Dead Blog, how do you know?

Is it easy to determine if a blog is simply inactive, or dead and buried? Do you wait days, weeks, or months? Who decides it's dead? Once the decision has been made, should it be deleted or just left to languish in cyberspace? Lastly, if no one was really using it, do any of these questions really matter?

I'm wondering this as I look at a blog we "use" at work in support of an electronic reserves system. When I proposed using a blog, I envisioned a collaborative effort for the E-Res team that would allow us to post amongst ourselves and offer another marketing option supporting electronic reserves. Unfortunately, it just never took off. I don't see that as anyone's fault, just simple fact.

At the beginning of June (2006) the blog will have been active for one year. During that time there have been a total of 27 posts, one comment, and two of six people on the committee have posted information. We are looking at an average of 2 posts per month and one third of the team contributing. The one comment was legitimate and responding to it opend a distance education opportunity for the library. If nothing else, that purpose was successfully served. Sure it's hard to admit it failed and probably will be deleted. I feel pretty strongly an inactive blog is useless. The links and resources can be moved to the main web page and the project completed.

With that said, I must admit I will not take the necessary steps to delete it until summer. Shame on me, I had an article accepted for publication in a journal and it discusses marketing strategies we used to interest faculty in the E-Res system. I mentioned the blog, with glowing references, in the article and provided the address. The article is due for publication within the next few weeks. I know how to delete a blog with blogger, but I'm pretty confident the blog is safe throughout the summer.

Pride goeth before a fall.