A Personal Throwback Story

A Personal Throwback Story

The Background

I had been meaning to write this post for a while now but I haven’t had the time until now. So welcome to my personal throwback story. What triggered this post was another post I read by Jim Borden, a blogger extraordinaire! Anyway he wrote a post called “The Fascinating Wayback Machine AKA The Internet Archive.” And the post is about a site which lets you see what your website used to look like when you first started blogging. I would highly recommend checking out his post which is super interesting and amusing! I was super fascinated so of course had to try it out. And it was honestly such a blast from the past. I had so much fun viewing my old posts and looking at what my site used to look like.

I honestly can not believe how much my site has changed since back then. I’m planning on doing a full post about the changes I’ve made to lifesfinewhine over the years. And how I made these changes. Basically all the details of how I made my blog look the way it does but this is kind of the very short version of that.  

About The Start Of Lifesfinewhine

I had less than a thousand followers back then. And to be honest I did not blog very regularly because I was still in High School at the time. I would pretty much just blog whenever I had the time and it was usually once a week. My first real post went up in August 2015 and it had to do with the psychology behind cults and why people join cults. I decided to write on this because we were learning about it in my psychology class and this blog was originally supposed to be only about psychology (oh, did I move away from that lol😂).

In my first year I only posted about 40 posts and I was so excited by any notification I got that I kept refreshing my WP to see if anyone had commented! The whole site just look is so much different and so much less personal than it does now. The image you see below was pretty much it- it just said lifesfinewhine and THAT’S IT!

I also started to do some art back then and found this post called “Art!” in which I shared some of my first art works with you guys. I’m not sure why I didn’t share the rest but I did a lot more charcoal art and other art after this. I drew the characters from Family Guy and I did a charcoal painting of Rupert- Stewie’s teddy bear. I wish I could share the pictures but they’re in Kenya. It was so fun to see the art again because I had genuinely forgotten about it and don’t currently do any art anymore. 

Blogging Is For Me

Early on I knew that blogging was going to become a thing for me. And that I already felt that there was something special about it. But I just did not know how to include it into the schedule I had at the time because I was a full-time high school student. But my friends were super duper enthusiastic and supportive and they were honestly what pushed me to keep blogging even when I didn’t particularly have the energy to which I am forever grateful for. I was also doing a lot of other writing on other platforms at the time which is why I did not spend too much time on WP. This is me being super excited about hitting 500 followers!

Anyway I had this very different looking blog with a handful of followers which I worked on for years. Till I finally reached 10k followers in August of 2019- almost exactly five years after I started. At this point I upgraded my plan and gave my site a makeover which for a while I absolutely loved. 

However, the theme was a bit slow in loading and there were some other aspects to it I did not like. So, when lockdown began I decided to give lifesfinewhine another makeover I tried to make the site more SEO friendly. I also finally found the perfect theme for me and customized it so that it looks like exactly what I want my site to look like. 

A Personal Throwback Story

Okay, I got carried away and forgot to tell you guys the story so without any further distractions here it goes. I always found the tags/challenges really fun to do. I thought they were such a great way to get to know people better and to just sort of I guess play a sort of virtual game with your fellow bloggers.

So, I used to frequently participate in these sort of things and I did this one tag/challenge called “Strike Out” and I got a couple of comments but I got this one super mean comment and that was the first time I ever got like a really negative comment and it kind of freaked me out and I did not even know how to respond or if I should even respond. I think I messaged my friend and asked her how I should deal with it. And asked another blogger who I was good friends at the time with about it too. I think your first negative comment just kind of hits the hardest. I was kind of in shock and disbelief. And it did not help that I already had really bad anxiety and mental health problems at this time.

I did end up responding to it and turns out the blogger who left the negative comment didn’t have a problem with my blog. He just for some reason really hated that one post because he left okay-ish comments on others posts after that. It was so weird to me but I’m not anxious about it anymore and kind of find it hilarious that someone would leave a comment like that and not realise that they could simply just not read the post and move on with their life… Anyway, that was my story about my first negative comment. I had actually completely forgotten about this until I saw the Strike Out post on the wayback machine. And everything came back to me.

Conclusion 

I hope you enjoyed my personal throwback story! I know this personal throwback story was kind of everywhere. But it’s just because I was super excited to share this throwback stuff with you guys. Have you tried to put your site through the Wayback Machine? If so were you kind of surprised to see how much your site has changed? Has you site changed since you first started blogging? Have you ever received a negative comment on WordPress? How did you deal with the negative comment? Did it shock you and did you respond in any way? Are you surprised by how much my site has changed. Or have you been one of my followers from back in the day so you know what it looked like? Let me know in the comments below because I would love to hear what you guys have to say!

