Thoughts on blogging and community organizing in the USA

This is my first non-Costa Rica related blog directly related to our class. I have some observations from blogging that can be correlated to online advocacy. I am aware that many people checked out my blog while we were away. The only reason I knew this, however, is because I got e-mails and spoke to people after my trip that said they followed our trip while we were gone and complimented me on the method and how much they enjoyed reading what I had to say. My mom tried to leave comments on the blog, but could not get a sign-in name. Many of my friends didn't even bother to sign up for various reasons. If I was trying to organize online and had the small number of posters I did, I would have thought I was not reaching any sort of audience and would be very discouraged. This is one of the bigger hurdles I see with online advocacy and we have touched on it in class. It is SO easy to be an online "looker" and never actively participate in the process. If it is complicated to sign-up or even the fact that people need to register may turn people away. I can see so many great applications for this technology, but I am struggling to look past the huge hurdles that need be addressed to accomplish the goals of any organizational effort. Also keeping in mind, that I love technology (esp. gadgets with buttons!), but I am also slow to embrace it for various reasons (financial, time it takes to learn, etc). Community activism is based on wide participation. I would like to know concrete ways to get people interested in participation and discussion and start to engage people who may come to browse and then move on.