real life and online - that have sprung from being part of blip.”

And for new blippers, he suggests ...

“Don’t set your standards too high. Blip isn’t a photography contest. If you can’t think what to blip, just take a picture of whatever catches your eye. I’ve found that sometimes the significance of something only emerges looking back.”

Second is Orchid, from The Netherlands, blipping without a gap since Aug 1st, 2007.

Orchid says she blips every day in the same way as she has breakfast and needs to sleep every day. She doesn’t think about it anymore. It’s part of her daily life. For new blippers, her advice is to remember that it’s your journal, and just to do what you like.

Very close behind is Barking, now living in Australia, who has posted continuously since Aug 21st, 2007.

Asked for a few words, she told us …

“I started Blip planning to do 100 days, then 365, then 500, then two years, etc. I had no plan to be here for as long as I have.” 

“What I love most is being able to look back over the past ten years and seeing how I was feeling, what I was doing and who was in my life. I embrace change, and as a result have had a lot of it! Blip helps me to remember that good times don't last, so to make the most of them and that bad times are finite too, so to hang on in there for brighter days. What started off as a way to communicate with my family in the UK and to document Cousteau's life, has become much more than that; something I truly value and am proud to be a part of.”

We think it’s safe to say that the true value of blipping only emerges over time. It becomes less about hearts and stars and comments, and more about building a collection of curated memories. So, if you are reading this as a newcomer, do take inspiration from the many blippers who have made this site such an integral part of their lives. And, of course, please consider taking out that annual subscription to help make this an even cooler place to hang out. Remember, a monthly membership costs no more than a large coffee at a café and much less than most magazines you buy from a newsagent.

Happy Birthday to Blipfoto, and us all. Cheers everyone. 

PS We were tempted to get a proper cake for the occasion, but the birthday budget didn’t run that far. You can be sure that the membership income gets spent very prudently!