For Jim Borden’s post click here. To try out the Wayback Machine click here. 


For similar posts click here.

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156 responses to “A Personal Throwback Story”

  1. I enjoyed every bit of it, great to see that you once had an artist in you. Just imagine how good you could’ve been today if you continued.
    I like how you maturely handled your first negative comment, I think I deleted mine, LOL!

    1. Thank you! I definitely regret not spending more time on getting better at art but I picked other stuff over art and I guess I’m glad that my other hobbies like blogging worked out.
      Lol that’s understandable- it’s scary when we get out first negative comment!

  2. Wow. This is awesome. Things were so different back then. But more importantly, you and your blog have grown so much, my dear friend. Some people are just mean. I remember reading your post about negative comments. The very fact that only one person thought so says volumes about him! I’m glad that you’re past that now. It’s all part of the journey. I loved the blast from the past ❤️

    1. Thank you so much! Yes I’m so glad that both our blogs have grown so much over the years. I remember back in the day when we just baby bloggers lol!
      Honestly, there will always be negative people out there and like you said it’s more about them than my blog.

      1. Yes, that seems like another time. Here’s to another five years and more 🙂

        1. Yes maybe we’ll be reminiscing in another five years haha!

          1. Here’s to that 😃

  3. I have just 211 followers, likely because I delete every spam and business that follows. Blogging can be an amazing adventure!

    1. Yes it definitely is an adventure!

  4. I like your sketches my fellow Jedi. It would be nice to see more 🙂

    1. Thank you so much! I will try to use the force to summon them from Kenya 😜

  5. Thanks for the shout-out, Pooja! It’s been wonderful to watch your blog evolve over the years. And I agree that the Wayback Machine is a fun tool to fool around with. I wish you continued success!

    1. Thank you for introducing me to the Wayback Machine! It’s such a fun way to look back at everything!

      1. It is a fun trip down memory lane!

  6. You have come so far and have done a great job.

    1. Thank you so much!!

  7. You shouldn’t get stressed about negative comments. It’s just part of being on the internet. You can never please everyone and shouldn’t expect to.

    1. Yeah I think I was just stressed because it was the first time and also having an anxiety disorder doesn’t help the situation. I think I’ve now learnt to just let things go and move on.

  8. Beautiful poem. I can closely relate. Thanks for sharing.

    1. Thank you so much!!

  9. Really enjoyed reading this post.
    I loved the way you reacted to your first negative comment. Though it stirred in a lot of anxiety and frustration, you replied in a positive but slightly sarcastic way. I think the person got the point which might be why he stopped with an it’s ok 🙂
    I haven’t received any negative comments yet. But then, I have just started; Still got time I guess 😅
    Also, Way back machine sounds fun. But, my blog is pretty new. So I won’t have much to see up there now

    1. Thank you! I decided to be civil but also sarcastic in the end which I guess worked. I hope you never get a negative comment but in case you so I would highly suggest just ignoring it- it’s so not worth it to argue with people like that. Maybe in a few years you can double back and try it out!

  10. Its just wow written,it made me to read it in one go, trust me no distractions played a role 😊and i was able to relate to the feelings too. Checking out the comments is really the best one👌and other was🤐but you did best on handling such issues.👏👍

  11. Wow that’s just so great about your journey and your sketches were amazing too😊

    1. Thank you so much!!

  12. I really liked your post. I’m also a blogger, currently I’m on my starting phase and I know it will take time to get notice and it will take time for people to appreciate my post.
    You post is amazing as there is so mucj honesty in it. It’s really inspire me.
    Thank you for the post.

    1. Thank you! Yes it takes a while but it’s so worth it!

  13. Great tips. Can’t wait to reach my 1,000 followers! Way to go looking back – hope it encourages you to keep going. Thanks for sharing. And thanks for liking Recipe: Moinmoin 😎

    1. Thank you! I’m sure you’ll get to 1000 before you know it. And you’re totally welcome!

      1. Aww Thanks PoojaG!

        1. You’re very welcome!

  14. Hi friend , you are amazing. If you are writing posts from high school. I astonished as in my area I am alone blogging no one is ready to join blogging.

    1. Thank you! It wasn’t very popular where I lived either and there are very few bloggers in that area but it seems to be catching on now.

  15. You go, buddy! I’m so impressed with how far you’ve come in your blogging journey; and it’s so interesting to see how your blog has changed with a span of 5 years.
    As for the haters, the best way to deal with them; is to ignore them completely. They aren’t worth your time and energy.

    1. Thank you! It feels like I’ve been blogging forever lol but I’m happy with how much my blog was able to evolve and change. Yup I’ve learnt that when someone hates on you it has more to do with them and their issues so ignoring is the best thing to do.

  16. I love this! I started my blog just last month and always wondered how other bloggers who have been doing this for a while, got to where they are now. You are right about the excitement from every notification haha! Just last week I was celebrating making $0.01 that I told all my friends about it. It never happened again, but it was nice to see something positive come out of the time and emotions I’ve been investing in it. You have grown so much since your first blog so congratulations! 🙂 you are an inspiration to baby bloggers like myself <3

    1. I remember celebrating my first $0.01 back in the day! I texted all my friends and family about it too lol. I’m sure you’ll make more over time- it takes a while for your blog to grow. Thank you so much!!

  17. Very inspiring post!
    Life is all about change. Nothing is forever. We are constantly evolving – Hopefully for the best! 🙂

    1. Thank you and I agree we are always changing and evolving. That’s the only way we can grow.

  18. Really enjoyed reading this. I have a very new blog so I hope in many years to come I remember to do this and I my hard work will pay off :). Thank you for sharing

    1. Thank you so much! You should try this out in a few years and see how much your blog has grown and changed. It’s such a fun way to revisit old memories!

      1. I will definitely be doing this. Thank you for posting

        1. My pleasure!

  19. An interesting read Pooj. In terms of negative replies I’ve had loads. I tend to put out a lot of political, social and atheist material. Sometimes it provokes a lively debate, other times it elicits a stream of hate and fury. I’ve even had death threats.
    It’s sad really. People should be able to argue their case without resorting to nastiness or personal abuse. I like a good robust argument.

    1. Yeah of course- it’s natural to disagree but that should never end in threats. If you disagree with someone just rationally argue your points.

  20. It’s always feel good when you look back and see how far you have come. It is always a proud moment when you build something on your own and you can proudly say it is mine. You have come a long way. Keep it up. Keep blogging.

    1. Thank you and yes I absolutely agree!

    1. Thank you!

  21. This was such an inspiring post!! Dealing with negative commentary can be really difficult (I don’t understand why people need to be negative) but I think it makes us stronger at the end of the day. Thank you for continually inspiring me as a blogger xxx

    1. Thank you so much! Yeah it’s weird that someone would leave a negative comment at all- if you don’t like something don’t read it there are literally thousands of other blogs you could read instead.

      1. I completely agree!

  22. Just started my blog after years of “fearing what I will write, I don’t want to bore people away”. I’m just 10 blog posts in and I’m loving it. Every click, like, comment, and follow is pure ecstasy. Looking forward to reading your blogs. I like the way your personality oozes in this one.
    About negative comments, I’ve been literally pushing people to critic my blog so I know where to improve. It’s something I really wanna grow in and be good at. Don’t think I’ve reached 10 followers but I’m happy just writing and having fun at it. It’s therapeutic. Thanks for the follow.

    1. PS.. I kind of got a bit over excited when you mention you’re from Kenya.

      1. Ooh are you from Kenya too??

        1. Yeah, I live in Nairobi.

          1. Oh nice!

    2. Writing can definitely be exhilarating! I agree criticism is beneficial but I feel like negative comments are different because they aren’t constructive criticism- they’re just negative criticism with nothing about how you can improve your blog.

      1. You’re right. They just want to put you down.

        1. Yeah for sure but honestly the best thing to do it just ignore people like that.

  23. Hard Effort = great output. All your hard work is there to be seen

    1. Thank you so much!

  24. Hahaha! That negative comment was so wonderfully curt and blunt that it’s hard not to read it as sarcasm and an intentional joke. 🤣. Glad you’re able to laugh at it now. God to find humour when you can in life, this is the best way :D.

    1. Oh btw your girl picture has some resemblance to you, lol. Which is just an interesting thing, like an insight into the unconscious mind.

      1. Really I never thought it looks like me but maybe slightly. Wow my unconscious is low-key a narcissist… 😂

        1. Haha, yes when I say looks like you, I mean a few things— eyes, lips, eyebrows, face shape :). The hair looks blonde so obscures that similarity a bit. But I think those are definitely more African features rather than European or Asian for example. Eyes are Egyptian. I bet if you shaded the hair dark and put it in braids it’d be more obvious!

          1. Hmm I never thought about it like that! Maybe I’ll give it a makeover when I go back to Kenya.

              1. It actually kind of does. Especially the eyebrows and eyes.

                1. :D. It would make sense too given the relative proximity of Egypt to Kenya. Prob a mixture of circumstance and coincidence :).

                  1. I want to take one of those tests that tell you your ancestry. It would be so cool if I was like 1% Egyptian or something!

                    1. I was starting to think you should too! Lol. To be fair 1% Egyptian is quite likely for you, so maybe more :D.

                    2. I really wanna do it! I think I will once we go back to normal just to see what sort of random ancestry I have. I think it will be super interesting!

                  1. Hmm yeah that one is more alike, That’s so interesting!

                2. Ok you look like Queen Nefertiti lol xD.

                  1. I always knew I was royalty lol! 🤴🏽

                    1. Hahaha! 😁. Don’t we all, lol xD.
                      Hmm I’m disappointed there’s no Egyptian-related emojis!

        2. (That’s a Nordic jaw, though!)

    2. Lol it’s probably my favourite mean comment that I’ve ever gotten!

      1. Haha! And your first, too. The absolute entitlement and self-righteousness in their reply, though, LOL.

        1. I know it’s crazy that he even replied and didn’t get the sarcasm lol!

  25. Wow, you’ve come a long way since 2015 Pooja and it’s great seeing how your blog has evolved. You have so many followers and comments, I don’t know how you keep up with them all, but you do. You’re a great blogger and I always look forward to reading your posts, where you share all your learning – like this Wayback machine that I’m about to look at lol. Thank you.

    1. Thank you so much! I give all credit for the Wayback Machine to Jim- he always has the most fascinating posts about stuff I didn’t even know existed! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post and I’m sure you’ll find it fun to see how much your site has changed!

      1. I’m quite new to blogging so there’s not much change 🙂

        1. Well maybe in a year or two!

  26. I love your art and wonderful blogging journey! Also when I first started I was sooooooo inconsistent. I blogged about once every 2 weeks LOL! Great post, Pooja!

    1. Thank you!! Yeah it definitely takes a while to get the hang of posting and being regular but yeah the first year is always kind of a mess lol!

      1. Takes a lot of discipline too I think!

  27. I love reading your blogs Pooja! You should be proud of how well you have done 🙂 – and I am sure your blogs will continue to be successful!

    1. Thank you so much!!

  28. Thank you for sharing your history with us! It is wonderful to watch your blog change as you change and as your priorities change. I wish you much continued success!

    1. Thank you so much!!

  29. You’ve come a long way, PoojaG. You should be proud of your achievement. Thanks for sharing.

    1. Thank you so much!

      1. And thank you for sharing the information about the Wayback Machine. I am sharing this in my post Monday including a mention for you and Jim Borden.

        1. I look forward to reading the post!!

  30. I’m afraid my wayback machine would take me to a place long before there was an internet. I only started blogging recently, just to practice writing for enjoyment after I retired from teaching.
    And speaking of teaching, I was once told you need to say three positive things before saying even one thing critical, so your experience to your first negative blog has to be a near universal reaction. in my experience the ratio probably needs to be more like 30 positives to one critical – and yet, how do we improve without input – both positive and critical?
    Enjoying you blog! Nice eclectic range of topics. Interesting and captivating use of pics.
    (It’s three positives you can save in case you get another negative….)

    1. I agree with the negative to positive ratio for sure! I also think there are so many more positive ways to be critical but people on the Internet don’t always seem to understand that. Thanks for the positives- I’ll keep them in mind for the next time I get a negative comment lol!

  31. That’s kind of a fantastic comment. I think it displays a total lack of filter. Haha.

    1. I know it’s kind of my favourite mean comment I’ve ever received. Like even the reply is so funny to me!

      1. Haha, yeah. It’s pretty good.

  32. Love it, your blog has grown from baby to adult😀. Old posts are amazing and exciting to remember.👍. Your blog is going places. Keep it up✨

    1. Thank you! Yes my blog seems to finally be an adult now haha- it’s nice to see how it grew with me.

  33. Your site looked so different, but it was still amazing! It’s the writing that matters most x

    1. Yes I totally agree- the content is what’s most important!

  34. I’ve been following your blog just recently, maybe around a year. It was very good knowing your blogging journey. ❣
    I loved your response for the negative comment. Criticisms are fine but I’m not sure how I’d react in case I get a negative comment straight to the face.

    1. Thank you! Yes it’s hard to know how to react when someone is just negative like that. I think ignoring it is the best thing to do.

  35. It’s really good and amazing. Pl share more about your experiences about how you grow up starting from 2015.
    Visit my blog too and hope you would give me feedback .

    1. Thanks and yes I plan on doing a couple posts about that!

  36. Wow…You have come a long way. Hats off! 😀

    1. Thank you so much!

  37. This was super interesting, it’s super cool to see how your blog has evolved. I’ve not had a mean comment yet but somehow I don’t think I’ll handle it very well! Although I guess people say you know you’ve made it when the trolls come out… 🤷‍♀️

    1. Thank you so much! I think the best way to deal with negative comments is to just ignore them. Lol I guess I’ve made it then because I’ve gotten quite a few negative comments after that one!

  38. justcalmwildness Avatar
    justcalmwildness

    It’s amazing to see your journey. You have really grown. I love how as you changed you let your blog grow with you. This is really dope

    1. Thank you so much!!

  39. I have been very nostalgic this week also. Rereading everything I had ever written in the run up to my 500th blog post.
    I also shared something dark from my past this week. Part of my healing process I suppose.
    Like you I have always suffered with anxiety and depression. The writing really helps doesn’t it (or at least it does for me).

    1. Yes the writing is such a great outlet. I think without it I would really just repress everything and snap. I’m glad we have this outlet.

      1. The distraction certainly helps doesn’t it.

        1. Yeah it’s a nice break from our brain

  40. Such an inspiration you are.

    1. Thank you so much!!

      1. You’re welcome 😊

  41. You are right about your discussion about psychology. It’s all psychology especially online!
    I’ve found that using emojis can tilt how users respond and they fast or slow response. Psychology from just a little symbol, now that’s wild!

    1. Ooh that’s really interesting!

  42. I absolutely love your blog! This post in particular seems very encouraging to many of us who a new to blogging. Thank you for sharing. You truly have a gift. Stay well! 🙂

    1. Thank you so much! I aplogise for the late reply you were stuck in my spam for some reason.

    1. Thank you!

  43. Wow, your site looked different before, and it’s so amazing how you’ve grown throughout these years. Super proud! And I am happy that you’re still blogging and will continue to blog! 💖 Wish you the best, always!

    1. Thank you so much! I know it’s crazy how much my site has grown and changed over the years and I’m so glad to still be blogging!!

      1. You’re welcome! Here’s to many more years of blogging! 💖

  44. It is wonderful to see the growth and development of your blog. Clearly you’ve put a lot of effort into what you write and how you present your posts, to build the community of the people who follow your blog. 🙂
    I’m currently in a phase of figuring out what if I would like to have a separate website where I will publish my poetry, stories, and music, or if it makes sense to be here in addition to my blog. Do you have any thoughts on what might be best to do so?

    1. Thank you so much! I think there are pros and cons for both. I personally feel like two sites is a lot of work so I just post everything on here but if you do decide to start another site you can use it for specific posts which would be good for building a specific audience.

  45. […] over the last six years. I thought this was a really great idea and a while back I did a sort of mini throwback post where I used a site to help me see what lifesfinewhine looked like back in the day and how […]

  46. You are so talented friend…. You can draw…. Thats awesome…. I would love to see your drawings more….

    1. Thank you so much! I’ll post some when I’m in Kenya and have access to them!

      1. Looking forward to it….

  47. […] you can tell from the title I also did something new! A while ago I did a throwback post and it reminded me how much I love art. Unfortunately, all my art supplies are in Kenya and […]

  48. […] over the last six years. I thought this was a really great idea and a while back I did a sort of mini throwback post where I used a site to help me see what lifesfinewhine looked like back in the day and how […]

  49. […] over the last six years. I thought this was a really great idea and a while back I did a sort of mini throwback post where I used a site to help me see what my blog looked like back in the day and how it’s […]

  50. […] over the last six years. I thought this was a really great idea and a while back I did a sort of mini throwback post where I used a site to help me see what my blog looked like back in the day and how it’s […]

  51. […] theme is absolutely a vital thing for your blog. The way your blog looks and loads is definitely directly […]

  52. […] over the last six years. I thought this was a really great idea and a while back I did a sort of mini throwback post where I used a site to help me see what my blog looked like back in the day and how it’s […]

  53. […] over the last six years. I thought this was a really great idea and a while back I did a sort of mini throwback post where I used a site to help me see what my blog looked like back in the day and how it’s […]

  54. Gonna take a look at the Strike Out tag now! It looks super fun!

    1. Okay, awesome!

  55. […] you can tell from the title I also did something new! A while ago I did a throwback post and it reminded me how much I love art. Unfortunately, all my art supplies are in Kenya and […]

  56. […] over the last six years. I thought this was a really great idea and a while back I did a sort of mini throwback post where I used a site to help me see what lifesfinewhine looked like back in the day and how […]

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